Movistar is a Spanish registered professional cycling team whose foundations were laid way back in 1980 as Reynolds. Early team leaders such as Pedro Delgado brought great success to the team with victories in the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana. Later, Spanish bank Banesto took over sponsorship, winning the Tour de France five times courtesy of Miguel Indurain. Nowadays, title sponsorship is held by Movistar, a major Spanish mobile phone carrier, owned by parent company Telefonica.
For much of the team’s history, Movistar has been associated with Pinarello bicycles. In 2014, German manufacturer and consumer-direct brand Canyon Bicycles took over bicycle sponsorship of the team. Canyon provides the bikes for two WorldTour teams, the other being Katusha. The 2016 Canyon Ultimate CF SLX is the fourth generation of Ultimate. Canyon made considerable efforts to improve the bike’s performance in the wind tunnel, but at the same time keep the weight down, retain the frame’s stiffness-to-weight ratio, and maintain a comfortable ride. Those goals seem to have been met, if the wait list for the unavailable-in-the-USA Canyon brand is anything to go by. This particular Canyon belongs to Spanish professional rider, José Joaquín Rojas Gil, one of Movistar’s designated sprinters. Click to read more about José’s Canyon Ultimate CF SLX.
Movistar is one of three Campagnolo equipped teams in the WorldTour peloton, the others being Lotto Soudal and Astana (featuring their bikes soon). Campagnolo supplies the team with its top tier Super Record mechanical and electronic groupsets. Without doubt, Campagnolo’s Super Record EPS (Electronic Power Shift) is the most exotic and expensive drivetrain on the market today.
German manufacturer Power2max, a brand seldom seen in the professional peleton, handles the power measurement needs of the team.
Movistar roll on Campagnolo’s Bora Ultra 50 tubular wheelset, fitted with company’s CULT (Ceramic Ultimate Level Technology) bearings and custom team graphics.
Bora Ultra wheelsets feature Campagnolo’s G3 rear spoke pattern (referred to by some as the crow’s foot spoke pattern) and Dynamic Balance technology; think counter-acting the weight of a valve core directly opposite on the rim and you get the idea.
Movistar is another team whose tubular tires are supplied by Continental, again in the pro-only PRO LTD version.
José Joaquín Rojas chooses a -17 degree stem, slammed all the way down. Handlebars are Canyon’s H32 Ergo model.
Forgoing complex integration, the Canyon branded handlebars and stem of José’s Ultimate CF SLX serve as mounting points for his Garmin computer and Campagnolo’s EPS DTI interface.
Despite their hefty price tag, Campagnolo’s Super Record EPS shifters and mechanical brethren are considered by some to be functional art.
Canyon utilizes the simplicity of external brakes on the Ultimate CF SLX. In the case of Movistar, braking duties are handled by Campagnolo Super Record’s front / rear differential brakes (dual pivot front, single pivot rear), fitted with the company’s carbon specific brake pads.
The CF SLX’s rear brake cable is routed internally through the top tube.
José’s saddle of choice is the Fizik Antares, mounted to Canyon’s carbon VCLS (vertical comfort, lateral stiffness) seatpost.
The CF SLX’s integrated seat clamp with fixing bolt located above the seat stays, allows the VCLS seatpost to deflect, with a 15% claimed improvement in vertical deflection over the older model.
Elite’s Cannibal cage, constructed from a fiber-reinforced material, allows bottles to be inserted from the front or side.
José Joaquín Rojas finished the 2016 Tour Down Under in a respectable 26th place overall, 01:27 down on race winner Simon Gerrans. His best place of 11th in Stage 1 didn’t set the world alight, but considering the 2016 season is still in February, José’s results are bound to improve.
Photos and article by Gravel Cyclist.
Jayson O’Mahoney is the Gravel Cyclist: A website about the Gravel Cycling Experience.
