Just in time for the Tour de France, Specialized fields a completely re-engineered version of their Venge model. The Specialized S-Works Venge ViAS claims to save 120 seconds over 40 kilometers.
The model announcement came from Tinkoff-Saxo, but Mark Cavendish was spotted riding a similar model last week, so it’s safe to say that the Specialized Venge ViAS will be made available to all teams riding the brand.
With all cable routing internally housed, a radically new cockpit and a new frame design, Tinkoff-Saxo’s Peter Sagan will field the fastest road bike Specialized has ever made at the biggest race of the season.
Peter Sagan first benefitted from the new bike when he won Stage 6 of Tour de Suisse, sprinting for the line after 193 km in a fast, technical finale. Sagan will once more depend on the Venge ViAS at the 2015 Tour de France.
Specialized did extensive work on the new model in their wind tunnel, developing it to be aerodynamically superior to the competition. During its development it faced intense scrutiny, leading to it being 120 seconds faster than a Tarmac SL4 over 40 kilometers. Every tube shape, trailing edge and design cue of the S-Works Venge ViAS was made to be faster.
To achieve this, Specialized had to develop special headset bearings and spacers in order to internally house all cable routing and brake lines, which resulted in the elimination of anything being left exposed.
In essence, from Tour de France and onwards, Tinkoff-Saxo (and all teams riding Specialized – Ed.) will benefit from the fastest road race bike Specialized has ever made. The team will look to this radically new bike on the fast stages, where its aerodynamic profile will result in saved watts during the stage and increased speed in the final sprints. At Tour de France, Peter Sagan will ride the Venge ViAS, while the entire team will be equipped later during the 2015 season.
“I’m excited to bring my new Venge to the Tour. I rode it for the first time in Tour de Suisse and I won a stage on it on the first day. I guess you don’t get a better start with a new bike than that. Of course numbers are important but that is the work of the engineers – for me the ultimate test comes, when I’m on the bike. How does it feel and is it a winning bike? It looks great and I have already won on it, so it will be great to have at the Tour,” said Sagan.
“We’ve had a long lasting and very prosperous partnership with Specialized and this example of bike excellence stands testimony to how we benefit from each other,” said Stefano Feltrin, General Manager of Tinkoff-Saxo. “Our team and riders provide valuable feedback and offer a world class testing ground, while Specialized offer the forefront of bike technology, which we, in turn, profit from at the races. It’s a perfect bike for Peter and I’m sure that a lot of people look forward to seeing him ride it at Tour de France”.
The best of aerodynamics and bike handling
The work to eliminate drag and improve aerodynamic performance is clearly evident in the visual design of the Venge ViAS. Proprietary integrated brakes create the perfect blend of aerodynamics and power. There’s zero additional drag and best-in-class stopping power and modulation, with the front caliper completing the fork’s trailing edge, and the rear brake drafting off the seat tube and bottles, where wheel deflection is at its lowest.
Aerodynamic performance doesn’t come at the expense of fit, however. Specialized has worked intelligently to ensure that Tinkoff-Saxo’s Tour squad can ride the Venge ViAS with the same comfort as previous models. The Aerofly ViAS cockpit features a negative 17degree stem in order to provide the optimal aerodynamic profile. And to balance out the aggressive position, the Aerofly handlebars will also come with a positive 25mm rise option, while the frame and fork are both Rider-First Engineeredtm to ensure consistent performance and fit, regardless of frame size.
As for handling, the FACT carbon fork is designed to drastically reduce aerodynamic drag, while providing incredible stiffness and steering response for all out efforts and twisting descents. The fork’s lateral rigidity has been increased by 30% for sharper, more precise steering – an achievement that work to accommodate Peter Sagan’s aggressive cornering, as it did during his latest victory in Tour de Suisse.
Accompanying the S-Works Venge ViAS, is the brand new Roval CLX 64 wheelset that provides the ultimate in speed and performance. For the experts, it might come as a surprise that the CLX 64 is a carbon clincher, but extensive testing has shown that combined with the Specialized Turbo Cotton tire, the wheelset has the lowest rolling resistance in the peloton. At the same time, it has been further optimized for both head- and crosswinds and comes tubeless-ready, while the 21mm internal rim width provides enhanced traction and improved aerodynamics.
Ron is the chief cook and bottlewasher at Bike World News, doing everything from website design to bike reviews.
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