No Excuses

"I'm too tired"

I've been thinking about this statement a lot lately.  Not really because of the coming winter (though the thought of hibernation is appealing); not because I've been looking for an excuse to hide behind for not writing in months.  Not even because of a recent 42 hour travel extravaganza that took me to 3 continents in 2 days.  Nope!  I've been thinking about this statement because i think it might be bull****.  At the very least I have a new found appreciation for what it might take to get there.  

I can't remember how many times I've skipped a workout, or passed on a night-ride, or a even skipped out on a beer amongst friends in favor of dropping that excuse.  But, what if those 3 words weren't part of my vocabulary?  What might I have achieved?  Experienced?  Seen?  And what if the greatest difference between those who "do," and those who "do not" rests in the use of that phrase?  What if the greatest moment of  life, or key to  success, or the difference between good and great is rooted in the moment before a decision to use or not use those 3 words?

Last week at Trek we were paid a visit by Car Racing legend Tony Kanaan.  Turns out he's an avid cyclist, and triathlete, in addition to being one the top Indy Car racers in the world.  After spending the day with Tony delivering him of the most bitchin' Speed Concepts you'll ever see, a couple of things became utterly clear. 

The first of these is that boundless energy barely describes Tony Kanaan.  He's like a walking can of Redbull moving from one thing to the next demanding enthusiasm to follow at his heals.  It's easy to see how he can drive at 200 miles per hour and make life-altering decisions in the time it takes the rest of us to blink.  It's a function of un-bounding energy and a commitment to never let it ebb.  And this level of energy is contagious.  One cannot spend any appreciable time with Tony Kanaan and not begin to feel energized themselves.  The second, is that the secret to Tony's success is not unique to him.  Rather its a theme that reappears in every athlete I've had the great pleasure to work with.  Chris Lieto, Julie Dibens, Lance Armstrong, you simply would never hear them drop an offhand excuse like, "I'm too tired."

This hit me during Tony's visit like 800 Horsepower at 16000 rpm.     

"Are you doing an Ironman this year?" Tony asked me.

"Well...uh....I've been travelling a lot, and it's made training really hard." my response

"No EXCUSE, I travel 270 days a year.  Everywhere you go you can bring your running shoes, or swimming gear, or rent a bike, so are you?"

Me again "Well...I work quite a lot....really long hours, tough to get the best out of the body.."

Tony:  "No Excuse.  If you want to, you can," and he means it, and the conversation is over.   

So, I now ask you, "how many times have you told yourself that you're too tired?"  That you "have too much to do," that "you're just working too hard?"  How many times in that moment of decision have you decided to use that phrase?  I for one have used it too often. 

Tony Kanaan, Race car driver, World traveller, Father, Superstar, Triathlete.  What allows him to be all these things?  Simple, NO EXCUSES.  Tony is an example for us that we can do it if we want to.  That's not to say we are all born with the same level of ability or that we could all be car racing superstars or world class athletes, but we do all have the capacity not to let, "I'm too tired" give us a reason not to try. 

What if the greatest moment of your life is rooted in the moment before a decision to use or not use a single phrase?

What if "no excuses" replaced "I'm too tired?"

Thanks for the visit Tony, and thanks for the motivation.  Perhaps I will have to consider an Ironman this year.  After all, I have no excuses.

Breaking News: Trek K•Swiss Triathlete Chris Lieto to Retire?

After an amazing triathlon career, Chris Lieto says goodbye to the sport he loves in exchange for his other passion. Anyone need a haircut?

The Next Level

Big things are happening in Triathlon in 2010.  This is an amazing group of athletes and we couldn't be more excited about what the season will bring.  Look out Kona, here we come. 

(Madison, WI) (Westlake Village, CA)—Iconic footwear and sportswear brand K•Swiss and Trek Bicycle, the world leader in bicycle technology and innovation, are proud to announce the formation of the 2010 Trek/K•Swiss Triathlon Team. The joint venture between Trek and K•Swiss will be seen as the world’s premier triathlon team, bringing together nine of the world’s top international Ironman and Ironman 70.3 athletes.

