Among the many many athletes who left their mark on the worldwide stage, the Olympic cyclists stand out –fairly actually– not just for their extraordinary achievements, however for the distinctive presents they obtained post-victory. Inside days of claiming their gold medals, the Olympic highway biking champions have been offered with custom-painted bikes from their sponsors — unique tributes that shine as brightly because the golden medals themselves.
Right here, we acquired to see their golden bikes in particular person, whereas it’s but to be seen if Evenpoel’s golden-leafed Tarmac is a celebratory bike or if it’s going to see motion quickly as properly.
Let’s check out these trophies on wheels.
Kristen Faulkner’s Cannondale SuperSix Evo LAB71
(Picture credit score: Anne-Marije Rook)
What a season it’s been for Kristen Faulkner. The 31-year-old Alaskan netted an early season win at Omloop van het Hageland, a Grand Tour stage win at Vuelta España Femenina, grew to become the U.S. nationwide highway racing champion and represented the USA on the Olympics, the place she received two gold medals.
Whereas she might have been the shock champion of the Olympic highway race, she rode with the power and experience of somebody with thrice her expertise and backed up her efficiency with a second medal within the Workforce Pursuit simply two days later.
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Cannondale honoured her achievement with a LAB 71 highway bike that pays tribute to each her nationwide and Olympic titles with a outstanding red-white-and-blue colourway and golden stars and stripes. Even her Wahoo laptop sports activities some golden flare.
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(Picture credit score: Anne-Marije Rook)
(Picture credit score: Anne-Marije Rook)
(Picture credit score: Anne-Marije Rook)
(Picture credit score: Anne-Marije Rook)
(Picture credit score: Anne-Marije Rook)
Faulkner’s race machines options an ultra-light Collection 0 carbon building body, a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset paired with an FSA energy meter, FSA ending equipment together with a SystemBar R-One one-piece carbon cockpit, and Imaginative and prescient Metron 45 SL wheels warped in Vittoria Corsa Professional tyres.
Her favorite half in regards to the {custom} paint? “The gold stars, for positive,” she instructed Biking Weekly.
Faulkner put her model new bike into motion straightaway on the Tour de France Femmes, the place she rode aggressively, attacking ceaselessly and netting two high fives stage finishes within the course of. She even sat second in GC for a day after sturdy performances within the center a part of the race week.
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Body:
Cannondale SuperSix Evo LAB71
Row 0 – Cell 2
Groupset:
12-speed Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9250 with an FSA Power3Max powermeter
Row 1 – Cell 2
Wheels:
Imaginative and prescient Metron 45 SL
Row 2 – Cell 2
Tyres:
Vittoria Corsa Professional, 28mm
Row 3 – Cell 2
Laptop
Wahoo
Row 4 – Cell 2
Grace Brown’s Lapierre Aerostorm
(Picture credit score: Anne-Marije Rook)
Australia’s Grace Brown received the primary biking gold medal on the 2024 Paris Olympics. Brown stormed to victory in treacherous situations, which noticed many riders hit the deck on the rains-soaked and tough roads of Paris. However Brown stored it upright and regular so as to add an Olympic gold medal to her already profitable 12 months.
The 2024 season has been maybe her greatest one but, as we have seen her win Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes, two levels and the general at Bretagne Women Tour, and the Australian nationwide time trial title. It’s additionally her final 12 months as Brown intends to retire after the World Championships.
“I believe with the ability to exit on high is basically cool; not many individuals get to try this. You hope that your ultimate 12 months might be good however for it truly to be good is a little bit of a dream. It additionally implies that once I end, I am nonetheless going to like biking,” Brown shared.
The quickest lady within the race in opposition to the clock already had a inexperienced, yellow and white bike to commemorate her nationwide title, however the night time earlier than the Tour de France Femmes began, Lapierre shocked her with a brand new, all-gold time trial bike as properly.
Picture 1 of 3
(Picture credit score: Anne-Marije Rook)
(Picture credit score: Anne-Marije Rook)
(Picture credit score: Anne-Marije Rook)
This golden Aerostorm is constructed with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset with a monster 60t entrance aero chainring and an 11-30 cassette. The wheelset consists of a Revolver Wheels 70mm deep Troika Disc Brake tri-spoke entrance wheel and a Shimano branded disc rear wheel. Brown was sporting Continental’s new Aero111 front-specific tyre paired with a Continental GP 5000 within the rear.
Sadly, luck wasn’t on her aspect within the bike’s first outing. Brown suffered a flat tyre through the time trial stage of the Tour de France Femmes and needed to end the race on her spare bike. She misplaced vital time through the bike swap and completed 24 seconds down from stage internal Demi Vollering.
“I felt like I used to be on for one, however unhealthy luck struck once more and sliced my rear tire. The misplaced time altering bikes put me out of competition. Tremendous upset to lose this “golden” alternative,” Brown commented afterward.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Body:
Lapierre Aerostorm
Row 0 – Cell 2
Groupset:
12-speed Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 with a 60t entrance aero chainring and an 11-30 cassette
26mm Continental front-specific Aero 111 tyre paired with Continental Grandprix 5000 within the rear
Row 3 – Cell 2
Laptop
Wahoo
Row 4 – Cell 2
Remco Evenepoel’s Specialised Tarmac Sl8
(Picture credit score: Billy Ceusters)
In Paris, Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel made historical past as the primary male bike owner to attain the Olympic double, successful each the highway race and the time trial on the identical Video games. Earlier than Evenepoel, solely Dutch bike owner Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel had completed this feat, securing each titles on the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
The 24-year-old had already claimed World titles in each disciplines and knew this historic double is also inside attain. Evenepoel began of his Olympic marketing campaign by successful the rain-soaked time trial by simply 15 seconds over Italy’s Filippo Ganna. One week later, he gave one other dominating efficiency to win his second gold medal after ending solo in entrance of the enduring Eiffel Tower.
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(Picture credit score: Billy Ceusters )
(Picture credit score: Billy Ceusters )
(Picture credit score: Billy Ceusters )
(Picture credit score: Billy Ceusters )
To pay tribute to his golden efficiency, Specialised honoured the younger celebrity with the blingiest paint job of the bunch: a gold-leafed Tarmac SL8. Painted by Colour Monkey in Belgium, the SL8 is simply the primary of the commemorative bikes Evenepoel will obtain. Specialised tells Biking Weekly that it “undoubtedly has some enjoyable stuff forward” for Evenepoel’s TT bike and gear, however we might not see that till we close to the World Championships, the place the Belgian goals to defend his time trial title.
