Niki Terpstra, winner of the 2014 Paris-Roubaix and 2018 Tour of Flanders, is now in his fifteenth year as a professional.
The Dutch rider turned spent four years at Milram before racing for Quick-Step from 2011 through 2018. He’s been at Total Direct Énergie since 2019.
Like Astana, Direct Énergie is racing on Wilier’s Filante SLR bikes this year. And like many bike brands, Wilier has a monocoque bar/stem on the Filante SLR. Interestingly, Wilier has come up with a stack and reach measurement that incorporates the bar/stem to help riders find the right fit, as obviously you can’t just swap stems to make reach adjustments with the monocoque design. Wilier calls this measurement system Accu-Fit.
Direct Énergie isn’t taking full advantage of the Wilier’s tire clearance, as good aerodynamics are still vital for racing.
Shimano has more WorldTour teams than SRAM or Campagnolo, but the fewest (11) cogs on its cassettes.
The Vittoria Corsa tubular has four Graphene-enhance compounds in its tread, which sits on a 120 TPI casing.
Thru-axle levers are quicker to use for everyday riders than Allen-bolt options, but pro teams often use power drills to remove and install the axles. Here, a mechanic’s hands are still vital tools.
Looks at all that tire clearance! Racing bikes have come a long way in just a few years.
Terpstra is a 15-year pro.
Normal stack and reach measures from the center of the bottom bracket (as shown here) to the top and center of the head tube (shown with the yellow dot). Wilier’s Accu-Fit measures from the BB center to the center of the handlebar where it connects to the stem.
Niki Terpstra’s 2021 Wilier Filante SLR at the Étoile de Bessèges.