Nathan Haas has teamed up with Colnago for his own fleet of custom gravel-grinders.
Colnago confirmed Friday it would support the recently retired road pro Haas in his full-time gravel ambitions in 2022 as they head into a “multi-year collaboration.”
The Italian bike brand will provide Haas with five G3-X rigs painted in five different colorways for his debut season as a gravel rider this year.
“Cycling to me has always been about evolving – as an athlete, and as an expression of myself,” Haas said. “I’ve dipped my toes in almost all forms of riding and while my road cycling career has been my greatest accomplishment to date, I’ve never pigeonholed myself as a road cyclist.
“I couldn’t have dreamt of a better founding partner for this new adventure in my career than Colnago. I know there will be no compromise on performance, and I will go into every race with the best equipment I could imagine.”
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The G3-X is Colnago’s gravel-specific model and has been informed by the brand’s experience in the world of cyclocross.
Unlike the Prestige ‘cross bike, the G3-X has a geometry to fit larger tires, with the steering angle and overall length designed to offer greater stability and comfort at high speeds.
Campagnolo will supply Haas’ rides with 13-speed Ekar gravel groupsets, and the frames will be finished with Shamal wheels and Deda Elementi handlebars and stems.
Haas, 32, will use his new fleet of bikes for an ambitious debut gravel season that includes Unbound Gravel, BWR North Carolina, Migration Gravel Race, and SBT GRVL.
“The most successful Italian brand in the history of off-road drop bar bikes has found the ideal partner in Nathan Haas. Good taste, creativity, style, and strength come together in a project that will see the birth of five unique, exclusive, and frankly, beautiful bicycles,” said Manolo Bertocchi, Colnago Head of Marketing.
“Nathan is the right man to represent Colnago on gravel roads all over the world. But it’s not just style: it’s racing to win with style!”
Here’s a first look at the new rig.
Haas is bucking the current gravel trend by using the Campagnolo Ekar group — not Shimano’s GRX components or SRAM’s XPLR group — on his fleet of Colnagos.
There’s plenty of tire clearance in the fork for Vittoria Terreno Dry 38cm tires.
A short-reach Deda Zero 100 stem and external cabling make for an easily adjustable cockpit.
Campy Shamal carbon disc wheels complete the Italian package.
While Haas’ various Colnago G3-X may have slightly different color schemes, they will all be set up specifically for training and racing on a variety of surfaces.