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Gonzalez and Frigo's special Giro time-trial bike
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By Paul Mirtschin
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For the two time-trials of the Giro d'Italia, Pinarello rolled out an all-new frame designed to put Fassa Bortolo riders Dario Frigo and Aitor Gonzalez where they want to be: on the podium.
The Treviso based company has a long history of amazing time-trial specific frames, having supplied the "Espada" frame for Miguel Indurain's hour record attempt in 1994 where he set a distance of 53.040km. Indurain also used a road version of that frame in time-trials over the next two years.
Pinarello continued to produce time-trial specific frames until new UCI rules were introduced in 2000 that stopped the use of these bikes.
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A few years down the track, and a few more changes to the UCI rules, and Pinarello have rolled out yet another time-trial specific frame, the Montello. The new monocoque frame, supplied to both Frigo and Gonzalez, is designed to be used both in time trials and on the track. The frame was conceived following the new UCI rules which required a triangular structure with tolerances based on the thickness of the elements which make up the frame's triangle.
By running right to the edge of the UCI's rules, the engineers at Pinarello have been able to produce a bike that they feel cover almost 70% of the advantages of the old frames, designed before the change in the rules.
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The frames extreme aerodynamic shape and elevated rigidity comes about by carefully designing the profile of the tubes and the positioning of the components. The rear brake is placed behind the bottom bracket shell to increase the aerodynamic flow above, instead of its normal position on top of the seat-stays were it would be more exposed and disrupt airflow.
As is Pinarello's long-standing tradition, the aerodynamic qualities of the frame are continually tested and proved both in wind tunnel and on the road. The frame used by Dario Frigo and Aitor Gonzalez weighs between 1.200kg/1.350kg respectively and is equipped with Shark Pinarello Full Carbon forks made from very light and very rigid carbon fibre.
The two frames are equipped with Campagnolo Record 10 speed groups, Mavic Cosmic Carbon SSC wheels, Vittoria Crono tubulars, Deda Elementi Aero Blue bars, Selle Italia saddle, Look pedals and an Elite carbon bottle cage.
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