Shimano’s latest R9200 Dura-Ace group has a few options, but none of them include mechanical shifting; it’s Di2 only for Shimano’s top racing group from here on out. At Paris-Roubaix, Peter Sagan has voted with his bike that he prefers still mechanical shifting for the world’s hardest cobblestone race, thank you very much. In 2018, he won on a mechanical-shifting Roubaix with rim brakes.
Another notable feature on this bike — clincher tires. Sagan and the whole Bora-Hansgrohe team did Paris-Roubaix course recon on Specialized’s Turbo Cotton Hell of the North 28mm clinchers. This tire — and the Specialized Turbo Gripton tubular — were among the 15 sets of Paris-Roubaix race tires we sent to Wheel Energy for testing on a faux-cobblestone surface for rolling resistance. Check out the test results here, and our testing protocol here.
Sagan riding recon on a pavé sector, with his fingers taped and a GoPro pointed at his face.
Specialized’s Turbo clinchers have already been raced to the top of a cobbled-race podium at the Tour of Flanders. Will Sagan and co. abandon the tried-and-true tubulars like this Turbo Gripton on Sunday?
Shift cables? What is this, 2010?
When rattling over the cobbles, it is much harder to accidentally misshift with mechanical levers than with Di2 buttons.
Sagan won in 2018 on a Roubaix with rim brakes — a pro-only frameset in a year that consumer Roubaix models were disc-only. He is on discs this year.
The Future Shock beneath the stem has a lockout on top of the steerer tube.
Specialized has a few paint options that include matte and gloss finishes.
Sagan typically runs a 150 or a 140mm stem, depending on the frame.
Another view of the gloss/matte dual finish.
53/39 and 11-28 for the former Roubaix winner.
Sagan won in 2018 on Specialized tubulars. The team has been racing on clinchers this year. But what will see them use on Sunday?
The Roubaix has plenty of clearance for much bigger tires.
Peter Sagan’s bike for the 2021 Paris-Roubaix on Sunday.