Bikes Of The Giro d’Italia
By: Zdenko Kahlina 

I thought it would be interesting to show you bikes used at this year Giro d’Italia. I put together a gallery of the bikes currently in use at the Giro d’Italia. We’ll keep adding bikes throughout the race, so check back often to see more pictures of these awesome machines. 

To kick things off, here’s Fabian Cancellara’s new Specialized time trial bike:

Next are the Focus time trial bikes used by Milram:

Their tension-disc wheels have a web of flexible carbon spokes covered by a tight, thin skin. The brand name (Lightweight) says it all:

Eight Cervélo riders, including Carlos Sastre, used the already proven Cervélo P3. The only rider on the new Cervélo P4 TT bike was Lithuanian national time trial champion Ignatas Konovalovas.

Pro bike: Carlos Sastre’s Cervélo TestTeam Cervélo S3

As a former CSC rider, Sastre was familiar with Cervélo frames. He moved to the team of Bjarne Riis for the 2002 season and has ridden the technology-intensive bikes ever since CSC switched to them the following year. Unlike other riders on the team, though, Sastre has always opted for frames with standard profile tubes rather than more aerodynamic ones such as the Soloist and the SLC-SL, starting with the prototype Cervélo R2.5 – the company’s first all-carbon frame – all the way through to the latest R3-SL.

Sastre had cited the R3-SL’s lighter weight (approximately 150g lighter than the SLC-SL), slightly snappier acceleration and easier handling characteristics in wind to explain his preference, which was also sometimes shared by the Schleck brothers last season. However, this year he’s finally made the move to the SLC-SL’s successor, the S3, and is finally on aero tubing.

For Garmin-Slipstream, only David Zabriskie is using Dura-Ace 7970 electronic derailleurs, which are on both his road and time trial bikes:

 Danilo Di Luca has a new De Rosa King 3 RS at this year’s Giro that is supposedly 15 percent lighter and 18 percent stiffer than the current King 3 by virtue of an upgraded carbon fiber mix and new lay-up schedule.:

Michele Scarponi has a custom paint job on his Guerciotti:

Not to be outdone, fellow Italian Gilberto Simoni went custom as well:

And Silence-Lotto’s Jonas Ljungblad got a customized paint job to celebrate his Swedish national championship:

A fleet of Saxo Bank Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL2s ready for the day’s events:

Pro bike: Ivan Basso’s Cannondale Slice Hi-Mod Giro d’Italia

Basso’s new machine sheds over 0.5kg and is now a much more reasonable 8.34kg (18.39lb).  The biggest chunk is lost in the crankset, which has swapped from the previous SRM solid-machined aluminium boat anchor and threaded Shimano Octalink bottom bracket - not to mention the requisite shell adapter - to a more svelte Vision Trimax Carbon aero unit complete with a proper BB30 shell and bearings.

Ivan Basso’s Cannondale looks sharp:

Lance Armstrong’s Astana Trek Madone, road bike:

Pro bike: Filippo Pozzato’s Katusha Ridley Damocles Pi

Filippo Pozzato (Katusha) came oh-so-close to victory in this month’s stunning Paris-Roubaix finale, desperately chasing - but not quite able to catch - a fleeing Tom Boonen (Quick Step) after a dramatic series of late crashes found the Belgian star soloing into the Roubaix velodrome for victory for a third time.

Still, Pozzato’s second place finish was a superb result for the new Katusha team along with their Belgian sponsor, Ridley, who built a special Damocles Pi just for the Italian rider. Unlike some other custom machines in the Paris-Roubaix peloton that typically sported generous tyre clearances, longer wheelbases and the like, this was no dedicated cobbles bike.