Alison Jackson pro bike: Cannondale SuperSix EVO Lab71

Team EF Education-Cannondale rider Alison Jackson will have the option of two bikes this season: the fully aero SystemSix and the more lightweight-focused SuperSix from Cannondale.

At a training camp in Girona before the 2024 season got underway we were lucky enough to get up close and personal with the EF Education-Cannondale team bikes to take a closer look at how they are set up, with a specific analysis of Jackon’s SuperSix EVO Lab71.

SuperSix EVO Lab71

The Cannondale SuperSix is a name that has been around for 13 years and in that time it has earned the reputation as a stiff and light climber’s bike. The latest generation SuperSix keeps these familial attributes with a fresh take on aerodynamically optimising the profile of the bike. This has had the effect of moving the SuperSix closer to the ‘all-rounder’ territory that we are seeing more and more brands head towards.

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The Lab71 is 12 watts faster than the previous generation at 45km/h

The Lab71 part of the name denotes that it is Cannondale’s top-spec variant of the platform, using the brand's most premium carbon fibre that increases stiffness and reduces weight over the standard EVO frameset.

With the aerodynamic makeover, the Lab71 is 12 watts faster at 45km/h than the previous generation. One of the ways the brand has achieved this is through the use of a D-shaped steerer tube that allows for full internal cable routing whilst maintaining a slender headtube profile.

• Read more: Pro bike: Richard Carapaz’s Cannondale Supersix Evo

Semi-compact gearing

At the time of shooting this bike, Jackson and the rest of the EF Education-Cannondale team were finalising their 2024 preparations around Girona. The hills around the area have become synonymous with winter training for the world's best. With the terrain and training in mind, it comes as no real surprise to see that Jackson is running compact gearing on her bike.

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Jackson chooses to run a 52/36 chainset with an 11-34 12-speed cassette

In light of the latest batch of 12-speed groupsets, riders can use wider ratio cassettes than ever before. This means that instead of needing to drop down to a fully compact chainset for the easier training kilometres that winter brings, riders can instead stay on their preferred chainsets.

When we got our hands on Jackson’s bike it had a typical 52/36 semi-compact chainset matched to an 11-34 cassette, the biggest on offer from Shimano’s flagship Dura-ace groupset. The 34-tooth smallest gear provides Jackson with a near 1:1 bottom gear ratio, which is ideal for steep gradients and steady winter miles.

• Read more: EF Education-Cannondale on cloud nine after perfect start

New wheels for 2024

The team is the newly released Vision Metron 60SL wheelset in 2024 with the wheels striking the mid-ground between aero performance, control and weight. Up close to these wheels, it becomes obvious just how wide they are. With a 32mm external rim width, it is clear that they are designed for the latest trend of super wide tyres.

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The team will be using Vision wheels for 2024 with the Metron 60SL optimised for wide tyres

Mounted to the rims are Vittoria’s hugely popular Corsa Pro tyres in a 28mm width. Going by the inclusion of the pink Muc-Off tubeless valves we can also safely assume that the bike is set up as tubeless.

Finishing kit

With Wahoo a sponsor of the team, Speedplay is the natural choice for pedals with Jackson opting to use the brand’s single-sided Aero Zero model.

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FSA takes care of the data collection with the PowerBox chainset

Although Shimano is the team’s groupset sponsor FSA takes care of the chainset. The team are using FSA Powerbox K-Force team edition cranks. This setup uses a spider-based power meter from Power 2 Max to capture Jackson’s total output at the chainrings.

What do you think of Jackson’s pro bike, is it one of the best looking in the Women’s WorldTour or not to your liking? Let us know in the comments.

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