Road Bike Racing - Aluminium in Vuelta

I think I heard today while listening to a webcast of stage 5 that Di Luca is the only guy in the peloton to still use an aluminium frame?? It would be interesting to know why he would use it over carbon....maybe an old fashioned guy?

Am I hearing things?

Anyone confirm this??

could it be stiffer?

It could just be marketing reasons: makers want 1 of the aluminum models in there.

If it is the same one he was riding at the beginning of the year, then yeah - it is Alu. He prefers it.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/tech/features/liquigas/l-b_diluca1.jpg

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=tech/2006/features/liquigas

In fact, at the beginning of the year much of Liquigas was on Alu:
"Like team leader Danilo Di Luca and his other team-mates, Paolini is riding the FG Lite, Bianchi's featherweight aluminium answer to the superlight carbon fiber bikes being offered by so many manufacturers. Team manager Dario Mariuzzo tells us that the 29-year-old Italian trained and raced on this bike right through the week-long Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under. Although it's the 2005 model, Paolini is happy with both the weight and the stiffness the frame has to offer, and appreciates the qualities offered by the alloy frame as opposed to a carbon machine."
http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/2006/probikes/?id=liquigas_bianchi_paolini

That's nice. I guess I'm partial to nude alu frames.

Liquigas Bianchi riders are given their choice of the frames that Bianchi has to offer. Just about all of them ride some version of the FG Lite. Some that are all aluminum, and some with the carbon seatstay. Magnus rides a custom titanium frame because he blew out every stock frame that Bianchi makes. I'm not sure if any other riders have chosen titanium. As far as I know, none of them have ridden the carbon bikes. I can't say for sure though.

Today while listening to the Vuelta, I heard them mention that DiLuca was testing a "new composite carbon frame" during this years Vuelta.

Ah, good info 1slowbastard. They had that bike for him at the Tour but he bowed out before he had a chance to test it. I think it's that new lightweight frame they're releasing next year?

nothing wrong with aloooominum.

That bike is sooooo sweeeet!

nothing wrong with aloooominum.

There is a good overview of materials properties here: http://www.calfeedesign.com/whitepaper2.htm

Aluminum has some limitations, especially if you don't have a team buying you one whenever you wear the old one out. But it can be pretty nice. The P3Sl I have has a real nice ride quality, but I can feel the difference 'in my bones' as compared to my two carbon bikes, after I finish a ride.

It may be custom geometry that he can't get in carbon???

Hey - isn't that a Motobecane Le Champion SL?