Rob Peeters’ Colnago Prestige, with the orange, black and white color scheme of the Vastgoedservice Golden Palace Cycling Team. © Philip Ingham / Cyclocross Magazine
Up until last season, Rob Peeters donned the yellow and white colors of the Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team and naturally rode a matching Ridley to multiple top ten World Championships, most impressively taking second in 2012 at Koksijde (losing only to Niels Albert by a little over 20 seconds), and also taking second in last year’s Belgian National Championship Race to Sven Nys.
This season, Peeters has joined the notable ranks of the Vastgoedservice Golden Palace Cycling Team. Already, he and his teammates have produced astounding results, especially the young Wout van Aert, who has opted to rise above the U23 races and win against multiple elite men’s fields at the biggest stage. Peeters has consistently taken top-tens, including ninth place at the 2014 World Cup in Koksijde, and currently ranks 11th in the world.
With the new team, he has switched over to riding the Colnago Prestige, which we spotted in Milton Keynes and will be examining today.
Peeters’ Colnago utilizes SRAM’s CX1 system, with a 44t front chainring: impressive considering the technical conditions and elevation of Milton Keynes. © Philip Ingham / Cyclocross Magazine
The first starkly noticeable features present are the mix between emerging technology and old school components. If you were watching the World Cup yesterday, you likely noticed the lack of disc brakes on the front line of the starting grind (with the exception of Lars van der Haar). This includes Jeremy Powers, who also uses cantilever brakes more often than disc brakes in Europe.
Peeters is like most of his brethren, and his Prestige includes Avid Shorty Ultimates with what appears to be the SwissStop Flash Pro King brake pads.
On the other hand, he also uses SRAM’s CX1 system with a 44t front chainring. While many SRAM sponsored riders have moved to this system, not all have. Earlier in the year, Helen Wyman told Cyclocross Magazine that she highly preferred the option for a double up front.
Peeters employs Avid Shorty Ultimates and Dugast Rhinos on a muddy course such as Milton Keynes. © Philip Ingham / Cyclocross Magazine
Peeters also uses Vision Trimax TC24 carbon wheels, a sister brand to Full Speed Ahead. (See our look at new cyclocross-worthy wheels from Vision here.) His tires of choice for the muddy conditions of Milton Keynes was Dugast Rhino tubulars, 33mm in size.
Besides the flashy orange of his gear cable housing, one differentiation between his bike and his teammate’s, Jens Adams (who attempted to break away in today’s BPost Bank Trofee Race), is that the younger rider has a fell length of gear cable running from his shifter to his rear derailleur. Peeters, on the other hand, employs the cable stops and runs his derailleur cable naked along the top tube. While this exposes the cable to the elements, it also cuts down on potential friction due to a longer length of housing.
Colnago cyclocross frames retain an Old World charm: their top tubes are immediately recognizable by fans. © Philip Ingham / Cyclocross Magazine
Peeters’ frame is very akin to the Pro Bike Profile we wrote on Sven Nys’ World Championship Colnago from just after his win at Lousiville, although the builds are very distinct. Instead of Shimano’s PRO cockpit components and seatpost, Peeters, and the rest of the members on Vastgoedservice Golden Palace Cycling Team, use FSA parts, right down to the headset spacers. The stem and seatpost are FSA’s carbon SL-K models. The headset and seatpost clamp, however, are made in-house by Colnago.
Peeters uses Time ATAC XC12 Titan Pedals, which employ a titanium axle and carbon body. © Philip Ingham / Cyclocross Magazine
Installed on the SRAM CX1 crankset are Time ATAC XC12 Titan Pedals, which are a lightwieght carbon-bodied pedal sitting at a claimed 241g per pair, although the maximum rider weight limitation rests at 200 pounds.
The model as shown here is not a build offered by Colnago. while Colnago doesn’t have an advertized retail price for the United States, European customers can expect to pay the equivalent of $4,500 for the disc brake model that comes equipped with Ultegra Di2.
The cables are all routed externally above the top tube. © Philip Ingham / Cyclocross Magazine
Rob Peeters’ Colnago Cross Prestige Cyclocross Bike Specs:
Frame: Colnago Cross Prestige, cantilever model
Fork: Colnago Cross Prestige
Headset: Colnago
Handlebars: FSA SL-K
Stem: FSA SL-K
Brakes: Avid Shorty Ultimate
Wheelset: FSA Vision Trimax TC24 Carbon Tubular Wheels
Tires: Dugast Rhino 33mm tubulars
Shifters: SRAM Force CX1
Rear Derailleur: SRAM Force CX1 11-speed
Front Derailleur: N/A
Crankset: SRAM Force CX1 singlering, 44t
Pedals: Time ATAC XC12 Titan Pedals
Seatpost: FSA SL-K Carbon
