Pro Bike Profile: 2013 Sven Nys’ World Championship-Winning Colnago Cross Prestige

[Update: See Sven Nys’ 2013 Cross Vegas-winning Colnago Cross Prestige cyclocross bike profile]

Just as mechanics were packing the team’s bikes in the Belgian team hotel, Cyclocross Magazine’s Clifford Lee was able to spend a few minutes with Sven Nys’ 2013 Cyclocross World Championship-winning Colnago Cross Prestige cyclocross bike and snapped a few quick photos of the machine.

Nys, a career-long Colnago-sponsored rider rode a black Colnago Cross Prestige frame dressed completely in Shimano componentry.  Just like 2012 World Champion Niels Albert (see out profile of Niels Albert’s Colnago Cross Prestige), Nys opts for the Shimano 7970 10-speed Dura-Ace Di2 drivetrain.  Besides the 7970 STI levers and derailleurs, Nys relied on a customized 11-28 cassette and custom 46-38 chainrings, providing a wide gear range for the technically-challenging course.

Power transfer was handled by a Dura-Ace 7900 crankset (while Albert uses the 7950 compact crankset) in 172.5mm length, the same length as Page and Albert. Upon inspection, we discovered Nys did not use the Dura Ace 7900 10-speed cassette that  uses titanium for the four largest cogs. Nys’ cassette, as seen in our quick snapshots, shows a custom 28-tooth cog that lacks the typical weight-saving cut-out holes found on the 105, Ultegra and Dura-Ace versions, and he’s using an Ultegra lock ring.

Nys, like most of the pros who use Shimano pedals, is spinning XTR M970 pedals rather than the newer M980 version (for less shoe/pedal mud interference problems due to the larger contact area).

Many racers are very particular about tires, and Nys rode Dugast tubulars as he’s done for his entire career. For Saturday’s race, Nys picked 33mm Rhinos tubular tires for the partially frozen, mostly sloppy conditions. They were glued to Shimano Dura-Ace WH-7900 C35 carbon tubular wheels stopped by Shimano CX70 cantilevers with Shimano’s carbon-specific blue pads. Though Colnago has a disc version of the Prestige, neither Nys nor Albert rode that version, even in these sloppy, slippery conditions.

His cockpit is comprised of a traditional round bend Shimano PRO Vibe UD carbon bar mated to an aluminum but sticker-less PRO PLT stem, the same stem Page was riding on his National Championship-winning bike. His Selle Italia SLR Team Edition black saddle sits atop a carbon PRO Vibe seatpost.

Though the Colnago Prestige is an expensive, World Championship-winning cyclocross bike, Nys’ frame and component mix is comprised of stock items readily available in high-end bike shops, besides the custom chainrings and cassette. However, most of the components will cost you a pretty penny, except the relatively-affordable PRO PLT stem and CX70 brakes.

By our counting, this is the fifth generation of Colnago cyclocross bikes Nys has ridden and won a major championship on (World Cup, World Title, or National Title). Each frameset, including this generation of Cross Prestige, has proved worthy of the most dominant cyclocrosser ever.

 

Sven Nys’ 2013 World Championship-Winning Colnago Cross Prestige Photo Gallery:

 

 

Sven Nys’ 2013 World Championship-Winning Colnago Cross Prestige Cyclocross Bike Specs:

Frame: Colnago Cross Prestige, cantilever model
Fork: Colnago Cross Prestige
Headset: Colnago
Handlebars: PRO Vibe, UD Carbon
Stem: PRO PLT alloy
Brakes: Shimano CX70 cantilever brakes
Wheelset: Shimano Dura-Ace C35 35mm carbon tubular wheelset, 1339g
Tires: Dugast Rhino 33mm tubulars
Shifters: Shimano Dura-Ace 7970 10-speed Di2 STI Levers
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace 7970 10-speed Di2
Front Derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace 7970 10-speed Di2
Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace 7900 10-speed, 46/38t
Cassette: Shimano 10-speed, 11-28t, Custom 28t cog, Ultegra lockring
Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace 7901 10-speed
Pedals: Shimano XTR M970 SPD pedals 
Seatpost: PRO Vibe UD carbon
Saddle: Selle Italia SLR Team