Remco Evenepoel Unveils Prototype Time Trial Bike

Remco Evenepoel's bike sponsor, Specialized, has unveiled a new 'prototype' time trial bike at the Tour de France.

The most obvious point of difference is the interaction between the seat tube and the rear wheel.

The seat stays themselves remain low and horizontal as per the outgoing model.

The new bike features a redesigned seat tube and aero saddle clamp system, integrated into the carbon at the top of the post.

This removes a bunch of material from beneath the saddle, no doubt improving airflow between the rider's legs.

The new bike was spotted at the Tour de France Grand Depart in Barcelona, ahead of the opening stage team time trial.

Specialized explained it "relies on feedback from professional athletes in both developing and testing pre-production products in real-world applications.

With this top-level feedback, some of these design elements and products eventually show up in production bikes.

The new bike is expected to give Remco Evenepoel a competitive edge in the time trial stages of the Tour de France.

The deep-section front wheel, which looks to be in the region of 90mm deep, is also expected to improve performance.

The wordmark near the bottom bracket shows 'Fact 12R Carbon' - the type of fibre used only on Specialized's flagship models.