Pro bike: Mark Cavendish’s Wilier Turbine SLR TT bike

We take a closer look at the time trial bike of Astana Qazaqstan’s Manx Missile

17:47, Friday 15th March 2024

Alex Hunt

Junior Tech Writer

Astana Qazaqstan Team
- Nationality Kazakhstan
- Founded 2006
- Team Principal Alexander Vinokourov
- UCI Code AST
- Bike Sponsor Wilier Triestina
Mark Cavendish
- Team Astana Qazaqstan Team
- Nationality United Kingdom
- Age 38
- UCI Wins 168
- Height 1.75m
Wilier Triestina
Wilier Triestina is an Italian manufacturer of road bikes, mountain bikes, gravel bikes and e-bikes, based in Rossano Veneto in northern Italy.

Mark Cavendish has one aim for the 2024 season, with his sights firmly set on clinching a record-breaking 35th stage win at this year's Tour de France. On his way to the Tour, there is the unavoidable discipline of the time trial to consider. Although not Cavendish’s favourite vein of the sport, he has previously had some good results including two professional wins in the discipline, although these did come in 2007 and 2008, respectively, in shorter and more explosive prologue TTs.

A lot has changed since 2007 on the tech front, with modern TT bike set-ups far removed from those used in Cavendish’s early years. His Astana Qazaqstan team are sponsored by Italian bike brand Wilier Triestina with the Turbine SLR the time trial bike at the team's disposal for 2024. We got our hands on his TT machine for a closer look.

Read more: David Millar: Never write off Mark Cavendish’s Tour de France dreams

Wilier TT extensions

Although nothing new, Cavendish’s Turbine SLR uses a set of time trial aero bar extensions from Wilier themselves. These are very aero in profile and look to smooth the transition between the bars and the rider's forearms, however, these are a standard fit bar rather than the bespoke custom-moulded extensions we see other riders using.

Cavendish's TT extensions are made by Wilier themselves with the foam lining aiming to improve comfort

Lining the carbon fibre extensions is some high-density foam aimed at improving comfort and reducing vibration on Cavendish’s forearms. With a lot of the rider's weight placed on the extensions anything to improve comfort will also improve a rider's ability to produce power.

Read more: Küng hints that a new Wilier time trial bike is in the works ahead of Paris Olympic Games

Aero fairing pulley wheels

Something that is a nod to the hunt for ever-narrowing marginal gains is the use of an aerodynamic pulley wheel fairing. This looks to smooth the airflow around the derailleur whilst also housing a set of ceramic oversized pulley wheels. Although both of these are marginal in their performance benefit they will increase both aerodynamics and drivetrain efficiency.

The carbon fibre faring around the oversized pulley wheels is aimed at improving aerodynamic efficiency

TT spec Shimano Dura-ace Di2

As a Shimano-sponsored team, it comes as no surprise that Cavendish is running almost a full complement of the brand's flagship groupset with the only omission being the Miché chainrings. Following the recent trend for larger chainrings on TT bikes Cavendish has a 56-tooth outer chainring, until recently this would have been considered a fairly big ring to use, however, recently riders have been spotted running up to 68-tooth chainrings. This is not to have a huge top gear but instead in the name of drivetrain efficiency with larger rings allowing riders to sit in a sprocket at the rear that is close to the optimal chain line.

Cavendish is using a 56-tooth outer ring something that is considered relatively small by modern TT bike standards

Cavendish has paired this to an 11-30 tooth 12-speed cassette which is the narrowest that Shimano offer, giving him the tightest gear ratios to help him find his ideal cadence at the high speeds associated with time trialling.

Vision Metron TFW and 81 SL wheelset

As a team supported by Vision, the natural choice for a flat and fast time trial is to use the brand's TFW disc rear wheel. The wheel itself is constructed from carbon fibre with the brand claiming that its monocoque design offers ‘great stiffness and low weight.’ At $5,157 for the rear wheel alone it doesn’t come cheap.

The bike is fitted with a Vision Metron TFW rear disc wheel and a Metron 81 SL front wheel

The bike is fitted with a Vision TFW rear disc wheel and a Metron 81 SL front wheel

When we got our hands on Cavendish’s bike it was just before the stage 2 individual time trial at the UAE Tour which featured no measurable climbing across the 12km course. This lent itself perfectly to the use of Vision’s deepest road front wheel - the 81 SL - which as the name suggests makes use of an 81mm deep rim profile.

Aero-optimised finishing kit

Something that is fitted to Cavendish’s Turbine SLR is a Tacx Aero Bottle, this is a triangular wedge-shaped bottle with a dimpled profile that is aimed to transition nicely with the profile of a bike's down tube. The likelihood of Cavendish needing or being able to take a drink during a 12km time trial that took him a little over 15 minutes to complete is close to zero, however, having the bottle on the bike does offer an aerodynamic advantage.