LIEGE (Belgium) – Seeing the 55 crown on Pogacar’s Colnago after training on Friday, it was natural to wonder if it was really necessary in a race like Liege. When we then witnessed the Slovenian’s solo, it was clear that that plateau, so original and at the same time large, had reason to also be present in the Doyenne.
At the start of the race, one of the team mechanics pointed out to us that only Tadej and Novak use it and they now use it in all races. It seems that the captain would only have ridden it for the first time at Sanremo. However, since the choice is curious, as is the combination between 55 and 40, we went straight to the source and called Marco Monticone, Product Manager at Carbon-Ti.
In the aftermath of the great feat, the tone is understandably cheerful. He says he just got off the phone with Alberto Chiesa, head of mechanics at UAE Team Emirates, who asked him the same crankset for the whole team. If the boss uses it and is happy, how do you say no to everyone else? Also because in Gianetti’s team, if you look closely, they are all captains.
So Marco, how did the idea of having that tooth more than the standard 54 come about?
It was a request from Tadej, an extremely demanding athlete. He has clear ideas and when he asks for something, everyone takes action to please him, also because his requests are not whims. That he then asks for things that are not easy to do, that’s another story (laughs, ed.)…
When did your request reach you?
At the 2023 Tour de France, when we met the team on the rest day in Megeve. We didn’t speak directly with the athletes, because they preferred to keep them in the bubble, but the managers expressed Pogacar’s request to us. He wanted a bigger chainring to have a longer gear especially when going downhill. I think it was the way to counteract some rivals who have 10 sprockets on their bikes. A choice that is not mechanically the most convenient, but which certainly lengthens the relationship.
From the way you talk about it, it couldn’t have been the easiest request to fulfill…
The challenge was to make it work with the 40 internal chainring. Each of our crowns is designed considering its correspondent inside. We do 3D projects and simulations, basically we start from one crown to create another. And if the 54 is compatible with the 40, inevitably the 55 had to be too.
It seems like you finally succeeded.
We designed and delivered in a few weeks. We understand that Tadej used it at Sanremo, but others may have tried it before and it will soon be on sale. This aroused interest, so much so that other teams asked to buy it.
Which teams?
I can talk about Bahrain Victorious, as well as Decathlon and Jayco. We don’t have the same close relationships with them as UAE Emirates and at the moment the 55 is their exclusive. But when it goes on sale, it can no longer be. Decathlon is taking a significant quantity, it will soon be evident. Although to get it, there is a waiting time of 4-5 months. We are a small company, we have many requests.
Same process, different project?
Exact. The workmanship does not change and for the design we start from the know-how of the other crowns, but it is a completely different product. CNC machines need to be reprogrammed, it’s really a new story.
Is it true that they want them for the whole team?
If it’s good for Tadej… And then it’s not a team with just a few captains and lots of assistants. Even those who work would be leaders in other teams, so you really can’t say no to them.
Surprised that Tadej decided to use it already in Sanremo and then in Liège on Sunday?
With him we often have certain surprises, we are informed just in advance. Like when we gave him the prototypes of the carbon chainrings. He tried them, he liked them and he immediately used them during the Flanders race which he won and then also in the Amstel. That’s how he is. If he makes a request, he really needs it. And if he needs it, why shouldn’t he use it?
