From an Instagram reel posted by @_fenomeno_ml, you can clearly see the Paris-Roubaix bikes of Ineos Grenadiers riders Joshua Tarling, Artem Shmidt, and Ben Turner all fitted with Shimano XTR Di2 M9250 rear derailleurs.
As a fully wireless operation, with the BT-DN320 battery housed inside its parallelogram, this model requires no wired battery, so there are fewer moving parts and no chance of anything coming loose over the cobbles or getting snagged during a crash.
Like SRAM, Shimano's ecosystem is cross-compatible, so XTR Di2 plays nicely with the current 12-speed Dura-Ace R9200 shifters and cassette. The longer derailleur cage also means the option to eschew the regular 11-30T for a larger 11-34T cassette, as well as a bigger chainring, too - presumably a 56 or 58T.
Shimano doesn't make a narrow-wide chainring, so it would have to be an aftermarket affair - from the photo, it looks to be a chainring from Drag2Zero. Shimano-sponsored UAE Team Emirates-XRG uses Carbon-Ti components to counter this issue and also employs its two-by chainrings for better shifting performance. Team rider Tim Wellens has been known to employ a one-by Shimano arrangement on his Classics setup - something we saw at this year's Omloop Nieuwsblad.
The new Shimano XTR Di2 M9250 rear derailleur - unlike the mechanically-actuated previous-gen M9000 series that utilised a friction clutch - uses a double-spring design for improved chain retention over rough terrain. The system is claimed to offer roughly 70% better chain tension than before, although it is non-adjustable. It also requires no maintenance and is a more durable option in the event of crashes, which makes sense for a race such as Paris-Roubaix.
One-by road groupsets are nothing new and have been widely used for the past few years. SRAM-sponsored teams have the option to use X-Sync E1 Aero Direct Mount chainrings paired to either an XPLR Red AXS rear assembly (offering a massive range of 10-46T) or a Red AXS derailleur with a regular 10-33 or 10-36T cassette.
We'll update this article with more information as we receive it.
