Magnus Ditlev Is All In for Nice. So Is His Dialled-In, Tricked-Out, Scott Plasma

Photo: Eric Wynn

Earlier this year we caught up with Denmark’s Magnus Ditlev as he was gearing up to compete at IRONMAN South Africa. After finishing third at the IRONMAN World Championship two years ago here in Nice, then taking second last year, the African Championship was to be his first step towards a run for the top of the podium here in Nice. While that race went well, things were a bit more of a struggle after that. At IRONMAN 70.3 St. George he got two flats, then, at the IRONMAN European Championship Frankfurt, he was told he was disqualified during the run (later rescinded), which ended up affecting his day there, too.

So, while on paper his results haven’t been that great, he arrives in Nice feeling ready.

“Yeah, I remember when we spoke in Lanzarote, I made it pretty clear that it was this race that I wanted to perform at,” he said in a follow-up interview the other day. “And, as you say, the season went really well in the beginning, and then I went to St. George and had two punctures. I was in great shape, so it was like a bit annoying, but it’s okay when it’s something that is a little bit out of your control. And then, in Frankfurt, I also had a pretty messy situation there, but I was also in contention at that point. So, it’s hard to take much
away from those races shape wise.”

“So, yeah, I’m feeling really good,” he continued. “The training has been going very well, and, as I said, everything this season has been about this race, so I also made the decision not to really race more, even though the two races went bad and it’s kind of over with the pro series. So I tried to stick to the original plan, not over race, and hopefully that will leave me fresh for this race. “I’ve definitely been training well back in Denmark, and enjoyed spending time with all my coaches and experts in various fields.”

Photo: Kevin Mackinnon

While Ditlev arrives confident in his fitness, this will be the first time in the last three years he’s not arriving at the world championship after a huge win (and also a world-best time from two of those years) at Challenge Roth.

Yeah, it’s a little bit difficult mentally, because the past three years I’ve come off a really high race from Roth,” he said. “So, I’ve kind of come into the world championships believing I’m the best … In the first year I almost set the world’s best time, and the past two years I’ve set the world’s best time before the world championships. So, that kind of gives you a lot of confidence.”

“This time I don’t have that like crazy good result,” he continued. “But that was always part of the plan to not race Roth, and I have to trust that it’s the right decision, but I’m definitely confident in the work I’ve put in and I’ve been here in Nice multiple times this year already, riding the course and getting to know it even better.”

Even though, with his size, the Nice course might not best suit him, Ditlev feels he’s ready for the race, and also looking forward to competing against the best athletes.

“I wouldn’t say it’s the best course for me, but it’s not the worst either,” he said. “I think we’ve seen in Kona and Nice the past two years, the top performers have basically been the same. So, that shows me that the top guys are able to prepare specifically for almost every course. So, I think it’s a good course for me.”

“I think that’s only going to suit the strong bikers,” he continued. “No matter if you are a bit on the heavier side or on the lighter side. I think this bike course is going to split up the field quite a bit.”

Here’s a look at Ditlev’s tricked-out Scott Plasma that he’ll ride here in Nice on Sunday.

Photos: Eric Wynn
Ditlev’s Scott Plasma 6 was completely stripped of paint, which saved 250 to 300 g off the total weight of the bike. There’s a Shimano Dura-Ace 12-speed drivetrain, with CeramicSpeed OSPW Aero Alpha pulleys.The chain is the Shimano Ceramic Speed UFO Factory Optimized.

The DT Swiss ARC 1100 Disc is paired with the ARC 110 (85 mm) front wheel. He’ll ride Schwalbe Pro One Aero tires.

The 3T Torno crank features “a super-narrow q-factor,” according to Ditlev. It weighs under 350 g including the crank, spindle and integrated spider. It is only 1x compatible. That’s a 60-tooth chainring.

 The Sixwheel, 12 Speed (11-33) cassette weighs in at 133 g.

Ditlev is using Garmin’s power pedals …

… On 172.5 mm cranks

Syncros extensions attach to …

3D-printed carbon Altrum risers …

… and a Profile base bar.

A Wove Saddle …

… has a double water-bottle mount that, like the BTA mount, was designed by Marco Mani at Altrum. Ditlev also takes advantage of the integrated top tube hydration available in the Scott Plasma frame.

The Galfer brake rotors are super light and feature an aero lock ring.

Tags: