CANNONDALE SYSTEMSIX

The punchy Italian workhorse goes in search of every watt saving possible

Last year, in the run-up to the Tour de France, Cannondale released the latest iteration of its SystemSix, which it first released in 2007. More than a decade on, the latest version, ridden by Alberto Bettiol at the Tour Down Under, geeks out on aerodynamics. When the new bike was released, Cannondale claimed – as most brands tend to when they launch a new high-end model in this segment – it was the fastest UCI-legal road bike in the world. The American brand said the bike was “built on a sixpart foundation – frame, fork, seatpost, bar, stem and wheels that all work together as a system.” See what they did there with the name? And indeed, the bike is cutting edge in aero terms: it has an extremely neat frontal profile; the frame’s kammtailed tubes smooth air over the back wheel; and the seat-stays join the seat-post well below the top of the wheel – a feature of most top-end aero road frames. EF-Drapac use Shimano Dura-Ace transmission componentry and disc brakes, while the rest is a mash-up of Vision Metron wheels, a sleek one-piece stem and bars combo and aero chain rings by Vision’s sister company, FSA.

Durable Dura-Ace Shimano's "lagship Dura-Ace provides the gears. Cannondale developed its own direct mount hanger for even sharper shifts TT chainringsTo save every watt, Bettiol opts for FSA’s TT rings. Cannondale’s SiSl Hollowgram crank is paired with a Power2Max power meter