Pro bike check: Neilson Powless' EF Education-EasyPost Cannondale SuperSix Evo
By Alex Hunt,
2024-07-11
EF Education-EasyPost has had a mixed start to this year's Tour de France . On stage 3, Richard Carapaz took the Maillot Jaune however, the following day as the route took the peloton over the Col du Galibier he lost time to his GC rivals putting him outside the top 20 and more than five minutes back.
With the team's hopes for a GC podium looking to be over, it is now time for the stage hunting to commence. One rider who will have a keen eye on crossing the finishing line with his hands in the air is 27-year-old Neilson Powless.
Powless is capable of pulling something out of the bag when the going gets tough. He comes into his own in attritional, punchy races. The second and third weeks of the Tour will provide the perfect launchpad for the American to jump in an early move and look to hold off the peloton to claim a maiden victory at the French Grand Tour.
The bike he hopes to carry him to stage victory is Cannondale’s SuperSix Evo , which carries a Lab71 paint job. Launched in March 2023, Lab71 is the culmination of Cannondale’s best materials and technology. The Lab71 bikes share the same silhouette as the standard SuperSix Evo and Hi-Mod framesets, but use the brand’s Ultralight Series 0 carbon fibre that is both stiffer and lighter than that found in the other models.
Interestingly, however, for reasons unknown, EF Education EasyPost race aboard the Hi-Mod version of the frame.
Cannondale makes two road race bikes with the SuperSix joined by the SystemSix aero bike however, EF Education Easy-Post have adopted a one-bike strategy since the Lab 71’s release, mostly as it seems the SystemSix has been effectively mothballed in recent years.
The bold paint job is like nothing else within the peloton and certainly divides opinion. One thing is for sure, it's a hard bike to miss even inside the mele of the peloton. (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
Although the bars might look to be from team sponsor Vision they are actually made in collaboration with Momodesign and are Cannondale's own SystemBar R-One. (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
There is nothing out of the ordinary for Powless on the drivetrain front with a standard 54/40 tooth FSA K-Force chainset fitted to his bike. (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
As a Shimano-sponsored team, Powless uses the 11-34 tooth Dura-Ace cassette which presents the widest spread of gears for the Japanese brand's flagship groupset. (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
At 183cm Powless uses what could be considered relatively short cranks at 170mm in length. However we are seeing riders trending to shorter cranks in recent seasons. This allows riders to pedal at a higher cadence and is slightly more aerodynamic, plus has benefits for knee health. Given Powless has been struggling with patellar tendonitis this season this may be the reason for the shorter cranks rather than any aero gains. (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
Powless uses Speedplay Zero Aero pedals that replace one side of the pedal with a dimpled aero-fairing that smoothly interfaces with the cleat. (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
28mm Vittoria Corsa Pro tubeless tyres are mounted to Vision Metron 60 SL wheels. These wheels have a 33mm external rim width to optimise them for use with higher-volume tyres. (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The Prologo Nago Evo saddle is one of the few saddles in the peloton that does not have a pressure relief cut-out instead retaining a more traditional design with active density foam. (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The race transponder is covered by what looks to be a section of latex inner tube in keeping with the bike's pink aesthetic. (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
Sitting in front of the Cannondale integrated cockpit is a Wahoo Elemnt ROAM computer. (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The Muc-Off tubeless values used by the team add a nice finishing splash of pink. (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
Recording Powless' data is the FSA K-Force Team Powerbox spider-based power meter. Its position on the spider allows for left and right leg measurements to be taken. (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
Sitting on the seat stay of the frame is Powless' name sticker with his national flag next to it, a nice pro finishing touch that's more for the mechanics than the riders. (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
K3 makes a whole range of number holders for race bikes, with this small plastic holder made specifically to match the aero-profile seat tube of the SuperSix. (Image credit: Josh Croxton) Coming in at 7.8kg Powless' bike is a full kilo over the UCI minimum weight limit. It might not be the lightest bike in the Tour but it is certainly one of the most vibrant. (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
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