Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe made it two rainbow jerseys in a row when he soloed to victory in the UCI men’s Road World Championship in Flanders. He did so in typical Alaphilippe style, attacking the lead group after an incredible day’s racing, which led many to say it was their highlight of the year so far. He did it all atop the fastest bike in the world, our S-Works Tarmac SL7, once again demonstrating the bike’s superiority.
No doubt, just like former world champion Anna van der Breggen, the defending champion will also have a uniquely designed frame for his first race in the (new) stripes.
As well as Alaphilippe, Specialized athlete and young Belgian star Remco Evenepoel lit up the racing on Sunday after taking a bronze in the elite men’s time trial the weekend before.
Caked in Flanders dust and debris, Alaphilippe’s S-Works Tarmac SL7 helped him push to the finish line after his decisive attack. The biggest difference between this year’s bike and the SL7 he won with last year was his decision to run clincher tyres, in particular, Specialized Turbo Cottons. These seem to be making a resurgence in the pro peloton, as they are renowned for their reliability compared to other types of tyres. The Specialized Turbo Cottons offer superior grip and minimal rolling resistance – just what a world champion wants and deserves on his bike.
The classy black paint job was complemented by his white liveried carbon Roval wheels and a Dura-Ace Di2 9170 groupset. For his saddle, Alaphilippe used a Specialized Romin Evo, one of our carbon-railed offerings which features a carefully placed cut out to ease pressure on delicate areas while riding. This allowed Alaphilippe to adopt an aerodynamic riding position and slice his way through the air as he soloed to victory. The bike also featured a few neat personal additions, like the Wolfpack logo on the top tube, a nod to his team, Deceuninck-QuickStep.
You too can ride like Alaphilippe on your very own S-Works Tarmac SL7. Using our FreeFoil Shape Library, we were able to construct an all-new Rider-First Engineered frame that combines aerodynamics and weight saving. This means that the bike performs equally as well whether you are dancing in the pedals on a climb, going knee-down around an alpine hairpin or battling headwinds on the flat plains. The bike comes with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset with power meter and CLX Rapide wheels from Roval that complement the rest of the build perfectly. You can choose to ride the bike equipped with SRAM RED eTap AXS or Specialized components. Whatever build you prefer, the Tarmac SL7 will make you a speedier rider.
Like so many of our Specialized athletes in Flanders over the past week, Alaphilippe sought the aerodynamic benefits of the S-Works Evade W Angi. A revolutionary lid, the Evade’s lightweight but aerodynamic construction makes it the ideal helmet for the world’s best bike rider.
Alaphilippe rode to victory in Leuven wearing a fresh pair of S-Works Ares Road Shoes. They’re our most efficient power-based shoes ever, combining Body Geometry technologies with athlete insight to create the perfect racing kit. They maximise the rider’s speed by utilising an ultra-stiff FACT Powerline carbon sole. Not only that but foot roll is also eliminated and pressure on the tendons is reduced thanks to the sole. As a result, every watt is transferred into the pedals for maximum power output. The Ares is 1% quicker than any other shoe we have created and that was certainly on display in Belgium last Sunday.
