Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) has made something of a name for himself at the 2013 Tour de France.
The Welshman fractured his pelvis in a crash on stage one but remains in the race, riding through the pain barrier in support of team leader Chris Froome.
Thomas needed help to get on his bike, a Team Sky issue Pinarello Dogma 65.1 Think 2, ahead of stage two and while he says his condition is improving day-by-day, the double Olympic gold medallist admits he may still be forced to quit the race.
Whether he abandons of not, Thomas has etched his name into Tour de France history as one of the heroes of the race. Let’s waste no time, then, in taking a closer look at his machine.
Geraint Thomas’ Pinarello Dogma 65.1 Think 2
The Pinarello Dogma 65.1 Think 2 has been the machine of choice for all Team Sky riders since the start of the season, except during the Classics when the comfort-focused Dogma K was pulled from the mechanics truck
Pinarello’s flagship machine, which is said to be “more rigid and more reactive” than the existing Dogma 2, has an aero seatpost
Each rider’s stem is helpfully labelled with its length. Thomas rides with a relatively short (by pro standards) 12cm stem – or 121mm to be precise – with one 5mm spacer above and below
Thomas started the Tour de France with a 11-25t cassette fitted to his Shimano Dura-Ace 9070-equipped machine
Shimano C50 hoops wrapped in 25mm Veloflex Arenberg tubular tyres. Most teams are now switching to wider tyres as they’re more aerodynamic when used with wider rims, and also provide a slightly more comfortable ride
A well-used Fizik Arione CX saddle with carbon rails
The metal holder mounted to the rear brake is ready to accept Thomas’ race number – 9
Shimano’s sponsorship agreement with Team Sky covers groupset components, wheels, cockpit (via the Japanese’s firm PRO subsidiary) and these Dura-Ace 9000 pedals
The ‘Think 2’ part of the Dogma 65.1 Think 2’s not-so-catchy name refers to the fact the frame can be fitted with either a mechanical or electronic groupset
Blue details on the stem and handlebar make for subtle branding on an otherwise all-black machine
An SRM cadence sensor is zip-tied to the left seatstay, with extra gaffa tape to make sure it stays in place