The launch of Trek/K•Swiss Triathlon Team underscores both brands’ continuing investment in the finest athletes in the world. With more than 30 years of experience, Trek has proven itself to be the industry’s most forward thinking and innovative manufacturer by continually striving to produce the most technologically advanced bicycles on the planet. K•Swiss has upheld a similar tradition of excellence and ingenuity, expanding from classic tennis footwear to running footwear and apparel designed to enhance the performances of the world-class triathletes they support.

“We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership and what we believe it will bring not just to the athletes but to the entire sport of Triathlon,” said Trek Bicycle Road and Triathlon Brand Manager Nick Howe. “At Trek, we’ve long believed that working with the best athletes in the world is paramount in helping us to provide the absolute best bicycle products available. To have an opportunity to partner with a team of this caliber and to work with a company as committed and innovative as K-Swiss is extremely exciting.”

“Joining with Trek to put together this triathlon team is a very exciting venture for us,” said K•Swiss Sports Marketing Director Erik Vervloet. “Trek has consistently been an industry leader in design and innovation and is always looking to move the needle in delivering the fastest bike available, anywhere. We strive to provide that same relentless focus on innovation in our footwear. Combine this partnership with some of the top triathletes in the world and you have a fantastic team. With the help of our athletes, we want to continue to push the envelope in developing the best triathlon products on the planet. We look forward to working together with Trek and are very proud of the team that we've put together. We believe that the results will speak for themselves.”

The Trek/K•Swiss Team is comprised of two World Champions, a 2^nd place finisher at the 2009 Ironman World Championships, and multiple 70.3 champions.

Elite Team

 

Fraser Cartmell        UK      3x Ironman 70.3 Champion

Julie Dibens             UK      2009 Ironman 70.3 World Champion & 3x XTERRA World  Champion

Joe Gambles            AUS    3x Ironman 70.3 Champion

Heather Jackson       USA    Top Ironman 70.3 athlete

Chris Lieto               USA    3x Ironman Champion & 2^nd  Ironman World Championships (’09)

Matt Lieto                USA    Top 5 Ironman athlete

Paul Mathews           AUS    Ironman 70.3 Champion

Michael Raelert         GER    2009 Ironman 70.3 World Champion

Andrew Yoder          USA    2nd in the Colombia Triathlon in 2009

 

###

About Trek Bicycle:

Trek Bicycle Corporation is a global leader in the design and manufacture of bicycles and bicycling-related products and accessories. From Tour de France-winning road bikes to tricycles designed to introduce the next generation of riders to the possibilities of pedal-power, Trek has a bike for nearly every rider. More than a bike company, Trek is committed to breaking down the barriers that prevent people from using bicycles more often for daily transportation, recreation, and inspiration, believing that the bicycle can be a simple solution to many of the world’s biggest problems, including obesity, traffic congestion, and climate change.

About K•Swiss:

K•Swiss is a publicly traded company founded more than forty years ago in Van Nuys, California. K•Swiss introduced the first all-leather tennis shoe, the K•Swiss "Classic" in 1966. Since its inception K•Swiss has rooted itself in California Sport with an aim to be the most inspiring and innovative sports brand in the market. Today the company offers performance and lifestyle footwear and apparel for several categories under its California Sports umbrella including Tennis Heritage, California Fit (Running, Triathlon and Fitness) and California Youth. For more information about K•Swiss, visit www.kswiss.com.

