Van der Poel's Canyon Aeroad CFR for Paris Roubaix 2022

Mathieu van der Poel finished third in the 2021 edition and this year he is the favourite to win Paris Roubaix 2022. And to try to do so, he will be riding a Canyon Aeroad CFR with some modifications to his set-up in comparison to a regular race.

Mathieu van der Poel's Canyon Aeroad CFR

The race is expected to be sunny and completely dry after days without rain, so Van der Poel has opted to race with the Canyon Aero option instead of choosing an Endurance bike.

If this bike wins here, it would be the second time in history that an aero bike has done so. The first was Mathew Hayman's Scott Foil in 2017.

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The Canyon Aeroad CFR frame is the same as the one that anyone can buy on the Canyon website. It is also fitted with the aero handlebars that the brand has been offering since Van der Poel himself broke one of the previous version in a race last year.

But it is on the handlebars that we see some modifications, such as the double Selle Italia tape that Van der Poel has decided to use to gain some comfort on the cobblestones. Something his hands will be grateful for.

The wheels are Shimano Dura Ace C50 with 21mm internal width and 50mm profile. The wheels are very aerodynamic but at the same time versatile and combined with Vittoria Corsa 30mm tubular tyres.

The drivetrain is the new Shimano Dura-Ace 9250 groupset with 54-40 chainrings and 11-30 cassette. The cranks are 172.5 mm and have an integrated power meter.

Another critical component of a Paris Roubaix bike set-up is the saddle, and here we find a Selle Italia Flite Boost Pro Team saddle.

Finally, another important detail we've discovered are the bottle cages he'll be racing with. The Elite Ciussi Gel bottle cages are certainly not light enough for racing, but they will ensure that the bottle stays in place after the pavé sections.

What do you think about this set-up for a race with 55 km of cobblestones like Paris Roubaix? We read you on our social networks!