Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Team Jumbo-Visma and Dutchman Mike Teunissen increased their lead over Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal of pre-race favorite Ineos today in Stage 2’s team time trial. Despite having a resume that includes a U23 Cyclocross World Championship and a U23 Paris-Roubaix win, Teunissen, now 26, is an unlikely leader for the 2019 Tour de France. The same can be said for his bike, the Bianchi Aquila CV: Atop the celeste machine, Jumbo-Visma beat Ineos’ time over the 27.6-kilometer course by 20 seconds, putting Teunissen ahead of Bernal and Thomas by 30 seconds.
Drag reduction is the goal of the Aquila CV (“aquila” means “eagle” in Italian, as if the bike’s air foil tubing wasn’t literal enough). The front brake sits within the carbon fiber fork, and the rear brake hides from the wind beneath the bottom bracket shell. The rear wheel is a Shimano Pro disc and the front is the company’s three-spoke design; both are optimized to minimize turbulence. The frame even features adjustable rear dropouts, which allows you to decrease the distance between the rear wheel and the seat tube to maximize aero gains. If you’re wondering what else you’ll need to beat the Tour’s best time-trialists, check out the rest of Teunissen’s Stage 2 gear below.