New Year's Revolution Resolution

Ah, the new year; that wonderful time when we take stock of the past season and look to find ways to offer more in the  year to come (or to find some new excuses to get us on our bikes more, and do other things less).  For the purpose of the little experiment that we call the “UpTheRoad blog” that means taking a good hard look inside, and asking ourselves if we gave it our all 2009.  As the impromptu author of this blog I think the answer is, “we can do better.”  So, after looking hard inside, I’ve decided that my New Year’s Resolution is to offer you more.  To scour the world of Trek Road and Triathlon and find things that might inspire you to ride, to think, to tri, or to do more.  Trek Athlete Chris Lieto recently tweeted that his New Year’s Resolution was to, “Beat Crowie.”  (as an expression of his desire to beat the current Ironman World Champion).  Our product department has resolved to "keep making bikes better," and our Road team has identified a little race in France that they will ride to win.  We are not all cut out to set World Championship goals, but whether your New Year’s resolution is to beat the world champion, to champion the world, or simply to ride more, I wish you all genuine success in 2010.  In my attempt to start the year off by championing my goal to offer more, I think this video is a great place to start.  After all, if a picture is worth a thousand words this thing has to be worth like a million words…..at leastJ. 

Here’s hoping that 2010 sees you spending more time on your bike smiling than you did in 2009.

Thanks for reading (and watching)

Nick

Trek to Sponsor Radio Shack

TREK ANNOUNCES SPONSORSHIP OF RADIOSHACK PRO CYCLING TEAM

It’s official: Team RadioShack to Ride Trek Bicycles Throughout 2010 Season

(Waterloo, WI) — Trek Bicycle confirmed today that it will be the official bike sponsor of the 2010 RadioShack Pro Cycling Team, continuing its relationship with Team Director Johan Bruyneel, 7-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, and 11 other notable riders of the 2009 Astana Team.

“We are excited to fuel the success of our friends at Team RadioShack by providing the most technologically advanced bicycles and components in the world,” noted Trek’s Director of Marketing, Dean Gore. “Our sponsorship of professional athletes has consistently pushed Trek to innovate and produce products which perform at the absolute highest level, and we look forward to continuing these fruitful relationships.”

Trek and Team RadioShack held their first official meetings at a team camp in Tucson, Arizona December 7-12. While at camp, Team RadioShack riders were outfitted with 2010 Trek bicycles and Bontrager gear.

For their training and race rigs, riders received custom-fitted 2010 Trek Madone bicycles. As the latest in a line of bikes that have won 9 of the last 10 Tours de France, the 2010 Trek Madone represents the culmination of over 30 years of bicycle innovation, technology, and refinement. Team Shack riders will also receive Trek’s Prototype 2011 Speed Concept bicycles before gearing up for the Tour Down Under in January.

The newly-formed Team RadioShack Pro Cycling Team will also be riding Bontrager components and accessories throughout the 2010 season, including Bontrager wheels, handlebars, stems, bar tape, bottles, cages, and computers.

Cycling fans are invited to view live team camp photos and receive up-to-the-minute information by following Trek on Twitter and Facebook, as well as signing up for Trek’s monthly eNewsetter.

Fat Cyclist Chases his Dream

Dear Fat Cyclist:

I read your letter  to the coach of that new bicycle racing team Radio Shack, and I was fairly moved.  Now, I believe in dreams too, but the thought of leaving a comfortable, warm cubicle in exchange for the unknown dangers associated with a career in riding bicycles, well that’s just downright crazy.  My friend Dean told me that he once road his bicycle for 100 miles……IN A DAY!  Can you imagine that?  I mean, riding a bike 100 miles?!  And, he said he did it, and I quote, “because it’s fun.”   Well, that was so out there, I decided to look into this whole, “becoming a pro” thing that you talk about it your letter, and I should warn you, it’s not all about media limelight and easy bike rides in the park. 

Apparently, there’s some sort of race in France where they ride as far as my friend Dean did every day for 3 weeks or some nonsensical thing like that.  And apparently they don’t even stop to go to the bathroom.   And there are mountains there too, just so you know.  It’s not all flat, you might even have to get off and walk once in a while, ‘cus some of those suckers are steep.  Oh, and seems that these guys race in all kinds of different countries and in some of them they don’t even speak English!  I’ve even read stories about people crashing.  Some guy named Lance Armstrong even has some sort of Carbon Fiber Collarbone that was made special for him after he broke his so he could ride faster.     

