34th birthday present colour matches his Chevy Camaro
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Specialized showed us the Chevy Camaro-inspired Tarmac SL4 on the promise we wouldn’t publish the photos until Sylvain Chavanel’s birthday (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
QR skewers, chainrings and a front derailleur make it into the intricate motif on the top tube(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The remainder of the bike – including the S-Works Romin saddle – is a standard build(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The contrasting bike parts motif becomes even more intricate on the chainstays and forks(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Sylvain Chavanel, who successfully defended his French national TT title earlier this month, chose the vibrant orange to match his Camaro, which can get to 0-100kmh in five seconds(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Chavanel has won three Tour de France stages in his career – could this bike carry him to another? (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) celebrated his 34th birthday Sunday, June 30, at the 2013 Tour de France, and Specialized had run him up an eye-catching Tarmac SL4 as a present.
The bike – which has been kept under wraps until Sunday's 156km stage from Bastia to Ajaccio – takes its flouro orange hue from the French former national road race champion’s American muscle car, a Chevrolet Camaro. On the top tube and inside the seatstays, a bike parts motif has been incorporated into the design.
The special edition bike is part of a Specialized programme celebrating some of the top pro riders who have a strong association with the American company, including Chavanel’s teammate Mark Cavendish’s custom Venge and a new bike for Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff Bank).
A limited run of just 50 the Chavanel special will be released later this month but only in France. Prices are to be announced.
It’s not the first time Chavanel has ridden bike with a striking paint job at the Tour. Early in the 2010 race he rode a yellow-and-green Eddy Merckx to celebrate a short but simultaneous tenure in the two jersey colours.
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Sam started as a trainee reporter on daily newspapers in the UK before moving to South Africa where he contributed to national cycling magazine Ride for three years. After moving back to the UK he joined Procycling as a staff writer in November 2010.
