CyclistPro bike: David Gaudus new Wilier Verticale SLR climbing bikeRiding the hopes of French fans this summer, David Gaudu of Groupama-FDJ is racing onboard Wiliers new Verticale SLR. Is the Verticale the bike to break Groupama-FDJs five-year drought at the Tour de France and raise French spirits in the mountains?Billed as lighter than light, the new Verticale SLR is said to be 10% lighter than the brands previous climbing bike, the 0 SLR. The bike was revealed to the public the week before the Tour after being spotted first at the Giro.Cyclist had the chance to check out the Italian brands new bike ahead of the Tour de France 2024 in Florence.David Gaudus Wilier Verticale SLRPatrik Lundin/CyclistPatrik Lundin/CyclistGroupama-FDJ is flying the flag for Wilier at the Tour de France 2024 alongside Astana Qazaqstan, including the history-making Wilier Filante SLR of Mark Cavendish.Gaudus teammate Lenny Martinez rode a prototype of the Verticale at the MercanTour Classic at the end of May. The Verticale is a great bike, especially for me as I am a climber, he said. Its lighter than the Filante SLR and responds really well when the road starts to climb.In the new climbing-specific frameset, Wilier says it used three types of carbon fibres produced by Japanese manufacturer Toray, and it has a claimed weight of 1,623g, including the handlebars, forks and seatpost. Related Posts Pro bike: Tadej Pogaars Colnago V4Rs for the Tour de France 2024 Pro bike: Mark Cavendishs record-breaking Wilier Filante SLR The Wilier Verticale SLR is 10% lighter than the 0 SLR Gallery: Wiliers classic bikes Patrik Lundin/CyclistPatrik Lundin/CyclistThe Verticale comes with the C1 integrated handlebar. Wilier is keen to point out that the research and development process for the C1 handlebar was conducted in close partnership with the Groupama-FDJ. This includes updating the geometry to suit the pros needs and preferences.At the Tour, Gaudu is using a 110mm stem. His bar width sits at 39cm on top, which flares out to 41cm in the drops. Wiliers new handlebar setup also offers an inbuilt aluminium bike computer mount. The bars total weight is claimed to weigh around 310g.Patrik Lundin/CyclistPatrik Lundin/CyclistWe measured Gaudus saddle height at 73.7cm. The Breton is 172cm tall. In the pursuit of a lighter weight, Wilier has also integrated a race number mount into the seatpost, shaving 10g from the previous model. The integrated mount is also compatible with a rear light.The geometry has been altered for climbing too, providing a more upright riding position than the 0. Patrik Lundin/CyclistGroupama-FDJ are Shimano-sponsored, so are using Shimano Dura-Ace C50 tubeless wheels along with the Dura-Ace groupset.The price of the Verticale SLR starts at 9,000. We will share more bikes from the 2024 Tour de France throughout the race. We will also be sharing videos of the bikes on our Instagram @cyclist_mag. Related Posts Pro bike: Tadej Pogaars Colnago V4Rs for the Tour de France 2024 Pro bike: Mark Cavendishs record-breaking Wilier Filante SLR The Wilier Verticale SLR is 10% lighter than the 0 SLR Gallery: Wiliers classic bikes The post Pro bike: David Gaudus new Wilier Verticale SLR climbing bike appeared first on Cyclist.