Readers’ Rigs: Legal And Illegal In France!

Today we look at two rigs from two French readers at the opposite end of the peloton. First up is a Cervélo that at sub 6kgs is well under the UCI limit, and then a KTM from Bretagne-Séché pro Clément Koretzky which sits just above the UCI limit at 6.9kg. Two very different bikes for two very different riders but both machines are the pride and joys of their owners – it’s Readers’ Rigs time!

Reader Number 1: Stephane Morin
Age: 53
Lives: St Jean de Fos, France
Bike: Cervelo R5
Wheels: Carbon 24mm tubulars, Mavic Rsys, Frm aluminium 1422g , Campa Zonda for training
Gearing: Campagnolo Record 11 speed
Pedals: Speedplay titanium
Saddle: XLC carbon
Weight: 5.850kg

When did you buy your bike? June 2011.

Why did you buy this bike? It was mostly for the weight, just 845g for the frame and 343g for the fork before cutting it down.

What modifications have you done? The whole set up is custom. I bought the frame separately and then I put it together with various parts, some from my winter bike (a lightweight TCR Giant). The front end is made up of Titan EVO carbon handlebars that weigh 198g and a Ritchey C260 stem, 211g. The seatpost is a KCNC 142g, the saddle a XLC carbon 93g, brakes TRP 970’s coupled with I link cables.

I have numerous wheels but the ones here are carbon 24mm tubulars that I built myself and weigh just 1047g the pair with Veloflex tubulars.

How many kilometers do you ride per year?
About 11000 kms

Where’s your favorite area to ride?
Around Pic Baudille which is the biggest climb in my region and is the emblem of my club, Team Baudille Cyclisme 34.

It’s all lightweight as far as Stefan’s concerned – no padding for him!

What’s been your most memorable experience on your bike?
A few years ago I crossed the Alps from Grasse just until Briançon with some friends from my old club. We did it in 3 days and had a following car and we did lots of the famous cols; le Valberg, la cime de la Bonnette, le col de Vars, Isoire via la grande casse with almost 9000 meters of elevation. Other great times on the bike have been the many cyclosportives that I’ve done but they would be too numerous to list!

Campag record mechanical 11 speed with white hoods. Practical, light and good looking.

Any future modifications planned for your bike?
Maybe some new carbon deep dish wheels, 38mm or 40mm tubulars………lightweight ones of course!

Last words?
I started riding in 1997 after stopping smoking and after the first few rides I just couldn’t stop riding. I love everything technical about bikes and I like reading forums about lightweight parts that make me want to buy more. I could drop more weight from the bike but it costs too much and I want to keep my ride reliable.

Reader Number Two: Clément Koretzky
Age: 22
Lives: Lodève (South of France)
Bike: KTM Revelator
Wheels: Miche
Gears: Shimano Durace mechanical
Pedals: Look KEO Blade
Saddle: Selle Italia
Weight: 6.9kg

How many bikes do you actually have with your team Bretagne – Séché Environnement?
With my team I have a training bike, two race bikes and a time trial bike.

Does every rider on the team use the same model?
Yes, we all use the Revelator for both training and racing.

The two toned handlebar tape in the team colors is a nice touch.

Previosuly when I’ve interviewed you, you told me about how much you like your bike that you’re riding this year. What’s your favorite thing about it?
I love this bike because it has a very good performance but at the same time is comfortable. The geometry of the frame is super and I have the feeling that all the power that I put into the pedals is actually transmitted to the wheels without losing energy and that’s not the case with all the frames on the market. I also like the design which is young I think with this brand in the race with all the big brands.

Clément has the typical pro front end of a slammed stem for the least drag possible. No spacers here!

Besides the wheels are there any differences between this bike, your training bike and your race machine?
No there is no difference between my training bike and my race bike.

Clément in action at Paris-Roubaix earlier this year on his race machine.

I noticed that you used deep dish carbon wheels for Paris Roubaix. What was that like on the cobbles? Do you use them in all your races?
Miche has actually made a special carbon fiber wheel (SWR Full Carbon Wheels) that’s super tough for the cobbles races so this is why I used them. For training I use their Connect model and then for most of my other races I use the Carbon Supertype 358 RS Wheels. I really like riding with deep dish carbon rims, I find them much quicker. I have a good turn of speed and so it’s more interesting for me to use the carbon deep dish rims for the sprints.

Is your bike ‘standard’? The same that anyone can buy in stores?
Yes, it’s 100% standard, anyone can buy the same.

Some well worn LOOK Keo Blade’s, an SRM that Clément himself purchased to improve his training and some interesting cable routing at the bottom bracket for the mechanical Durace group are some of the features of Clément’s KTM.

How many kilometers would you ride in a normal year?
Usually between 20 and 30 thousand kilometers.

What’s your favorite area to ride in?
All around Lodève, Lac du Salagou, Cirque de Mourèze, Plateau du Larzac and much much more!

Clément climbing a col behind the Lac du Salagou with your PEZ scribe. I can confirm all around Lodève is a riding paradise – if you like your hills!

What’s your favorite moment you’ve experienced on your bike?
Without a doubt my breakaway in Paris-Roubaix this year.

Clément crossing the Arenberg forest in the lead break at Paris-Roubaix.

Last words?
I’d just like to thank everyone who has believed in me in the past and continues to believe in me today, it’s thanks to them that I’m able to live through my passion of riding. I’m happy to get up every morning with a smile and the desire to go out on my bike and train!