You’re a brave man “Fatty,” a brave man, indeed. 

That said, I would strongly recommend that you stay in the safety of your office where you’re far less likely to hurt yourself.  But, like I said, I believe in dreams, and even if I don’t understand them, I believe that every person is entitled to having his or her own.  In light of that, I asked my friend Dean if he could help.  Apparently, he knows this Lance Armstrong guy, and he says that other people know him too, and might even pay to have a bike jersey with his name signed on it.  He had one that he gave to me, and now I’m giving it to you, so you can achieve your dream.  Here’s the picture.  I hope you can find someone who likes it enough to help you with your dream.  There was also some sort of jersey that his team wore that no one else in the whole world has, so I thought that might be good too.  You should definitely put it on your, website and auction it off to raise money so you can be on that team.

I wish you the very best of luck.   

Nick

Not a One Trick Pony

Julie Dibens: Xterra World Champion + Ironman 70.3 World Champion = Bad Ass

Photo Credit:  Paul Phillips

What is your definition of a bad ass? An athlete who works her ass off to be the best? An athlete who is crowned World Champion? What about an athlete who is crowned World Champion twice?

I don’t think “bad ass” adequately describes Julie Dibens. At the Xterra World Championships she didn’t just win, she broke a world record – she’s the first person ever to win the crown jewel of off-road triathlons three years in a row.

Then a mere three weeks later she rocks the Ironman 70.3 – a race that‘s almost the polar opposite of the Xterra, raced entirely on the asphalt. The two races are so different from one another that they could almost be considered two separate disciplines. The 70.3 ended in another victory. Another World Championship.

Her personal slogan is “Not a One Trick Pony.” And now I know why.

I asked Julie what it feels like to look back on a month most traithletes spend their lives hoping for.

“Geez…where do I start?” she said. “I’m not gonna lie…it’s been a pretty awesome month!”

No kidding!

“My run down the finish shoot [of the Ironman 70.3] was all that you dream about, and one that I will seriously never forget. It was awesome.”

Of the Speed Concept bike she rode in the Ironman race she said, “The bike is fast, plain and simple. I seriously went into that race feeling I had an unfair advantage before we had even pedaled a stroke.”

I told her that everyone here at Trek is so proud of her and honored to be working with her.

“The fact that I know I have a whole team of superstars behind me developing products that are not only made for me, but made for speed - plain and simple - gives me so much confidence,” she said. “I am also having a lot of fun with it all, and seriously am so happy to be working with you all.”

All I can say to that is that the love fest is 150% mutual. It would be hard to articulate how stoked we are that Julie Dibens is a Trek Woman.

One of the last things she said was, “I really just wanted to prove that i'm no one trick pony.”

I don’t think it’s possible for anyone to argue with her on that one.

Natascha, Women's brand manager.

Speed Unleashed

Champions are made through victory.  It’s always impressive to watch an athlete who masters the measure of his/her sport and beats the competition to the line.  In an event like last weekend’s Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, victory means showing the world that you're one of the greatest athletes on the planet.  Multiple disciplines in 100+ Degree heat, for more than 8 grueling hours, clearly make this event one of the top challenges in the sporting world.  And to win defines the victor as a champion. 

