Update: The new Specialized Aethos launched on the 8th of October. Read our Specialized Aethos review. Original article continues below.
Peter Sagan and Daniel Oss both posted pictures of an as-yet-unreleased Specialized bike on social media just hours after the finish of stage 18 of the Tour de France.
In the first of a four-photo post, Oss is seen with a matte black bike that follows traditional frame shape designs. The bike foregoes the modern trend of dropped seat stays and integrated cockpits but does retain the stopping power of disc brakes.
Only on the second of the four photos does the brand become clear, as a gold Specialized 'S' logo features on the head tube. In the third photo, Oss is seen holding the bike aloft, a pose that likely suggests the bike is light in weight.
Captioning the post, Oss states "Man, the TDF is good, but, I can’t wait to break the rules a bit and #JustRide on my new machine after all the racing is done. I love that Specialized is all about the ride! (Also, Peter, please don’t touch!) Always more to come. #breaktherules"
The posts suggest that the messages were an intentional play by Specialized, who have a history of leaking their own products, such as when they leaked the Tarmac SL7 via their Ride App. Oss' inclusion of 'break the rules' further suggests the bike will be light in weight. We know from our Specialized Tarmac SL7 review that it can easily hit the UCI limit of 6.8kg, so if the new bike is lighter again, it would undoubtedly be illegal in UCI competition.
Peter Sagan subsequently reposted Oss' Instagram post, although he forewent the opportunity to respond to Oss' 'do not touch' instruction.
No name is given for the apparent new model, although the comments seem to suggest it will be called Aethos, even though Specialized added - and then removed - the 'Vaunt' to the UCI list of approved frames and forks. Looking at the list, neither Vaunt nor Aethos is present currently.
Like the name, no launch date is given either, but again, commenters suggest the bike is coming on the 22nd September, two days after the Tour de France wraps up in Paris.
As ever, Cyclingnews will have the full details as soon as the launch takes place.
