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With a small glimmer of hope at making the final podium in Paris, Tejay van Garderen headed into the Pyrenees aboard the BMC Team Machine SLR01, the Swiss bike maker's top end race bike. It's a lightweight, stiff, climbing machine, designed especially for long days in the high mountains.
TEJAY VAN GARDEREN'S BMC TEAM MACHINE SLR01 PHOTOS
This Team BMC race rig is spec'd with a full Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 drivetrain and Shimano Dura-Ace C50 carbon tubular wheels. You'll also notice the extreme 30mm offset seatpost. Van Garderen likes to be long and low.
Van Garderen opts for a lengthy (and low) -17 degrees 140mm stem.
The smooth ergonomics of Shimano's Dura-Ace 9070 levers control shifting and braking.
The move to 11-speed drivetrains has allowed riders to spec previously unheard of 11-28 cassettes, which mean easier spinning on the steep climbs.
BMC accelerates the traditional R&D and engineering processes, using software that enables thousands of computer-generated prototypes to be examined before the final result is set.
An SRM power meter is mated with Shimano Dura-Ace 53-39 chainrings, 175mm Dura-Ace cranks, and Dura-Ace pedals.
As BMC's team leader, van Garderen gets the first number assigned to his squad.
Each member of BMC's Tour de France team gets special custom graphics on the top tube, complete with name and home country flag.
Van Garderen's saddle of choice is the Fizik Arione, a time trial model with a little extra cushion around the nose.
Frame size, plus stack and reach measurements easy to spot on the downtube.
Tires are Continental's 25mm Competition ProLTD tubular. Wheel choice ranges from Shimano Dura-Ace C50s for flat stages, to C35s for hilly days, and lightweight C24s for days in the mountains.
Van Garderen has had an up and down Tour, but is still a lock to finish no worse than sixth overall.
TEJAY VAN GARDEREN'S BMC TEAM MACHINE SLR01 GALLERY