![]() ![]() The Athena derailleurs offer an 11-speed setup with a 12-27 cassette marrying up to an FSA Gossamer 50/34 chainset providing a good spread of gears, which combined with the 7.93kg weight makes the Sempre Pro a decent climber. Gear changes, whether in the hoods or on the drops, are much easier, and create a far more pleasant experience, and certainly has the capacity to win over even the staunchest Campagnolo critics. I'm a fan of Campagnolo components and of the ergonomic changes the Italian company have made to the thumb shifter it's now pointing downwards, mimicking a change first introduced on their electronic groupset, EPS. It's traditional race bike geometry then, but wrapped up in a bike that isn't limited to racing. You could easily race the Sempre Pro in a criterium or open road race, but it's also a fine sportive and distance bike if you aren't a fan of sportive bike geometry, which typically raises the front-end, lengthens the wheelbase and shortens the top tube. The short wheelbase keeps the handling nimble and it has an energetic, keen and flighty personality that quickly wins you over. It's not as silky smooth as the highly impressive Infinito CV when taking to rougher roads, but the gap between the two isn't as large as you might imagine. It's not at all uncomfortable, despite the oversized 31.6mm seat tube - many manufacturers are adopting smaller 27.2mm seatposts as a way of boosting comfort - and on many road surfaces it settles down into a smooth patter at pace. It's stiff enough for the most demanding rider, but not so stiff that non-racers will be put off. It winds up to speed quickly with good stiffness through the frame, helped by the oversized down tube, PressFit30 bottom bracket and tapered head tube providing a very taut frame when pushing it close to the limits. ![]() That allows you to really push the Sempre Pro hard and fast through sweeping bends, over crests in the road and down swooping descents. The geometry mirrors that of the Oltre XR2 so you get a similarly short head tube, providing a low front-end and ensuring an aggressive and aerodynamic position. Sitting one rung below the range-topping Oltre XR2 in Bianchi's range, the Sempre Pro is a seriously capable bike for racing or simply riding fast, with much of the performance of the Oltre but with a far more wallet-friendly price tag. ![]()
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