A new season brings new opportunities, new objectives and new teams into the world of pro cycling, and this year is no different. 2016 saw the end of two top-tier teams in IAM Cycling and Specialized supported Tinkoff, causing a major reshuffle, not only in team rosters, but also in equipment sponsors. In 2017, Specialized has a renewed focus with just two teams to concentrate on in the incumbent Quickstep Floors team of Marcel Kittel and Tom Boonen, and Peter Sagan’s new home at Bora-Hansgrohe.
The World Champion and his new team are introducing some freshness to the peloton this year with minty green flashes of colour on their otherwise black kit and bikes. It is a new start for Bora, the German-registered team which has made the step up to the World Tour ranks for this season. It is also a new start for many of the riders who have left old teams in search of pastures new.
The squad is stronger than ever before with plenty of options for one-day races, sprints and general classification hopes. Rafal Majka moves out of the shadow of Alberto Contador to lead the team in the hunt for stage race victories with Leopold Konig’s transfer from Team Sky helping strengthen things in that respect. Alongside Peter Sagan in his quest for classics and sprint stages is Irishman Sam Bennett, who will balance his own goals with his new support role for the world champion. One thing’s for sure, this is a team which can certainly be counted on to be visible at the pointy end of racing throughout the season.
A world-beating bike
Such a team needs only the best tools they can get their hands on, and with their riders on world-conquering S-Works frames from Specialized, they’re already leading the bunch. While the weapon of choice for the fast men competing for the sprints will be the reigning world champion, the Venge Vias, it’s likely that every rider on the team will have a Tarmac in their arsenal as it is the best all-round bike for elite level competition. All Bora’s bikes are equipped with super-fast Roval wheels and Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 fitted with the 4iiii Precision Pro dual-sided power meters.
The S-Works Tarmac is a true thoroughbred of bike racing and perhaps the most recognisable model in the peloton. It has been ridden to countless stage victories and grand tour titles in recent years and its winning streak shows no sign of diminishing. Throughout the Tarmac model range, mid/entry-level to pro team, the geometry is designed specifically for winning races, resulting in a machine which is so responsive and quick that it feels like cheating. Konig and Majka are sharing the responsibility for general classification leadership this year and both will be hoping to ride the Tarmac into the history books.
The first major outing for the team was at the Tour Down Under in mid-January, where Jay McCarthy pedalled his Tarmac aggressively onto the third step of the podium behind overall winner Richie Porte. It was Sam Bennett though, who took the team’s maiden victory at the Race Melbourne criterium the weekend after, following several near misses at the TDU. It’s sure to be the first of many wins for Bora-Hansgrohe, Specialized and the S-Works Tarmac.
We’ll be stocking a limited number of these stunning machines, so if you want to emulate the likes of Sagan, Majka and Bennett – now you can!
