Movistar is a major telecommunications brand owned by parent company, Telefonica. The company mostly operates in Spain but provides services to countries such as Portugal and Andorra. It is the largest mobile phone operator in Spain with 22 million customers and over 40% market share. The Movistar cycling team, whose foundations were laid way back in 1980 as Reynolds, have won an impressive 13 grand tours. The Tour Down Under isn’t a grand tour, but it is the first UCI World Tour race on the calendar, and an important proving ground for new team equipment.
Speaking of equipment, Movistar’s relationship with Canyon bikes continues into 2017, along with long time component supplier, Campagnolo. This team bike is assigned to German rider, Jasha Sütterlin. Jasha turned professional at the young age of 18, spending his first three seasons with Thüringer Energie Team, before joining Movistar in 2014. Click on through to see more of Jasha’s Canyon Ultimate CF SLX.
Like the other World Tour team sponsored by Canyon, Katusha-Alpecin, Movistar brought just one variety of team bike to the 2017 Tour Down Under; the Canyon Ultimate CF SLX. Not as aero as the Aeroad, the Ultimate is well suited to the stages of the Tour Down Under – hilly with some moderately hard climbs, the light weight of the Ultimate is appreciated by the Movistar team riders.
Movistar is one of the few World Tour teams fielding a Campagnolo groupset. All of the riders in attendance at this year’s Tour Down Under were on the company’s flagship groupset, Campagnolo Super Record EPS.
The Canyon Ultimate eschews Canyon’s Aerocockpit CF from the Aeroad, which features an integrated handlebar and stem, in favor of a regular rounded handlebar and traditional stem.
Jasha’s bike is one of the few pro machines that has a good amount of steerer tube still showing. Campagnolo’s EPS DTI version 3 unit is slung beneath the Canyon stem.
Clean lines around the head tube of the Canyon Ultimate CF SLX.
The chores of power measurement are handled by German team power meter supplier, Power2Max. Front chainring shifting is handled by Campagnolo’s Super Record EPS front derailleur.
Look’s Keo blade pedal with Cromoly axle.
To some, Campagnolo’s components are functional art.
Your own team bike and a slew of support staff to support your endeavors.
Campagnolo Super Record brake calipers bring all of the team bikes to a stop, but a Canyon disc brake prototype with Campagnolo disc brakes in Movistar livery was spotted at Interbike last year… disc brakes are coming to the World Tour.
Super Record rear caliper fitted with Campagnolo’s red compound brake pads, for optimal braking on the team’s Bora Ultra 50 wheelsets. Number hanger in place, ready to race.
Movistar, another team whose tires are supplied by Continental, in the form of the pro-only, Competition Pro LTD 700c x 25mm tubular tire.
This bike has Movistar’s glossy new livery for 2017, a departure from 2016’s matte finish.
Fizik Arione saddle for Jasha Sütterlin.
Elite Cannibal bottle cages.
Article and photos by Gravel Cyclist. Jayson O’Mahoney is the Gravel Cyclist: A website about the Gravel Cycling Experience.
