Gear

Tour tech: Cancellara’s custom-painted farewell bike

Cancellara bids adieu to the Tour de France aboard an intricate, custom-painted Trek Madone.

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Spartacus!
Fabian Cancellara’s Trek Madone has a custom paint job that honors the Swiss rider’s storied career. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
Rolling
The down tube is emblazoned with Cancellara’s nickname, Spartacus. Other tubes feature subtle lists of his palmares. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
Cancellara's
Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
Taste
There’s a rhyme and reason to the paint job: The colors mimic the jerseys Cancellara has worn for each team throughout his career, from his earliest days with Mapei-Quick-Step right up until now with Trek-Segafredo’s team colors at the top. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
Visual
Can you name all of Cancellara’s past teams by the colors on the top tube and down tube? Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
Subtle
The faint gray writing on the top tube tells the story of Spartacus’s career. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
History,
Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
Chainstay
Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
Still
Trek isn’t releasing any new bikes at this year’s Tour de France, so aside from the paint, Cancellara’s Madone is identical to the Madone from last year. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
Color
Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
Spartacus
Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
A
Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
France
Cancellara had just returned from a soggy training ride along the chilly coastline in northern France. His bike and his brakes needed a good washing. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
Deep
Cancellara’s handlebars are integrated, much like the stock bars on the Trek Madone Race Shop Limited. But Spartacus opts out of the flat tops in favor of a more traditional round bar with deep, ergonomic drops. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
Round
Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
Shimano,
Cancellara prefers Shimano mechanical shifting rather than Di2. Still no sign of the new Dura-Ace cranks and power meters, though rumor has it that FDJ will be using the new goodies from Shimano. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
Examination
After his training ride, Cancellara chats with a team mechanic about his custom bike. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
Celebration
Even Cancellara’s shoes and helmet were emblazoned with the custom paint job. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com

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