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Bikes of the Giro: Zoncolan
By Tim Maloney and Paul Mirtschin
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A stage that starts at sea-level and finishes at 1730 meters is considered hard by most people, but when the final 13.3 kilometers rise 1196 meters, you can expect even the fittest and strongest to be in pain.
And that is what happened on the 12 stage of the Giro d'Italia, a stage that finished atop the dreaded Monte Zoncolan. A stage this hard is brutal on both man and machine, so it was no wonder that mechanics were busy making changes to bikes in an attempt to make the final climb as easy as possible.
Cyclingnews European editor Tim Maloney took a wander around the pits to see what equipment was being prepped for the assault on Zoncolan.
Michele Scarponi's Specialized E5
According to Specialized, the frame of Domina Vacanze's climber Michele Scarponi's Specialized E5 team bike is polished and not painted to reduce weight, which is claimed to be 7.2 kg for the complete bike.
Michele has carbon fibre tubular wheels, a 39 x 28 low gear ratio, and a new fork from Specialized that is 80grams lighter than previous models.
Gilberto "Spider" Simoni's Saeco Cannondale CAAD 7 team bike
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Custom made for Simoni, his rig sports Cannondale's Hollowgram crankset, Time carbon fork, Cinelli carbon handlebars and seatpost, Mavic Ksyrium clincher wheels and the new Fi'zi:k Airone saddle.
You will not often see a pro rider with touring gears, but Simoni needed his 38 x 28 to get up the steep last 3km of Monte Zoncolan. Note unique shape of new Fi'zi:k Airone saddle.
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Dario Frigo's Fassa Bortolo Pinarello Dogma
Frigo, Aitor Gonzalez and Alessandro Petacchi got new Dogma's just for the Giro d'Italia; note the different colour scheme than the Fassa Bortolo team bikes. The Dogma uses tubes made of a special Magnesium Ak 61 double butted alloy tubing that's exclusive to Pinarello. Frigo gets Campagnolo carbon fibre cranks as well.
The gearing is 39 x 30 (probably a Marchisio cluster, as Campagnolo only goes to 29), Onda carbon fibre seat stays and a single Elite carbon fibre bottle holder.
Marco Pantani's Mercantone Uno Carrera Icaro
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This is a special lightweight sloping model built just for Pantani out of U2 tubing. Pantani is faithful to his Selle Italia Flite saddle and team sponsor ITM has equipped this rig with their Millennium bars and stem. Pantani is using the new Shimano pedals, but looks like the Japanese forgot to make sure that Italy's most popular rider was equipped with the new Dura-Ace 10speed group.
Panta's team wrench Roberto Mora mounted super light carbon fibre tubular wheels and a 39 x 28 for the difficult final 3km up Monte Zoncolan.
Yaroslav Popovych's Colnago C-40 High Power
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Note the Campagnolo carbon fibre cranks; Popo like the same Selle Sam Marco saddle as Lance Armstrong (note forward saddle position for the ex-track rider) and only one water bottle carrier for weight savings.
Ernesto Colnago told Cyclingnews "Popovych's bike is a special lightweight model made from a new type of carbon fibre that saves about 200grams."
Popo's team mechanic Yuri used a 39 x 30 combo for the talented Ukrainian rider to climb Monte Zoncolan.
Photos
Images by Tim Maloney/Cyclingnews
- The advance guard on the road to Monte Zoncolan.
- Dario Frigo's Fassa Bortolo Pinarello Dogma team bike
- A closer look at Frigo's Pinarello Dogma
- Marco Pantani's Mercantone Uno Carrera Icaro team bike
- Pantani's Carrera Icaro up close
- Yaroslav Popovych's Colnago C-40 High Power
- Popo's team mechanic Yuri used a 39 x 30 combo for the talented Ukrainian rider to climb Monte Zoncolan
- Domina Vacanze's climber Michele Scarponi's Specialized E5 team bike
- Gilberto "Spider" Simoni's Saeco Cannondale CAAD 7
- Simoni's Saeco Cannondale CAAD 7 up close
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