Become a Member

Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more.

Already have an account? Sign In

Become a Member

Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more.

Already have an account? Sign In

Brands

Road Racing

Pro bike gallery: Marcel Kittel’s S-Works Venge ViAS disc

German sprinter Marcel Kittel pilots a disc-equipped S-Works Venge ViAS to his 10th Tour de France stage win and Dan Cavallari has the pics.

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.

Marcel Kittel, Quick-Step’s burly sprinter, is not the first to use disc brakes in the 2017 Tour de France. That honor goes to Cannondale’s Alberto Bettiol, who used a disc-equipped Cannondale SuperSlice TT bike during the opening stage. Nor is the German the only one using discs during stage two — we spotted Michael Matthews’s bike adorned with disc brakes as well.

But Kittel may very well be the first to seriously contend a stage of the Tour de France with a disc-equipped bicycle, as the rolling stage 2 course from Düsseldorf to Liège favors the sprinting contingent of the peloton. The conditions are an ideal testing ground for the controversial stoppers, with rain in the forecast from start to finish.

And to dispel yet another talking point regarding any potential downsides to disc brakes, Kittel required a wheel change early on in the stage. It appears to have gone off without a hitch.

An American in France

What’s it like to be an American cyclist living in France? Watch to get professional road cyclist Joe Dombrowski’s view.

Keywords: