Primož Roglič is leading Paris-Nice, and he and his Jumbo-Visma teammates are racing unreleased Cervélo S5 aero bikes.
The primary difference compared to the current S5 is that Cervélo took advantage of the UCI’s recent relaxation of the 3:1 rule to reduce drag on the frameset. The 3:1 ratio has been the UCI’s longstanding rule for fore/aft length to width.
My colleague Dave Rome at CyclingTips wrote a detailed piece on how the UCI regulations have changed. And VeloNews’ Greg Kaplan wrote about the new S5 in late February.
The most notable changes on the S5 are the deeper head tube (deeper here meaning front to back) and the bayonet fork design, plus an hourglass shaping on that bayonet and head tube.
VeloNews has asked Cervélo for details on the bike, but the company will only confirm that it is an upcoming model.
Primož Roglič racing here on Friday at Paris-Nice aboard the new Cervélo S5. Here, he has a Shimano Dura-Ace 9250 group but a 9150 crank and power meter. While 9250 is 12-speed and 9150 is 11-speed, the cranks are compatible.
Here is is Primož Roglič’s bike shot at the Faun Drôme Classic in late February. Note how he has a 9250 crank with power meter on here.
The striking cockpit of the S5 carries over from the current S5. Aero engineers and riders don’t always agree on how much of the tops should be covered with bar tape.
The latest 9250 levers can control the Garmin Edge via programmable buttons on the tops of the hoods, so riders don’t have to take their hands off the shifters to scroll through pages or just to a particular page. You can read my review of the Dura-Ace 9250 group here.
Shimano’s 9250 Di2 sprint shifters are not compatible with the 9150 sprint shifters, as the connecting wires are different diameters.
Roglič had a 54/40 configuration at the Faun Drôme Classic. He and his teammates choose between Dura-Ace’s C36, C50 and C60 wheels, depending on the profile and conditions of the day.
Vittoria makes its Corsa tire in clincher, tubeless, and tubular. These are a pro-only 26mm tubular tire, which Vittoria makes for WorldTour riders but does not sell.
Roglič’s teammate Jonas Vingegaard won the Drôme Classic.
The new S5 retains the sculpted down tube from the current model.