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Baden Cooke's 2003 FDJeux.com Lapierre Scandium
Just what the Cookie Monster orderedBy Anthony Tan
With just about every material suitable for building road bikes extruded, forged, welded, bonded, brazed, bent or butted, it appears we are now entering a phase of refinement rather than revolution. Baden Cooke's FDJeux.com Lapierre is testimony to that. Founded in 1948, Lapierre, a relatively unknown brand outside of France, began their foray into the two wheeled world rather modestly with a range of commuter and utility bikes some fifty years ago. Around 30 years later, just when mountain bike murmurings were gaining momentum in the US of A, the Dijon-based company changed their focus in line with these northern American happenings, and still today, mountain bike sales account for more than half of Lapierre's total production of 50-odd thousand bikes annually.
However, a reversion in popularity to the road in recent times cannot be ignored. Possibly a consequence of this and being part of the Dutch-based Acell group - which includes Batavus, Koga-Miyata, Dawes and Mercier - Lapierre became the official bike sponsor of France's number one team, La Française des Jeux, their name now "webberised" to FDJeux.com. Having a yarn with FDJeux.com's mechanics at the Tour Down Under a few months ago, I was told that Marc Madiot's team of merry men are perched on ostensibly the same bikes as last year. Their 2003 Lapierre is a sub one kilo, custom-built, scandium-aluminium alloy, the main difference this year being the slightly thicker top and down tubes for increased stiffness and lateral rigidity.
Interestingly, most of the taller FDJeux.com boys prefer the traditional rather than "compact" frame design, their claim being that the former inspires more confidence when steering their trusty steeds down those mammoth mountain passes in the Alps and Pyrénées - something Brad McGee needs plenty of after overshooting a turn at 70 km/h down the Col d'Abisque in last year's Tour (thankfully, Brad managed to get back on his bike and made it all the way to Paris). Shimano have certainly made their presence felt with the group, cycle computer, pedals and wheels all courtesy of the ze big S. The Dura-Ace wheel, while rather Rolf-ish looking with a quad-flange design and spoke heads protruding from the rim sidewall, was tested extensively in last year's Tour de France, and so far, so good.
In what seems to be a pro cyclist's bread and butter (or should that be bars and butter), ITM's Millenium stem and bars have featured on more pro bikes than any other brand since, well… the millennium. One noticeable change, however. In an oversized aluminium bicycle world, the diameter of the mid-section of the bars has now increased from 25.8mm to 31.7mm, reflecting the Millenium's new surname, "Super Over". Another upgrade to an ever-popular product is Michelin's Axial Pro Race, which is essentially the popular Axial Pro with a new tread compound called Silicium that is claimed to be more puncture resistant and provide improved grip. The Pro Race is also a tad lighter than its predecessor - so on a set of 700x23c tyres, you'll save about 40 grams, but it'll cost you an extra 20 bucks. All in all, a refined, well-trained, race-ready road machine. Just what the Cookie Monster ordered. PhotosImages by Tom Balks/www.tombalks.com
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Full specificationFrame: Lapierre FDJeux.com Scandium Cranks: Shimano Dura-Ace 39/53 |
Wheels: Shimano Dura-Ace WH-7701, front: 756g, rear: 952g Bars: ITM Millenium Super Over, 240g Pedals: Shimano Dura Ace PD-7700 SPD-R, 300g/pair | ||||||||
