Campagnolo's New 10 Speed Groupsets, and new Power Torque System

Campagnolo unveiled their new 10-speed groupsets today: Centaur™ 2011 and Veloce™ 2011. The announcement:

"The new 10-speed project, the result of our experience working with professional cyclists, features the same high quality and technical features as our top-of-the-line 11-speed groupsets. The new 10-speed groupsets have been completely redesigned to improve performance, weight, reliability, and cost.

Shifting precision and speed have benefited from our experience in developing the 11-speed project. The introduction of the new Power Shift System™ enables the Ergopower™ shifters to seamlessly control the front and rear derailleurs. Thanks to the new optimised design of the teeth and the internal machining of the sprockets, shifting with Veloce is just as fluid as its 11-speed ''big brothers''.

The new 10-speed groupsets introduce one enormous innovation: the brand new Power Torque System™ (see below for more details, after the groupset descriptions). The Campy Tech Lab™ engineers have devised a new bottom bracket. It is more economical, easier to install and service, while offering top level performance features comparable to those guaranteed by the Ultra Torque™ system. All this, at a lower cost.

The result of this hard work is incredible: the new 10-speed groupsets are more ''aggressive'' thanks to the reduced weight and price compared to the previous models, along with improved performance.

CENTAUR 2011 GROUPSET

The new Centaur™ groupset has been conceived and designed with one precise objective: to offer a 10s groupset with the best shifting performance in its class.
It was an extremely difficult objective that enhanced the experience of the Campy Tech Lab™ engineers and led to the new Centaur™ 2011.
The new Ergopower™ controls with ''classic'' Campagnolo® two-lever system and the new Power Shift System™ for controlling the drivetrain, along with the new crankset with Power Torque System™ bottom bracket and rear derailleur of 11s derivation, all make the Centaur™ 2011 the perfect choice for those who want the top-of-the-line 10-speed.

Centaur™ Ergopower™ Power Shift™ controls:
The ergonomic design of the Campagnolo® Ergopower™ controls also used for our 11s groupsets provides the most correct and secure support for the hands in all driving positions. Comfort, one of the most important parameters for your long bike rides, will always be ensured by the Campagnolo® Vari-Cushion™ system. The Centaur™ Ergopower™ controls feature the Power Shift System™ mechanism, which makes it possible to move the chain by three sprockets in downshifting and one in upshifting.
Two lever versions are available: in black aluminium or in carbon fibre with core in light alloy.

Centaur™ Crankset:
Completely new and redesigned by the Campy Tech Lab™ engineers according to a precise objective: to create a crankset that is easy to maintain, lightweight, and that retains the same U and Q factors of its ''big brother'' Ultra-Torque™. But that wasn't enough. Our engineers wanted to do more; i.e. to drastically improve shifting performance. In order to achieve this demanding objective, the gears of the Centaur™ crankset have been completely redesigned. The eight sectors dedicated to the upward movement of the chain, the two for the downward movement, and the new MPS Micro Precision Shifting™ machining of the teeth make it possible to shift rapidly and without any hesitation. The ultra-high quality bearings, positioned in the most extreme points of the central axle, guarantee the maximum smoothness and perfect efficiency of the pedalling over time. The new Power Torque System™ used for the Centaur™ crankset is the ideal solution for the Campagnolo® 10s drivetrains, with high rigidity of the cranks and chainrings along with an extremely limited weight, to achieve the most efficient power transmission.

Centaur™ Rear Derailleur:
The Centaur™ rear derailleur has been completely revolutionised compared to its predecessor. Absolute precision and reactivity are guaranteed by the new outer plate made of aluminium as per the 11s design. The design of the upper and lower bodies has been optimised to achieve the maximum rigidity and at the same time to reduce the weight. The cage, too, thanks to the new geometry, is more rigid and lighter, and the silicone rollers reduce vibration and improve the silence of the drivetrain.

Centaur™ Front Derailleur:
Compact or traditional crankset? The Centaur™ front derailleur can handle both solutions with no indecision. The M-Brace™ design of the front derailleur body and the inner arm in Z-Shape™ configuration ensure an unprecedented rigidity that translates into excellent shifting precision and speed.

Centaur™ Chain:
Quiet on the set! Roll'em! The Centaur™ chain is incredibly quiet thanks to the Teflon wax treatment and the link-pin coupling geometry that reduces friction to the minimum, prolonging the life of the chain and ensuring less dispersion of the power transmitted. The precise sizing of links, rollers and pins reduces the interference with chainrings and sprockets adjacent to the ones in motion.

Centaur™ Sprocket Set:
The profile of the teeth, completely redesigned in line with the Ultra-Drive™ project, makes it possible to achieve the maximum response speed at the moment of shifting. The synchronisation obtained by establishing a specific position of the teeth between sprocket and sprocket makes the passage from one sprocket to the next very fluid and fast. And in order not to lose rigidity, the last two are fitted on an aluminium frame.

