BMC Response
Copied from a BMC email to customers -
For your reference and that of your customer’s:
Why does Cadel ride the teammachine SLR01 and not the impec?
Quite simply, he prefers the SLR01. The impec has a stiffer, more direct riding feel and is designed around pure performance without the same concessions to comfort that the TCC SLR01 offers. The other General Classification riders and climbers in the team use the impec while the larger Classics riders use the SLR01 so they can use the same rig in cobbled races.
What happened on Stage 19?
While attempting to get up to the Contador/Schleck group Cadel stood to accelerate and had a mechanical issue that suddenly increased the drag on his rear wheel. After stopping to check his quick-release he re-mounted and set off after the leaders again before performing a single bike change – not two as the Versus/SBS commentary later reported. The sudden increase in drag was the result of a wheel issue (something as simple as a broken spoke), hence Cadel checking the QR, and not an issue with the frame. As the BMC warranty guy, it’s worth me mentioning here that the SLR01 has not had a single non-impact related tube failure in the Australian market. At the Tour Down Under this year, head mechanic Ian Sherburne remarked that the only failure they’d seen was when Steve Morabito’s teammachine was crushed by the airline on the way to the Worlds in Geelong.
We did he swap his yellow bike for red on Stage 21?
Cadel rode a yellow MY12 teammachine SLR01 for the traditional photo opportunities at the start of the stage (champagne with the team, pictures with the LCL time moto, etc...) then swapped back to the race bike that had got him to the top step of the podium before the real racing began. Cadel takes his equipment setup very seriously and didn’t want to contest the final 60km/h+ laps of the cobbled Champs on a brand new bike that was unfamiliar to him. After Cadel crossed the line, Andy Rihs, grabbed the yellow SLR01 and Cadel hopped onto a yellow impec for his parade laps of the Champs. So he rode three bikes that day, but only ever raced on the teammachine SLR01.
I hope that answers some of the questions you’ve been getting from Tour de France trainspotters. If they’re paying such close attention to what Cadel is riding: great! They’re paying close attention to BMC.