Light, stiff, strong, smooth, slim: these are the five key words that sum up the design brief for the new Cannondale SuperSix EVO, which has been unveiled at Castello di Montaldo prior to the start of the Giro d’Italia.

Light means a stunning 695g frame weight as tested by the leading independent lab, Zedler Fahrradtechnik in Germany. This makes the frame the lightest (size corrected) the lab has ever tested, although it is still some 60g heavier than the test-passing prototype.

Stiff? Well, the same lab makes the SuperSix EVO the stiffest for its weight. As for strength, that’s pretty much a given for today’s road bikes but, majoring on high-elongation, high-strength fibres, ‘Dale reckons to have built a frame more resistant to impact damage and fatigue than the aluminium CAAD9.

Slim refers to a reduction in the frontal area of the round-section frame tubes, the head tube losing some 11 per cent thanks to the use of a 1 1/4″ lower headset bearing. The fork blades contribute to reduced air drag through a fulsome 20 per cent reduction in the same measure.

And smooth? As ever, cycling looks for improved ride comfort without compromising on efficiency and Cannondale’s tech people have been busy with something they call Speed Save MicroSuspension, which aims to improve the way the bike and rider roll over rough roads for more speed and comfort.

There’s a lot to talk about and several models will be on offer, starting with a beauty called the SuperSix EVO Ultimate and weighing a UCI-irking 4.95kg from the crate.

For the moment, though, it is “Efficiency Evolved” from Cannondale. More to come next week.