FDJ (Francaise des Jeux), the French National Lottery, is a long-standing sponsor of French cycling. The FDJ team manager is Frenchman Marc Madiot, a multiple winner of Paris-Roubaix and Grand Tour stage winner. Assigned to this particular bike is Jeremy Maison, a second year professional with the team who came up through the French amateur ranks; he was with VC Toucy from 2007 – 2014 and CC Etupes in 2015.
Lapierre, the French bike company, has supplied the team with bikes for several years. The 2017 Lapierre Xelius SL receives updates in the form of a lighter SL carbon layup and slightly shortened chainstays – good for acceleration and climbing. The team is expected to debut the disc brake version of the Xelius during the season, but for now, click on through to see the rim brake version of Jeremy Maison’s Lapierre Xelius SL, and a closer look at the Dura-Ace power meter crankset…
Jeremy is extremely proud of his Lapierre – he gladly handed it to me to be photographed, and expressed gratitude to the team mechanic.
The unique seatstays of the Xelius SL connect directly to the toptube for a claim of lighter weight and less stress at the seat cluster.
Lapierre claims the design allows for a little more flex for comfort at the saddle, but without compromising drivetrain or handling stiffness.
A French-themed Fizik Aliante saddle tops the Shimano / Pro branded seatpost.
Shimano has been a long time supplier to the team and the two actually work very closely as a development partnership, and such relationships come with perks.
Jeremy’s Xelius SL is one of the few team bikes I’ve spotted sporting the latest R9100 series Dura-Ace crank. And if you look closely, you’ll see that it is not just the new crankset, but the new Shimano dual sided power meter that FDJ has been testing for the last year.
On the non-driveside crankarm is the label, Prototype, as this is the preproduction power meter with electronics incorporated into each arm. We’ve covered it a bit before at its introduction, but no one has any yet, except for FDJ since they’ve been testing it is a few iterations.
A K-Edge chain catcher prevents the unthinkable from happening.
The venerable 9000 series Dura-Ace clipless pedal.
The rest of Jeremy’s bike is kitted out with Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 series components and Pro branded cockpit parts… and handlebar tape.
Note the stem length – 123mm – and the spacers above and below the stem. The mechanic has left a little wiggle room for handlebar height adjustments.
K-Edge also supply the team’s computer mounts.
Heat shrink is the preferred method among professional team mechanics for keeping wired electronic drivetrains tidy.
Dura-Ace Di2 9070 series rear derailleur; 11-25 and 11-28 cassettes are the popular choice at the 2017 Tour Down Under.
The Continental Competition ProLTD tubular tire dominated the pro peloton in 2016. Things have changed in that regard, but FDJ remains loyal. For those who are not aware, the ProLTD tire features a latex inner tube and is not available for public sale – pro issue only.
Shimano Pressfit bottom bracket.
Lapierre – designed and engineered in France since 1946.
Dura-Ace 9000 series brakes.
Shimano eke increased performance out of their rim brakes with every new generation. The 9000 series brakes are stellar.
Elite’s Custom RacePlus bottle cages are a popular choice among all of the WorldTour teams.
Article and photos by Gravel Cyclist. Jayson O’Mahoney is the Gravel Cyclist: A website about the Gravel Cycling Experience.
