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Pro bike: Lance Armstrong's Astana Trek Madone

Bontrager carbon-specific cork brake blocks are fitted to the SRAM Red pad holders

  • Lance Armstrong (Astana) is using this brightly coloured machine in this year's Giro d'Italia. Expect something completely different come July's Tour de France
  • The intricate design was supposedly inspired by classic Italian architecture - a nod to Armstrong's first appearance in the Giro d'Italia
  • The incredibly detailed graphics are actually die-cut decals that are precisely positioned and trimmed over a uniform yellow base coat and then clear-coated over
  • It would be hard to miss this bike in the midst of the peloton but we expect to more often see it at the front
  • Even the rims are treated to match …
  • … and not even the stem is left out of the equation
  • Armstrong was not only preaching his 'Livestrong' message on the bike; he also had a generously sized Livestrong crew and official company vehicles in tow
  • The seat tube bears the now-familiar '1274' icon in reference to how many days Armstrong was in retirement before returning this season
  • This small detail perhaps provides a little more of a clue as to Armstrong's intentions this season: 'Winners, not wankers, 2009'
  • The carbon fork features a carbon steerer tube that tapers from 1 1/8in up top to 1 1/2in at the crown
  • As always, Armstrong's shifters are situated high on his Bontrager VR-bend Race XXX Lite bar
  • Like all SRAM-sponsored bikes at the Giro, Armstrong's bike was built with the company's new sealed cable system developed in conjunction with Gore
  • The SRAM Red crankset is slightly tweaked with the addition of gold-anodised aluminium chainring bolts
  • The SRAM Red rear derailleur is fixed to a replaceable hanger
  • Bontrager carbon-specific cork brake blocks are fitted to the SRAM Red pad holders
  • Armstrong has used Shimano pedals for as long as we can remember
  • Armstrong's familiar Selle San Marco Concor Lite saddle is perched atop the semi-integrated seatmast head
  • Leaving a slim spacer atop the stem allows extra room for the steerer to come all the way through for maximum clamp area

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Bontrager carbon-specific cork brake blocks are fitted to the SRAM Red pad holders

© James Huang