Specialized's race to get the bike on display and maximise the marketing opportunity
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Julian Alaphilippe's S-Works Tarmac in the wake of his Worlds title defence(Image credit: Etienne Schoeman)
He'll keep the number one for Wollongong 2022(Image credit: Etienne Schoeman)
It comes complete with Shimano's Dura-Ace R9170 Di2 groupset(Image credit: Etienne Schoeman)
So soon after the race, the bike came with all the spit and grit that comes as part of winning(Image credit: Etienne Schoeman)
It's also still got an energy bar wrapper stuffed into the saddle(Image credit: Etienne Schoeman)
And pools of dried sweat on the top tube(Image credit: Etienne Schoeman)
The bike, complete with sweat and saliva on the head tube, was shod with clincher tyres(Image credit: Etienne Schoeman)
Looking at them up close, it appears the Frenchman had a bit of contact during the race(Image credit: Etienne Schoeman)
As one of the most prestigious crowns in the road cycling calendar, the UCI Road World Championships comes with an enormity of marketing potential for sponsors. Specialized knows this all too well, having capitalised on previous successes with custom paint jobs and limited-edition collaborations, so when Julian Alaphilippe stormed to a second consecutive title in the elite men's road race in Leuven on Sunday, the Specialized team set to work.
With the sheer quantity of spectators in Leuven at the time of Alaphilippe's victory, there would be no better opportunity to show off the winner's bike than in the minutes following the event. So in the wake of Alaphilippe's title defence, another race was just beginning, as the brand wanted to bring the winning bike back to its 'Experience Centre' in Leuven.
With Alaphilippe looking a dead certainty for victory with 3km to go, Leo Menville, road team liaison within Specialized's S-Racing team, set off from the Experience Centre and ran more than 2km across Leuven to the race's official podium.
However, while Menville and Alaphilippe's trade team mechanics are on first name terms, Alaphilippe was in Leuven representing his country so Menville's usual freedom of access was removed. Menville had no contacts within the French federation, so had already sent a text message to his contacts at Deceuninck-QuickStep, asking that they contact the French mechanics to request they hand over Alaphilippe's bike on his arrival, but just as a mechanic was about to release the bike, another stepped in and cancelled the handover.
To try to overturn this situation, Menville then made a call to Alaphilippe's agent with the same request, pleading that they call the French federation, explain that he is a Specialized S-Racing liaison and allow him to take the bike. A short while later and the good news was in, he had the bike.
However, the next step was getting the bike – the second most recognisable thing in Leuven behind Alaphilippe himself – 2km back across Leuven, through the biggest crowds the city has seen in years, with many of the city's roads still closed. With that, Menville chose speed over stealth, found one of the newly opened roads and jumped aboard the bike, riding it the distance back.
Shortly after, with the bike safely in the four walls of Specialized's store, still covered in sweat, saliva and dust from the Belgian roads, it was on its way out again. The destination: a quiet side street that would set the backdrop of the photos you see here.
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The bike, only differing from that which he's used throughout the 2021 season by way of the colour scheme, is a melting pot of top-tier tech complete with Dura-Ace Di2, Roval Rapide CLX wheels and Turbo Cotton clincher tyres. The only new addition comes in the form of an energy bar wrapper, still hastily stuffed beneath the saddle.
Scroll through the photos above for a more detailed look at the Road World Championships title defending bike.
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.
