Pro bike: Andre Greipel’s Ridley Noah Fast

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Andre Greipel, Lotto-Belisol’s lead sprinter has just began his 2014 season with two more Santos Tour Down Under Stage wins, adding to his impressive record tally of 16.

For a man affectionately known as the ‘Gorilla’ and at just over 6ft tall, Greipel’s choice of a small size frame is a little surprising. We’re seeing this become a common trend as sprinters work with the limitations of stock geometry and size down in an effort to get lower and more aggressive. Greipel counters this small frame with a generous 140mm length stem, and a 35mm clamp diameter at the handlebar to counter flex.

Amongst the otherwise black bikes of team Lotto-Belisol, the most recognizable part of Greipel’s bike is the custom paintwork and saddle. Blending his recently earned German National Champion stripes with his nickname – the ‘Gorilla’.

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The Ridley Noah Fast frameset is an attention seeker that’s full of wind cheating technology and tube profiles. Most recognizable, the ‘FAST Technology’ in the name refers to the integrated brakes, Ridley claims this is for smoother air-flow and ‘best-in-class’ aerodynamics.

If the custom paintwork and saddle aren’t enough, the rest of the build is nothing but the best. A full Campagnolo Super Record EPS groupset and the very deep Bora Ultra 80 wheels complete this sprint weapon. Greipel didn’t use such deep wheels for his two stage wins, rather picking a set of 50mm deep Campagnolo 80th anniversary.

Greipel’s bike features the new Campagnolo EPS internal race battery, with the charging point accessible on his seat tube beneath his bidon cage. We suspect this is a modification made by the team’s mechanics, and one likely available on future production models.

Where the rest of the team use Lizard Skins DSP handlebar tape, we noticed Greipel had rather basic cork tape in place, clearly as a personal choice.

While the Noah Fast is Greipel’s pick for sprint stages, we spotted him with the Helium SL for hillier stages, where he wasn’t likely to contest the win. This is clearly a choice of lower weight over aerodynamics, with his Noah Fast weighing in at rather solid 7.5kg. This isn’t rare in the bigger tours, but with the Tour Down Under being a logistical nightmare for most teams, it’s surprising to see such detailed gear support for the German sprinter.

Complete bike specifications

Frame: Ridley Noah Fast, size Small
Fork: Ridley Noah Fast, tapered
Headset: internal tapered
Stem: Deda 35, 140mm, -8 degree
Handlebar: Deda M35 Carbon 42cm
Tape: Generic cork, with Lizard Skins plugs
Front brake: Ridley F-brake, Jagwire carbon brake pads
Rear brake: Ridley F-brake, Jagwire carbon brake pads
Brake levers: Campagnolo Super Record EPS
Front derailleur: Campagnolo Super Record EPS + Campagnolo chain catcher
Rear derailleur: Campagnolo Super Record EPS
Shift levers: Campagnolo Super Record EPS
Cassette: Campagnolo Super Record 11-25T
Chain: Campagnolo Super Record
Crankset: SRMCampagnolo 11-speed, 172.5mm, 53/39T
Bottom bracket: PF30 (unknown brand)
Battery: Internal Campagnolo race battery, in seattube
Pedals: Look Keo 2 Max
Wheelset: Campagnolo Bora Ultra 80
Front tire: Continental Pro Limited 23c
Rear tire: Continental Pro Limited 23c
Saddle: San Marco Regale – custom cover
Seatpost: Ridley integrated
Bottle cages: Tacx Tao (2)
Computer: SRM Power Control 7 (not pictured)

Critical measurements

Rider's height: 1.84m (6ft .5in)
Rider's weight: 75kg (165lb)
Saddle height from BB, c-t: 760mm
Saddle setback: 67.5mm
Seat tube length (c-t): 700mm
Seat tube length (c-c): 470mm
Tip of saddle to center of bar: 585mm
Saddle-to-bar drop: 110mm
Head tube length: 145mm
Top tube length (effective): 545mm
Total bicycle weight: 7.85kg (17.16lb)