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Tour tech: Cancellara’s custom-painted farewell bike

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

July 1, 2016 Dan Cavallari

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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

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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