Richard Carapaz is racing a shimmering golden Pinarello Dogma F at the Giro d’Italia, but the new paint job is not the most interesting thing on the 2019 Giro d’Italia champion’s bike. The Ecuadorian climber has a Shimano Di2 satellite shifter positioned inside the hood of his shifter lever.
Often called a ‘sprint shifter,’ Shimano’s satellite shifter is a small button that is wired into the Dura-Ace shift lever. The button can be programmed to move either derailleur in either direction, but typically they are used in a pair, with one satellite on the right used to move the rear derailleur into a harder gear and one satellite on the left used to move the rear derailleur into an easier gear.
Typically the satellite shifters are used on the drops, where riders can keep all their fingers wrapped around the bar and still shift in the furious sprint to the finish line — thus the ‘sprint shifter’ moniker.
Sometimes these satellites are used on the bar tops, for use when climbing or riding cobbles.
Mark Cavendish uses a single satellite shifter on the front of his bar, like a trigger.
Richard Carapaz, however, takes the cake for an arrangement we have never seen — cutting a hole in the rubber cover of the shifter body.
A shifter inside a shifter? That’s a new one.
Carapaz was presented with this golden bike to celebrate his Olympic road race win ahead of the 2022 Giro d’Italia.
The reflective paint shines in the sun, with Pinarello’s house brand MOST hiding the internal routing.
Carapaz what is effectively the stock WorldTour Shimano setup: a 12-speed Dura-Ace group with an 11-speed Dura-Ace crank with power meter. Shimano has not been able to deliver the 12-speed crank with power meter in sufficient numbers.
Shimano’s new tubeless Dura-Ace C60 wheels feature a 21mm internal rim width, which is a step up for Shimano.
Continental’s Grand Prix 5000S TR tubeless tires have found favor in the WorldTour, including by riders whose teams are not sponsored by Continental.
Win the gold medal, get a golden bike.
After 10 stages, Carapaz sits in fourth overall, just 15 seconds behind race leader Juan Pedro López of Trek-Segafredo.
When you measure your saddle height, do you always measure to the same spot? Ineos-Grenadiers mechanics do.
The MOST bar/stem comes in 16 configurations, which is significantly more than most other brands with an integrated cockpit.
The team at Pinarello is hoping Carapaz can steer this golden machine into the final pink jersey in Verona.