Alberto Contador’s custom-painted Specialized
Alberto Contador is riding a new custom-painted Specialized S-Works Tarmac this days in the Criterium du Dauphine and he won the uphill prologue in Les Gets with his new bicycle.
Contador, who has ridden several custom Specialized’s bikes in his career, started the season on Tinkoff’s team-issue grey and fluo Tarmacs but looks set to ride his new predominately silver bike for the Dauphine and Tour de France next month.
Apparently, the graphics people at Specialized took inspiration from Contador’s “storied career” to create this custom polished chrome paint job. “We set out to create a bike graphic that would stand out from the rest of the peloton,” stated Ron Jones, Lead Road Designer at Specialized .
The front half of the frame is coated with a mirror finish and complemented by a high-contrast black rear triangle and fork, blending into the chrome along the top tube.
Shimano Dura-Ace components take care of the shifting, with Contador opting for mechanical rather than electronic gears. Giro d’Italia winner Vincenzo Nibali also recently unveiled a custom-painted Specialized S-Works Tarmac that featured mechanical gears –Campagnolo in his case.
“The intention was to create a bike visually striking and bright, which could require sunglasses to view,” adds Specialized.
The bike is finished with Roval CLX 40 carbon fibre tubular wheels with Specialized S-Works Turbo tyres, FSA handlebars, stem and seatpost, and a Prologo saddle.