Lars Boom’s Specialized S-Works Tarmac(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Lars Boom will make his Astana debut at the Tour Down Under(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Slightly disappointingly, the Dutch superstar’s name is actually pronounced 'Bom'(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
The new Specialized S-Works Tarmac has been designed as an all-round road bike, yet borrows aero design cues from the Venge(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
The new Specialized S-Works Tarmac features a neat integrated seat clamp(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Rarely seen in the WorldTour, Boom rides 44cm alloy handlebars(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
As a sponsored team, Astana uses the SRM power meter spider with Specialized S-Works cranks. 135 BCD Campagnolo chainrings finish the assembly(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
The Campagnolo Super Record rear derailleur shifts along a 12-29T block(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Slippery shapes for the S-Works Tarmac(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
A closer look at the Astana Pro Team paint scheme(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Tacx Tao cages keep care of hydration(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Astana is the only team in the WorldTour to be rolling on Corima wheels(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Specialized S-Works FACT carbon cranks spin on CeramicSpeed bearings(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Despite his height, Boom rides a 56cm frame size. A long 130mm stem and plenty of saddle setback gives him the reach he needs(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
First seen on Lars Boom's bike, the stub-nose Specialized Power saddle(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Lars Boom is a former cyclocross and time trial world champion (under 23), and consistently proves himself to be a rider to watch. With the classics season approaching, Boom will no doubt be eager to take to the cobbles with the speed and skill that won him the fifth stage of the 2014 Tour de France.
For 2015, and the first time in his professional cycling career, Boom leaves the Dutch Radobank-come-Belkin squad to join the Astana Pro Team, alongside the likes of last year's Tour de France winner Vicenzo Nibali.
Boom joins Astana for 2015
With a new team comes a new bike and with three WorldTour teams on Specialized for 2015, Boom's S-Works Tarmac is undoubtedly the most common bike in the peloton.
Where the Specialized bikes of Etixx-Quickstep and Tinkoff-Saxo are quite similar, the Astana team bikes differentiate themselves with colourful paint, Campagnolo groupsets and Corima wheels. Astana is the only WorldTour team to use Corrima wheels.
As seen at the Tour Down Under in January, Boom's Specialized S-Works Tarmac features a Campagnolo Super Record 11-speed groupset. While electronic groupsets are the most common choice in the WorldTour, the Dutch rider sticks with the mechanical version of the Italian brand's luxurious group.
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SRM power meter meets Specialized S-Works cranks
The groupset is not entirely Campagnolo, however – the eagle-eyed among you will have spotted the equally desirable SRM Specialized S-Works crank – a carbon-arm BB30-compatabile crankset that uses a Hirth coupling joint similar to that of Campagnolo's Ultra Torque.
The 53/39T Campagnolo chainrings meet a relatively enormous 12-29T cassette.
These Corima wheels are claimed to weigh 1230g for the pair
Wrapped in Specialized tubulars, the French-made Corima S+ wheels feature 47mm deep carbon rims and use thin and super light Sapim CX-Ray bladed spokes. Sponsored by CeramicSpeed, sealed ceramic bearings feature in the hubs and bottom bracket.
Towering at 1.91m (6ft 3in) and weighing just 72 kg (158.4lb), Boom is certainly of a lanky build. Despite this and his time trial prowess, his cyclocross background still shows in his setup – spot the 44cm handlebar from FSA.
This prototype saddle from Specialized looks to be a new competitor to the nose-less ISM saddles
We reported on the near nose-less Specialized Power saddle earlier this week. The saddle is an usual shape compared to the traditionally shaped saddles on nearly every other rider's bike. This shortened saddle means Boom's setback measurement is an unusually massive 136mm, despite his actual position being rather standard.
Complete bike specifications Frame: Specialized S-Works Tarmac – size 56cm Fork: Specialized S-Works Tarmac carbon Headset: Tapered sealed Stem: FSA OS-98, 130mm x -6 degrees Handlebar: FSA Omega Compact, 44cm (c-c) Tape: Specialized S-Wrap Roubaix Front brake: Campagnolo Super Record Rear brake: Campagnolo Super Record Brake levers: Campagnolo Super Record Front derailleur: Campagnolo Super Record Rear derailleur: Campagnolo Super Record Shift levers: Campagnolo Super Record Cassette: Campagnolo Super Record, 12-29T Chain: Campagnolo Record Crankset: SRM Specialized S-Works, 175mm, Campagnolo 53/39T chainrings Bottom bracket: CeramicSpeed Pedals: Look Keo Blade 2 CroMo Wheelset: Corima 47mm S+ tubular Front tyre: Specialized Turbo tubular, 24mm Rear tyre: Specialized Turbo tubular, 24mm Saddle: Specialized S-Works Power – prototype model Seatpost: FSA K-Force SB25 Bottle cages: Tacx Tao (2) Computer: SRM Power Control 7 (not pictured) Accessories: Campagnolo chain catcher, ANT+ speed sensor on front wheel
Critical measurements Rider's height: 1.91m (6ft 3in) Rider's weight: 72 kg (158.4lb) Saddle height from BB, c-t: 810mm Saddle setback: 136mm Seat tube length (c-t): 501mm Tip of saddle to center of bar: 660mm Saddle-to-bar drop: 130mm Head tube length: 160mm Top tube length (effective): 565mm Total bicycle weight: 7.16kg (15.75lb) without SRM computer)
