Today we will be looking at a familiar friend in Lars van der Haar’s World Cup winning Giant TCX, which was proudly on display at Eurobike. Almost a year ago, we took a look at this model back when it had a black and white matte color scheme and lacked the World Cup victories. The influence of this model cannot be overstated, however, as van der Haar was one of the first European pros to commit to disc brakes in a place where cantilevers reigned.
If you take a careful look, you’ll notice that there are some big discrepancies from the consumer edition of Giant’s TCX Advanced models. Aside from the component group, one big difference is the fork, which is designed for a quick release rather than a thru-axle. Because Shimano is a major sponsor, van der Haar’s team likely had to ask Giant to accommodate for the hubs that come with the C35, which did not have the option for thru-axle systems. In the picture directly above, you’ll also notice the covers on the mechanical derailleur cable routing. Unlike the TCX Advanced Pro 1, van der Haar’s steed is equipped with electronic shifting.
As the warning label suggests, Lars van der Haar’s c35 wheel set doesn’t have a brake track. One of the most interesting takeaways from Eurobike 2014 is the stark difference from last year in braking systems. In the United States, disc brakes were already incredibly popular, which is telling in Giant’s lack of cantilever options for their 2014 models. With van der Haar taking the World Cup overall win, most companies are now offering discs in Europe, if not ignoring cantilevers completely.
Another stark difference between the consumer models and this pro bike has to do with sizing. Between Marianne Vos and Lars van der Haar, Giant provides bikes to relatively short pro racers. Unfortunately, these smaller models are not available to the public according to Giant’s website. Although the 2015 TCX Advanced Pro 0 and Pro 1 comes in five sizes, they all sit between 50cm and 56.5cm sizing. For a near 48cm frame like the one van der Haar is equipped with, shorter riders would have to settle for the female marketed Liv Brava SLR 1, which is an aluminum frame that ranges in size between 44.5cm and 50.5cm.
Giant’s TCX Advanced Pro 1 was also on display at Eurobike 2014, although the Pro 0 was notably absent, but will hopefully make an appearance at InterBike. One interesting thing to note is that Giant is switching gears (pun intended) on their components from their 2014 to 2015 models, from exclusively using SRAM to exclusively using Shimano.
Giant’s TCX Advanced Pro 1 comes equipped with an Ultegra mechanical group, priced at $3,950. If you want the electronics found on Lars van der Haar’s bike, you’ll have to pull the trigger on the $7,450 Pro 0. Even then, there’s one catch: you’ll only receive the rear Di2 Dura-Ace shifter and derailleur. Like many other companies, Giant has seen the benefits of a single chainring up front. Instead of going with SRAM’s CX1 model like the others, they have decided to use Rotor’s 3D30, which comes as a 40 tooth standard and with a Giant 1X chainguide.
Stay tuned to cxmagazine.com for a complete First Look at the Giant TCX Advanced Pro 1 and 0!
Lars van der Haar’s Giant TCX Advanced Highlights:
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