Centaur™ Brakes:
Have no fear of going too fast: safe stopping is assured by the new Centaur™ brakes with forged arms and characterised by the new black anodising.
In order to achieve even greater efficiency, the brakes are equipped with the possibility of orbital brake-pad adjustment, which up till now was a feature of only the high end of the range. The braking torque is optimal even with new pads.
The weight is 315 grams.


VELOCE™ 2011 GROUPSET

The Veloce™ components are top-of-the-range and offer technical solutions analogous to the Centaur™, but with a choice of materials and machining that make them even more aggressive in terms of price/quality ratio. The components of the Veloce™ 2011 groupset are proposed in two versions, black or silver: the choice is yours.

Veloce™ Ergopower™ Power Shift™ controls:
Ergonomic, like the top level 11-speed models: the Veloce™ Ergopower™ controls have the same forms, security, and comfort. The brake lever is in aluminium, while the shifters are made of composite material to reduce weight to the minimum. Like the Centaur™ groupset, thanks to the Power Shift System™ mechanism, it is possible to move the chain by three chainrings in downshifting and one in upshifting.

Veloce™ Crankset:
The Veloce™ crankset adopts the brand new Power Torque System™ also used for its ''big brother'' Centaur™. The Power Torque System™ represents the ideal solution for the new Campagnolo® 10s drivetrains: high rigidity of cranks and chainrings along with extremely limited weight, efficient power transmission thanks to optimised Q and U factors, new chainrings with MPS Micro Precision Shifting™ machining of the teeth and new machining on the upward zone of the chain. All this makes the Veloce™ crankset one of the most highly evolved technological solutions, but also one of the most economical, existing on the market.
Available in the black or silver version and with the new 39-52option.

Veloce™ Rear Derailleur:
Thanks to the new design of the parallelogram, the rear derailleur is now lighter and more rigid, with the most effective and fastest shifting. The design is derived directly from the 11-speed components with the oversized outer plate to provide greater rigidity to the entire system. The surface treatment protects it from corrosion and ensures that the Veloce™ rear derailleur maintains its performance over time.

Veloce™ Front Derailleur:
The design of the Veloce™ front derailleur cage enables perfect handling of both traditional and compact cranksets. Absolute personalisation thanks to the two colour versions available (silver or black). And the weight has been reduced to below 100 grams.

Veloce™ Chain:
Preventing energy dispersion is possible. With the Veloce™ chain, power transmission is assured. The HD-Link™ system protects you from any risk of the chain not keeping traction at the delicate closure point. Silence and fluidity of pedalling are achieved by the perfect machining of the link profile.

Veloce™ Sprocket Set:
Chain and sprockets have to work in perfect harmony: this is the reason why we have optimised the profile of the sprocket teeth. The result is perfect synchronisation in traction and rapid shifting thanks to the Ultra-Drive™ design.

Veloce™ Brakes:
You don't have to be a bicycle expert: with the brakes of the Veloce™ groupset you'll have the necessary security at all times. The possibility of orbital brake-pad adjustment makes it possible to obtain the optimal braking torque with any wheel. The forged caliper with double fulcrum design ensures excellent power transmission.

Meet the Power Torque System™:




This time, the axle is in a single piece firmly fixed to the right pedal crank of the crankset. The perfect coupling between central pin and pedal crank is ensured thanks to the particular geometry of the two components; this solution also makes it possible to eliminate the potential play between the different materials.

To make the bottom bracket more efficient, we also worked on the inner part. Thanks to an elaborate sequence of thicknesses, we were able to obtain an incredibly light axle while offering an absolute response in terms of rigidity.

Thanks to the studies conducted by the Campy Tech Lab engineers, material was removed in the zones that could be lightened but at the same time the points of maximum stress were strengthened. Only in this way was it possible to achieve such a high technical value.

A careful working out of the dimensions made it possible to maintain the lateral measurements already defined with the "elder brother" Ultra Torque™, thus guaranteeing the maximum freedom of movement and reducing the possibility of contact with the shoes.


The Campagnolo engineers concentrated on ensuring that installation and servicing would be extremely simple. The most complicated work has been done, so now it's up to you to carry out four simple steps to fit the Power Torque System™ crankset quickly and with no potential for error.

The right-hand bearing is already locked in the axle in correspondence with the crankset; the other is pre-inserted in the left-hand cup. No special tool is required, and the new crankset is ready to propel you over endless miles.

That's right, because another one of the objectives of the Power Torque System™ project was prolonged operating resistance. The tests conducted by the Campy Tech Lab were very exacting in this regard."



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