A fifth year as reigning Olympic champion meets fitting tribute on the brand that started it all - BMC
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Van Avermaet aboard his new golden BMC Teammachine(Image credit: Getty Images)
Van Avermaet's bike follows similar design cues to the rest of the team's bikes(Image credit: Getty Images)
The Olympic gold theme covers the one-piece bar-stem and the top tube(Image credit: Getty Images)
From the front, the gold is subtle but easily distinguishable (Image credit: Getty Images)
The stylised GVA initials feature on the top tube(Image credit: Getty Images)
As if the paintjob wasn't enough, a nametag serves as a reminder of the bike's owner(Image credit: Getty Images)
Cables are routed completely internally, and an integrated computer mount is keeps the cockpit neat and tidy(Image credit: Getty Images)
The Belgian is also given gold bands on the sleeves of his new team jersey, and continues to wear gold-accented Rocket7 shoes(Image credit: Getty Images)
Of the many events postponed or cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics will certainly be remembered as one of the highest-profile.
With the Games delayed by a year, Greg Van Avermaet enters an unexpected fifth season as reigning Olympic road race champion and is continuing with the custom gold theme for a few more - perhaps final - months.
With the CCC Team's demise being another casualty of the pandemic, Van Avermaet recently joined French outfit AG2R Citroën Team. A likely-coincidental sponsorship change led the team to swap their Eddy Merckx bikes in favour of BMC and as a result, Van Avermaet returns full-circle to the brand he rode to his 2016 success.
Custom bikes for reigning champions is a common sight in today's WorldTour. The Champs-Élysées on the final day of the Tour de France will be resplendent in yellow, green and polka dots as sponsors look to celebrate their jersey wearers' wins, and both Julian Alaphilippe and Anna van der Breggen are both riding on rainbows thanks to their World Championship successes.
Since 2016, Greg Van Avermaet has taken the Olympic gold theme in his stride, and is regularly seen wearing gold Oakleys, helmets and shoes whilst aboard entirely gold bikes. With his return to BMC, the Swiss brand has been able to provide the Belgian with a fitting tribute to his 2016 success, a custom-painted gold Teammachine SLR01.
Unlike the entirely gold BMC he was given in late 2016 and his similarly-bling 2020 Giant TCR, Van Avermaet's latest bike is a touch more understated. Predominantly white, the accent colour of the handlebars and top tube is given the gold treatment, resulting in a bike with a golden touch that's enough, but not too much. The GVA stylised logo features near the front of the top tube, and the bike's 'SLR01' model name is finished in the same golden accent.
Aside from the paint, the rest of the bike remains standard team issue, with Campagnolo providing its Super Record EPS groupset and Shamal wheels. Tyres are tubeless and come from Pirelli, while pedals come from Look.
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The majority of the finishing kit is proprietary to the BMC Teammachine, including the one-piece bar-stem combo and the D-shaped seatpost, and the saddle comes is from Italian outfit, Fizik.
Josh is Associate Editor of Cyclingnews – leading our content on the best bikes, kit and the latest breaking tech stories from the pro peloton. He has been with us since the summer of 2019 and throughout that time he's covered everything from buyer's guides and deals to the latest tech news and reviews.
On the bike, Josh has been riding and racing for over 15 years. He started out racing cross country in his teens back when 26-inch wheels and triple chainsets were still mainstream, but he found favour in road racing in his early 20s, racing at a local and national level for Somerset-based Team Tor 2000. These days he rides indoors for convenience and fitness, and outdoors for fun on road, gravel, 'cross and cross-country bikes, the latter usually with his two dogs in tow.
