Rolling out of the hotel complex on our 52km out-and-back route, we’re treated to a weaving, undulating yet steadily climbing course for the first few kilometres before commencing the climb proper. In that time, I’m already trying to get to grips with the Ergopower shift system (the vast majority of my time is spent riding Shimano-equipped bikes thanks to their popularity at OEM level), as well as acclimatising to brakes set up in continental style with the front brake on the left.

The Ergopower shifting action is immediately familiar from a Rose bike test I conducted last year, and remains crisp and sharp, if a still a little noisy. It still takes a fair amount of effort to press down on the thumb lever, compared to the clinical shifts of Shimano, but the stroking levers do feel a touch lighter to move, possibly in part thanks to the improvements made on Campagnolo’s new low-friction cables.

Meanwhile, I’m able to grow more accustomed to the widened and tapered thumb lever, which makes reaching it on the drops much simpler than before – a marked improvement over the previous design. Now, I can hook my thumb up and over the lever without getting caught underneath or clipping it as I raise my thumb; an issue I used find quite common when trying to use the previous design on the drops.

Despite the noise of the shift system – Davide Campagnolo, grandson of founder Antonio, explains over dinner that this sound is part and parcel of the Campagnolo experience – all the shifts are bullet-fast. There’s absolutely no tangible delay whether you’re heading up or down the cassette, while the front derailleur handles its job with minimal fuss. Multiple shifts work a treat, too.

“At first, it feels odd to have an extra sprocket – you almost feel like you’ll never reach the end of the cassette – but you can precisely choose your ideal ratio for your natural cadence”

That horizontal movement Campagnolo has developed through the three-part front derailleur design has a hint of Shimano’s compact toggle design about it, and although clearly a different layout, is equally adept at shifting the chain from ring to ring, even under significant load.

While climbing up gradients reaching 12 per cent in one or two places, I’m able to make full use of the new 12-speed cassette. At first, it feels odd to have an extra sprocket – you almost feel like you’ll never reach the end of the cassette – but when you’re in the small ring and mixing it up in the 13-17t range, you can precisely choose your ideal ratio for your natural cadence, which does have a genuine impact on how efficiently you ride.

Day two – Campagnolo Super Record, hydraulic discs

The next day takes in a longer 60km loop that sees not only steep gradients of up to 18 per cent hit us on the major climb of the day – enough for everyone to get some comprehensive use out of the fitted 32t cassettes – but also flatter coastal roads and a faster, more open descent that can really be attacked.

Ideal, given that this is the day we’re also running Campagnolo’s disc brake setup, too – all fitted to a Basso Diamante SV Disc frameset. At least today we’re playing the Italian thoroughbred card for the purists.

Unlike the way Shimano separates Dura-Ace, Ultegra and, following last week’s launch, 105 disc brakes, alongside a few non-series models floating around, Campagnolo has chosen to stick with the one model of caliper and rotor and develop specific Super Record and Record versions of the Ergopower levers instead.

I’d not previously used the Italian brand’s disc brake setup – but, put simply, my first impressions are that it’s every bit as good as Shimano’s Dura-Ace disc brakeset, which is high praise indeed. With a lever that mimics the ergonomics of the mechanical versions, save for an 8mm rise that you hardly notice in your eyeline as you ride, you can barely tell the difference in your hands either. There’s plenty of tactile feel along the lever travel before the pads engage with the rotors, and from there it’s all incredibly usable braking power.

This performance is demonstrated continually throughout the ride, yet the drivetrain itself is the super-premium Super Record – and, to be perfectly honest, you can barely tell the difference between it and Record.

That should hardly come as a surprise, given that the two are designed side by side with only the odd change in materials here and there (as well as the branding) to separate the two. The only tangible change is in the chainset, where the hollow cranks help to save a fair chunk of bulk, while the support arm that partially connects the four-arm spider is designed to add extra strength and stability to the ride. In reality, the two groupsets feel almost identical.