Rabobank's new Giant TCR Advanced SL is lighter and brighter for the 2012 season.(Image credit: James Huang)
The top tube and down tube are both notably wider than the head tube for extra front triangle torsional stiffness.(Image credit: James Huang)
One-time cyclo-cross sensation Lars Boom recently made the jump to road racing with the Rabobank team.(Image credit: James Huang)
Mechanics place riders' bikes in designated positions atop the team cars but just in case there's any confusion, there's an additional name decal placed on the underside of the down tube so that bikes can be quickly identified from below.(Image credit: James Huang)
Lars Boom (Rabobank) is using the aluminum version of Shimano's Dura-Ace SPD-SL pedal.(Image credit: James Huang)
Internal routing yields a cleaner look for the rear derailleur wire.(Image credit: James Huang)
Rabobank actually has two distinct color schemes for its Tour de France bikes, including this more starkly finished bike with a simple clearcoat, some decals, and just a hint of orange.(Image credit: James Huang)
Giant's latest TCR Advanced SL frames feature a pocket on the non-driveside chain stay for its new RideSense wireless speed and cadence sensor. Lars Booms' (Rabobank) machine does without, though.(Image credit: James Huang)
Rather than design the derailleur housing stops to serve double duty, Giant instead includes another hole in the top tube for the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 wiring harness.(Image credit: James Huang)
Lars Boom (Rabobank) uses fi'zi:k's Antares saddle.(Image credit: James Huang)
Braided carbon rails are mated to a reinforced nylon shell on Lars Boom's (Rabobank) fi'zi:k Antares saddle.(Image credit: James Huang)
As is becoming increasingly common, the seat tube on Giant's latest TCR Advanced SL features a rectangular profile down by the bottom bracket.(Image credit: James Huang)
The integrated seatmast head can be set to two different offset positions - Lars Boom (Rabobank) uses the forward position here.(Image credit: James Huang)
The latest Giant TCR Advanced SL uses 'A-type' instead of wishbone-style seat stays with wide spacing up top to save a little weight but while still retaining rigidity.(Image credit: James Huang)
Most of the Rabobank team is using prototype PRO stems or integrated cockpits with 1 1/4in clamp diameters. Lars Boom, however, prefers Giant's own Contact forged aluminum stem.(Image credit: James Huang)
Rabobank's "Team Prototype" Vittoria Corsa Evo CX tubulars use special tread compounds.(Image credit: James Huang)
Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2 group has won over the majority - but not all - of the company's sponsored riders in this year's Tour de France.(Image credit: James Huang)
Giant was an early adopter of integrated seatmasts, saying they yield lighter weights but also better ride quality.(Image credit: James Huang)
Lars Boom (Rabobank) is one of a minority of riders in the pro peloton that prefers a true anatomic-bend bar.(Image credit: James Huang)
Giant continues to use its PowerCore bottom bracket design, built around Shimano's press-fit bearing cups.(Image credit: James Huang)
The Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 battery is neatly affixed to the underside of the non-driveside chain stay. The wire harness routing looks like it could be cleaned up a bit, however.(Image credit: James Huang)
A pair of Tacx Tao Carbon cages keep bottles at the ready.(Image credit: James Huang)
Lars Boom (Rabobank) uses a standard Shimano Dura-Ace crank and aluminum-bodied SPD-SL pedals.(Image credit: James Huang)
The MegaDrive down tube on the Rabobank Giant TCR Advanced SL is nominally round at the head tube but turns much more rectangular down by the bottom bracket.(Image credit: James Huang)
Giant has long spurned carbon fiber dropouts but has added them to the latest TCR Advanced SL in the interest of weight savings.(Image credit: James Huang)
The all-carbon fork reportedly weighs just 330g with its all-carbon construction.(Image credit: James Huang)
Safety tabs are filed off to speed up wheel changes.(Image credit: James Huang)
The Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 front derailleur is mounted to a bolt-on tab. Note the small clamp securing the wire beneath the lower bottle cage hole.(Image credit: James Huang)
Giant says the new inboard rear derailleur hanger mounting position yields better stiffness for improved shifting.(Image credit: James Huang)
The new OverDrive 2 head tube houses a tapered 1 1/4-to-1 1/2in steerer tube.(Image credit: James Huang)
Small plugs seal up the unused housing stops on Rabobank's Shimano Dura-Ace Di2-equipped Giant TCR Advanced SLs.(Image credit: James Huang)
The wide top tube provides plenty of surface area for an enormous Rabobank logo.(Image credit: James Huang)
Giant launched its revamped TCR Advanced SL to the world in late June and not two weeks later did the company unveil the brand-new Rabobank edition at the team presentation in Les Herbiers, France just prior to the start of this year's Tour de France.
