Custom metal flake rainbow paint for the world champ
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The custom-painted Specialized S-Works Venge ViAS of world champion Peter Sagan(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2 is so reliable there is hardy a need anymore, but the K-Edge chain catcher probably provides some peace of mind(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
But you can't buy these(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
Sagan's KeO pedals are almost stock(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
You have your own logo, too, right?(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
Specialized's Roval hubs roll on ceramic bearings(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
Sagan's SRM mount fits onto the stem face mount(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
With the exceptions of the saddle, pedals and component group, Specialized has the Tinkoff bikes covered tip to tail(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
Some riders slide back and forth on their saddle. Sagan has also been known to sit on the top tube for high-speed descents(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
Tinkoff is on Shimano and SRM for 2016(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
The front caliper acts as a fairing, extending the profile of the fork horizontally(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
As with the Trek Madone, the Venge features its own custom brake calipers(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
The Venge pushes right up against the UCI's 3:1 dimension rule(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
The Slovakian rider has always had his own style. Now he has a unique world champ paint scheme to match(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
Specialized's Ron Jones did the metal flake paint job(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
The Di2 wiring and brake cabling run through the long stem and into the frame(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
It will be curious to see whether Sagan leaves the broad tops unwrapped, as the aero engineers prefer, or will have them taped, like Cavendish did last year(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
The names of former world champions are subtley included(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
Sagan will continue to bring the bling in 2016(Image credit: Brakethrough Media)
Tinkoff's world champion Peter Sagan will continue to bring the bling in 2016, thanks in part to the unique paint work done by Ron Jones on his new Specialized S-Works Venge ViAS.
With the elongated tube shapes of the aero bike offering a wide canvas, Specialized lead performance road graphic designer Jones assimilated a few motifs: the world champion's rainbow, the Slovakian flag, the names of all the men's road world champions — yes, including Lance Armstrong — and a camouflage pattern.
"The finish uses PPG's Prizmatique to create the rainbow effect in the paint," Jones told BikeRadar. "The camo also transitions from world champ colors to the Slovak flag colors with the cross from the flag positioned through the frame graphic."
Specialized rolled out the ViAS last year as a substantial, multi-year reworking of the California company's original Venge aero bike. In the pursuit of lower aero drag, Specialized engineers streamlined everything they could, tucking the Di2 shift wires and brake cables into the stem before routing them through the frame, and building proprietary brake calipers that sit inline behind the fork legs and down tube.
Jones collaborated with Sagan for the first camo bike Specialized did for him last year. "For the world champs I wanted to surprise him with something really cool and unique," Jones said. "I worked with another road designer name Rodney Hines to develop the shapes and I then applied the camo pattern and other details to the frame. We pulled it together from blank slate to delivering the Tarmac frame to Peter in about one week. The Venge had a slightly longer lead time so I was able to tweak the design a little further to allow it to fit the Venge’s unique tube shapes."
Sagan rode a Specialized S-Works Tarmac to his world championship title in Virginia, attacking over the final hill and crouching down on the top tube for maximum aero advantage on the descent. Specialized is hoping to see many more Saga victories in 2016 — this time aboard this glittery ViAS.
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Cyclingnews' readers recently picked Sagan as the Rider of the Year, and the popular champion sent the video below to thank everyone for the honour.
We have also featured this bike in our Peter Sagan's bike archive in an overview of all the Slovak's race machines over the years.
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