Tour Down Under tech: We take a closer look at the World Champ's TDU ride
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Pedersen's World Champ Trek Madone is classy, using just the right amount of customisation(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
The SRAM Red AXS one-piece chainrings have a striking aesthetic and feature an integrated powermeter(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Pedersen's bike sees the pro-only SRAM 54/41t chainrings (Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Pedersen's bike sees svelte XXX bottle cages(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Wear it loud, wear it proud(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
A bit of encouragement for Pedersen when he is deep in the pain cave(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Pedersen is the first rider from Denmark to wear the rainbow bars(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Pedersen's bike is rolling on the Aeolus XXX 6 hoops(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
The standard bar and stem mean doesn't offer the give the cables anywhere to ender the frame, so they go in through the headset cap(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
With the SRAM eTap AXS levers, there are no shift cables to route — just brake hose(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
The Belndr stem allows for a clean computer mount(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Pedersen is an underdog no more(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
A closer look at the rainbow bars(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Although Pedersen's bike sees the same sponsor logos and placement as the rest of the team bikes they are considerably more subtle being black on white(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
No shift cable here. Pedersen is running a 28-10t cassette(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Clash of the component brands; Pederson's Shimano pedals are screwed into a SRAM crank(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Pederson's saddle of choice is the Ajna Pro, which Bontrager classes as a women's seat(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
The Red disc callipers are blingy, and at the front, they are paired with a 160mm rotor(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
A smaller 140mm rotor is seen at the back(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
The brake lines come through the bars before they head under the stem and into the frame(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Pedersen's cockpit allows him to get low(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
The mechanics have done well to wrangle the brake lines(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
The headset cap guides the cables into the frame(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Some of the pro peloton is opting to use tubeless tyres, and Bontrager's Aelous XXX 6 are available in a TLR version, but Pederson has opted for tubs (Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Pedersen opts for a standard bar and stem instead of the integrated one-piece version usually seen on the Madone(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
We couldn't resist throwing in one more full bike shot because Pedersen's ride is so good looking(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Danish rider Mads Pedersen proved he had the biggest engine on the uphill sprint at the finish of the UCI World Championships in Yorkshire, earning himself the rainbow bands and becoming the first male rider from Denmark to do so.
We first caught a glimpse of the Dane's bike in October, but here in Adelaide, we've had a chance to take a closer look at his Project One Trek Madone. Beyond the rainbow stripes, 'all or nothing' is written on the top tube with the last two words crossed out, and 'underdog' appears on the bottom of the down tube — also with a strike through it.
Trek-Segafredo is sponsored by SRAM for 2020, and the team bikes are dressed in the full Red eTap AXS 12-speed groupset, including 54/41t chainrings that aren't currently available to the public. The cranks feature an integrated Quarq power meter, and at the back, Pederson is spinning a 12-speed 28-10t cassette, which makes for a massive top gear, equivalent to a 59x11. The mechanics tell us this gearing is likely to change throughout the race and to expect to see the oil-slick chain and cassette too.
While the Madone SLR 9 Disc typically comes with a one-piece integrated bar and stem, Pederson's bike sees a standard Bontrager XXX Aerobar and 130mm XXX Blendr stem. With the integrated cockpit, the handlebar guides the cables from the levers (well, actually only the hydraulic brake hose) into the frame; with the standard bar and stem, the cockpit is missing half of this routing. So, the bike sees the top cap found on the Madone 7 SLR and below.
With Pedersen's job here in Adelaide being to pull team leader Riche Porte on the bottom of the climbs it's no surprise to see him opt for an aero bike vs a lightweight bike, and his bike rolls on the deeper section Bontrager Aeolus XXX 6 wheels, set up with 25mm Pirelli P-Zero tubular tyres.
The Danish rider's seating arrangements come in the form of a carbon-railed Bontrager Ajna Pro which is technically a women's saddle.
Click through the gallery above for a closer look at Mads Pedersen's Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc.
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Mads Pedersen's Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc full bike specifications
Frameset: Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc, Size 56cm
Front brake: SRAM Red HRD
Rear brake: SRAM Red HRD
Brake/shift levers: SRAM Red eTap AXS
Front derailleur: SRAM Red eTap AXS
Rear derailleur: SRAM Red eTap AXS
Cassette: SRAM RED XG 1290 10-28T
Chain: SRAM RED
Crankset: SRAM Red AXS with Quarq 2x12 SRM, 54/41t
Bottom bracket: Cane Creek
Wheelset: Bontrager Aeolus XXX 6
Tyres: Pirelli P-Zero Velo 25c
Handlebars: Bontrager XXX Aerobar
Handlebar tape: Bontrager Microfiber
Stem: Bontrager XXX Blendr, 130mm
Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace PD-R9100
Saddle: Bontrager Ajna Pro
Seat post: Madone aero carbon seatmast cap
Bottle cages: Bontrager XXX Water Bottle Cage
Computer: Garmin Edge 1030
Rider height: 1.79 m
Seat height (from bottom bracket at centre): 785mm
Weight: 8.05kg
Cyclingnews will be bringing you previews, news, features and tech from the professional peloton in Australia leading up to, during and after the race. Here we also share how to live stream the Tour Down Under, no matter your location, with ExpressVPN.
Based on the Gold Coast of Australia, Colin has written tech content for cycling publication for a decade. With hundreds of buyer's guides, reviews and how-tos published in Bike Radar, Cyclingnews, Bike Perfect and Cycling Weekly, as well as in numerous publications dedicated to his other passion, skiing.
Colin was a key contributor to Cyclingnews between 2019 and 2021, during which time he helped build the site's tech coverage from the ground up. Nowadays he works full-time as the news and content editor of Flow MTB magazine.
