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Tour de France tech: Custom bits for the big boys

Ballan wants to make sure he doesn't overlook any of the key climbs on Stage 6. Now where are the mechanics going to put that thing…

  • Evans could have gone with an Aussie theme for his custom Canyon but instead he opted for the colours of Tibet to draw attention to the struggles of its people.
  • A smidgeon of the Australian national flag pattern is applied to the inside surfaces of the fork blades and chain stays.
  • The colours are from the Tibetan flag but the kangaroo is all Australia.
  • Even without the name identification there's little mistaking who this bike belongs to.
  • Evans runs his brakes Aussie-style with the left lever matched to the rear caliper.
  • Red bar tape matches the front end of the frame.
  • Evans' Canyon uses the increasingly common design theme of chunky chain stays paired to spindly seat stays.
  • Evans is one of few riders in the peloton to use a complete Campagnolo Super Record group.
  • There's not much functional difference between Campagnolo Super Record and Record but the slightly reduced weight may provide Evans with a little more leeway in selecting other equipment to hit that magic 6.8kg mark.
  • It's often an overlooked item but a stout front derailleur tab can make a very appreciable improvement in shift performance over one that's too flexy.
  • This small decal makes it easier for the team to recover its wheels at the end of stage from the Mavic neutral support crew.
  • The rear brake is fitted with Campagnolo carbon-specific cork pads.
  • A Campagnolo Super Record rear derailleur is bolted to the rear end of Evans' Canyon Ultimate CF Pro.
  • Evans runs a lot of saddle setback.
  • A bit of tape around the valve stem keeps it from rattling.
  • Look's new KeO 2 Max pedals have a larger platform for improved stability.
  • Current road world champion Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) is using this custom painted Wilier Cento 1 SL in this year's Tour de France.
  • Gold and rainbow makes a nice complement to the white background.
  • Wilier is rightly proud to have a world champion riding one of its bikes this season.
  • Touches of the standard Lampre team colors are still scattered throughout the frame.
  • How can anyone complain about gold bars?
  • Bearings are pressed directly into the shell of Ballan's Wilier Cento 1 SL.
  • For whatever reason, Ballan's Record derailleurs are paired to a Chorus crank.
  • Ballan's Fulcrum Racing Speed deep-section carbon tubulars are wrapped in Vittoria rubber.
  • No need for a repair stand when there are two mechanics on hand.
  • Ballan wants to make sure he doesn't overlook any of the key climbs on Stage 6. Now where are the mechanics going to put that thing…
  • The world championship stripes apparently provide Ballan with enough justification to use the older Look KeO version than the new KeO 2 Max version recently introduced.
  • Sure, anyone can buy components adorned with the UCI rainbow stripes - but it's much more meaningful when they're actually earned.
  • Lance Armstrong's (Astana) custom Trek Speed Concept is indeed eye-catching.
  • Half of the Astana team is still using Trek's Equinox TTX SSL time trial frame but Armstrong actually has two of these new Speed Concept bikes at his disposal.
  • Armstrong wants his 'Livestrong' followers to adopt this attitude in the fight against cancer.
  • Looks like this front wheel was perhaps borrowed from Armstrong's Madone.
  • From an artist's point of view, a full rear disc just provides a bigger canvas to work with.
  • The Trek Speed Concept's steep seat tube requires a seatpost with a lot of setback to get Armstrong's saddle in the correct position.
  • Lance Armstrong (Astana) has not one but four custom finished bikes to use in this year's Tour de France.
  • Not everyone will like the look of Armstrong's custom Trek 6 Series Madone but no one can dispute the completeness of the execution.
  • Even the wheels are decalled to match.
  • The new 6 Series Madone's fork still uses Trek's tapered E2 design and the cosmetic fork crown cap has been replaced with proper carbon fibre.
  • Armstrong's custom finish also carries through to the stem.
  • These icons may be part of bigger die-cut decals but it still takes a skilled hand to get them laid on properly.
  • While the majority of his teammates are using Look's new KeO 2 Max pedals, Armstrong continues to use his tried-and-true Shimano Dura-Ace SPD-SLs.
  • A Gore 'grub' seal protects about the only part of the rear derailleur cable that would normally sit unprotected with the new Madone's now-internal routing.

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Ballan wants to make sure he doesn't overlook any of the key climbs on Stage 6. Now where are the mechanics going to put that thing…

© James Huang