It takes more than victory, however, to become a hero.  To be a hero, winning isn’t enough.   To be a hero, you have to capture the imagination of those watching; to go outside the lines of the expected and rise above whatever line might have been pre-ordained.  Being a hero means scoffing in the face of “experts.”  Sometimes it means sacrificing your success for another.  Other times, it means doing something no one else thought was possible.  It’s an expression of oneself on the pitch, or the field, or the road, or the trail, or in the water with such passion and determination that a person looking on is forced to pause, to stare, to take notice that they’re watching something truly extraordinary.  It takes more than a win to fill our hearts with passion, and excitement, and a deeper belief in the human spirit.  It’s that rare individual who isn’t racing against the competition, but against possibility itself that we come to call hero.  It’s that person who looks deep into the eyes of “reality” and says, “come on out chump, we’re gonna have a go,”  It’s the person who isn’t racing to win, but rather to find out what the limits of greatness look like who we call a hero. 

On Saturday, in Kona, the greatest triathletes in world gathered to find out who was the champion.  A 2.4 mile swim and a 112 mile bike ride, followed by a marathon to define the world’s greatest endurance athlete.  

At mile 50 of the bike portion of the race Trek Athlete Chris Lieto took to the front of the race and dared the rest of world’s best Triathletes to hang with him.  He once again proved that he was the fastest cyclist in the sport and quickly built a 6 minute lead on the field and a 12 minute lead on the race favorites.  While the rest of the field jockeyed for position and used the variable speed increases of one another to maintain a blistering pace, Lieto ran alone at the front with only his self-will and pride to keep him in the lead.  While the race favorites raced to see who would win, Lieto did something more.  He raced to see how fast was fast.  He raced to see where the limits of endurance were, not the limits of his competitors.  In the face of the experts who said he could never hold them off, he ran at the front of the hardest race on the planet for 22 miles before being overtaken by the eventual champion and the sport’s top runner Craig Alexander.  It was another 1.5 miles before the champion would eventually pull away.  Again and again the announcers changed their predictions of when he would be caught as he courageously held off the run specialists mile after agonizing mile.  Every self-proclaimed race expert said he would “fade off the podium,” that “he wasn’t a good runner,” but someone forgot to tell Lieto. 

 

On Saturday in Kona, Chris Lieto road away from the best Triathletes in the world and dared them to, “come and get him.”  It took 138.6 miles of a 140.6 mile race, and only the fastest runner the sport has seen for decades could answer that call. 

On Saturday, in Kona, Chris Lieto allowed courage to be his guide and raced, not against the rest of world’s best, but rather against his own personal limits. 

On Saturday, in Kona, Chris Lieto finished second in the world’s hardest race.

On Saturday, in Kona, Craig Alexander became the 2009 Ironman World Champion, but Chris Lieto became something more.

On Saturday in Kona, Chris Lieto became a hero.    

It’s events like these, fueled by performances of the true heroes, those individuals who push the limits of possibility, that fuel us here at Trek to push the limits of bicycle performance.  It’s athletes and performances like Chris’s this weekend in Kona, that make us look at the bicycle and stop saying, how can we be better than our competition, and start saying how good can we really be.  We are constantly reminded by the people who ride our bikes that being a champion can only make you better than your competition; it doesn’t allow you to find the extent of your ability.  It’s the ethereal place beyond that where we will continue to drive.  At Trek we love building bikes for champions, but it’s the heroes that capture our hearts and drive us be as good as we can.

Thanks Chris for another fastest bike split, and for reminding us of the ingredients that make up success.  

Thanks for Reading and remember:

Don't worry about where you're going, just keep riding.

Nick

A Rough Day at the Office

If you’ve been to the tour you have a deep understanding of the extent of the passion that Europeans have for the sport of cycling.  Simply watching crazed 3-days-drunk super-fans chase cyclists up the steepest hills in the Tour doesn’t quite give a sense of the extraordinary numbers reaching to catch even the slightest glimpse of cycling’s superstars.  By example, this year’s queen stage on Mont Ventoux saw the equivalent of the number of people who attended the past 10 Superbowls on a single stretch of 12 miles of road.  And all that for a 2 minute glimpse of the passing whirl of wheels and color or their sporting heroes.  This unbridled passion for the tour begins on day one in whichever European destination city is lucky enough to be chosen for that given year, and lasts for 3 unimaginable weeks.   

