Apparently after riding SRAM’s hydraulic road rim brakes, Mark Cavendish couldn’t wait to get them on his bike. According to SRAM, “He test rode it, he loved it, he insisted on racing it.”
As part of a Blackbox initiative, the hydraulic stoppers will be integrated into Omega Pharma Quick Step’s current 10 speed Red drivetrain. SRAM’s Red 22 Hydraulic shift/brake lever is not compatible with 10 speed components so it’s either a custom set up, or Cavendish will be running 11 speed while the rest of the team is on 10. The announcement also comes as a bit of a surprise as SRAM didn’t expect any pros to be on HRRs this season due to pending UCI approval.
Expect to see his bike equipped from the very first stage. More to come.