While the consumer bike is finished in a rather stark bare clearcoat with dark grey logos, Rabobank's edition is a bit cheerier-looking with a gloss white base and brighter orange and blue graphics as compared to years past. It's still far from over the top but it's almost as if Giant has finally allowed one of the graphic designers to have some more leeway. Either way, it's a decidedly more modern look and one that's easier to pick out of the crowd than before.
Underneath the paint, though, Giant says Rabobank's TCR Advanced SL chassis is the same as the everyday version about to land on showroom floors. The overall appearance and design language are similar to last year's version but there are a number of key differences, the most significant of which is a move to a 1 1/4-to-1 1/2in front end that Giant says provides a whopping 40 percent improvement in "steering stiffness".
While pundits may scoff at the likelihood of such a claim, keep in mind that steerer tube rigidity is a much more substantial issue with increasing frame size – and the Dutch Rabobank squad is chock-full of vertically gifted riders such as Lars Boom, whose bike is profiled here, and team leader Robert Gesink.
In addition to being newly reinforced up front, Giant says the new frames are also lighter by as much as 148g (nearly a third of a pound). Claimed weight is now as low as 820g though Boom's is likely to be a fair bit heavier owing to the large size and thick coat of paint.
Tube shapes have been subtly refined throughout, too, with slightly more rounded forms in many areas, a shallower integrated seatmast base, an even more compact rear triangle, and neatly executed internal cable routing.
Shimano continues on as the team's primary component sponsor and Boom's bike is equipped with a complete Dura-Ace Di2 electronic group. Shimano also provides pedals and a variety of wheels – 50mm-deep carbon tubulars are pictured here – and sister company PRO supplies the cockpit parts.
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Interestingly, nearly all of the Rabobank riders have opted for prototype PRO stems and integrated cockpits with the new 1 1/4in steerer clamp size but Boom's machine is fitted with Giant's own Contact forged aluminum stem instead. According to Giant global communications manager Andrew Juskaitis, Boom simply just likes it better though it's also possible that it's due to the Giant stem's somewhat rare 115mm extension length.
Completing Boom's team-issue build is a fi'zi:k Antares saddle, Vittoria tires, and Tacx Tao Carbon cages. Total weight as pictured is 7.11kg (15.67lb).
Frame: Giant TCR Advanced SL, size L Fork: Giant TCR Advanced SL w/ OverDrive 2 steerer Headset: OverDrive 2 integrated by FSA, 1 1/4-to-1 1/2in tapered Stem: Giant Contact, 115mm x -8° Handlebars: PRO PLT Anatomic, 42cm (c-c) Tape/grips: PRO Front brake: Shimano Dura-Ace BR-7900 Rear brake: Shimano Dura-Ace BR-7900 Brake levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 STI Dual Control ST-7970 Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 FD-7970 Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 RD-7970 Shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 STI Dual Control ST-7970 Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace CS-7900, 11-23T Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace CN-7900 Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace FC-7900, 175mm, 53/39T Bottom bracket: Shimano Dura-Ace press-fit SMI-FC7900 Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace SPD-SL PD-7810 Wheelset: Shimano Dura-Ace WH-7900-C50-TU Front tire: Vittoria Corsa Evo CX Team Prototype tubular, 23mm Rear tire: Vittoria Corsa Evo CX Team Prototype tubular, 23mm Saddle: fi'zi:k Antares w/ braided carbon rails Seat post: integrated Bottle cages: Tacx Tao Carbon (2) Computer: n/a
Critical measurements
Rider's height: 1.91m (6' 3") Rider's weight: 78kg (172lb) Saddle height, from BB (c-t): 823mm Saddle setback (ask mechanic): 78mm Seat tube length, c-t: ---- Seat tube length, c-c: 485mm Tip of saddle nose to C of bars (next to stem): 591mm Saddle-to-bar drop (vertical): 130mm Head tube length: 185mm Top tube length: 585mm Total bicycle weight: 7.11kg (15.67lb)
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