This year the mayhem began Monaco.  Tucked between the Mediterranean Ocean and the most amazing set of hills imaginable, Monaco, along with having the highest density of millionaires in the world, is a cyclists dream.  Glorious warm weather year round, very little rain, and a labyrinth of long steep amazing climbs make it a place where cyclists have long spent their offseason preparing for the upcoming season and the chaos that July will bring. 

For many years, just about a 10 minute ride down the road in Nice, Lance Armstrong called this region home while he prepared for his run of tour domination.  It was actually the countless named and unnamed climbs in the South of France that helped create one the greatest champions that the Sporting world has ever know.

Now, for those of you who may be new to cycling, you should know that cyclists in general are obsessed with comparison.   We are constantly testing ourselves.  We test ourselves against the competition, we test ourselves against our friends, heck we even test ourselves against ourselves.  My favorite story of what I like to call Personal Comparison Syndrome (PCS) comes from a good friend, and former professional cyclist who would actually time his morning foray into the “think-tank” to see if he could set a personal record for “expeditious system flushing”…….and he did this for 5 straight years.  Most often though, we choose a ride that we use to compare our fitness from one period of the year to the next.  In Boulder, Colordo, the climb of choice is Flagstaff Mountain from the right hand turn to the amphitheater.  In Tucson, Arizona you may find someone chasing their best time up Mt. Lemon.  And in the South of France, you would find Lance racing up a 12km climb called the Col de la Madone; a climb that he found so important to him that he actually helped name a Trek bike in its likeness.

I tell you all of this, because the proximity of the start of this year’s Tour to this mountain, the much anticipated return of Lance, and the release of the latest model of our flagship bike, the Madone all happened to coincide in Monaco.  So in honor of this, we decided to invite the world’s cycling media there to spend a bit of time with us prior to the Tour, and to test our newest road machine on the climb where it got its name.  The goal was to give them a sense of the “larger than life” Tour experience coupled with the internal testing experience that cycling’s greatest champion had prior to each of his championships.  The result is what you see in the video.  Alas, certain folks have all the funJ.

I would be remiss if I didn’t take a quick minute to thank all of those who made this event happen.  John Wood from Trek Travel (for the amazing support), Ben Harper from K-Swiss (for the coolest clothes ever), the staff at the Vista Palace Hotel, the folks at the Auberge de la Madone and of course all the amazing folks at Trek who worked so hard.  Thanks to all of you.  And, for those of you who watch and who are reading this, thanks to you too. 

Don’t worry about where you’re going, just keep riding,

         

In the beginning…there was Sabreline.

The 2009 season has been an especially busy one for our creative team here at Trek. With the three-time Tour of California Champ, the 2007 Tour de France winner, and the seven-time Tour de France Champ all riding Treks this year, there’s a lot to crow about, and a lot high-profile racing going on. As a bike company that still actually makes bikes right here in the good ol’ USA, we like to do what we do best, which is make bikes. And one of the things we really, really like to do (because we can), is make bikes that reflect the personality of their riders. Riders just like you and me. Plain ol’ folks, if you will. That’s the whole raison d’etre behind our custom bike program, Project One. Of course, we also use our Project One resources to show some love to our sponsored riders. After all, who better to showcase Project One—Trek’s ability to make customized bikes—than our sponsored athletes?

As the 2009 Tour de France kicks-off—and more custom Treks are soon to be unveiled—here’s the first in a series of entries that will review what we’re calling “Trek Artist Series” bikes.

But before we review our 2009 work, let’s dial-up the way back machine and look at the bike that started it all. Lance Armstrong’s “Daddy Yo-Yo” Sabreline 5900 from the 2002 Tour de France.

Ever since that first Sabreline 5900 back in 2002, for the rest of his career, and even after retirement, Lance has more or less ridden Project One painted bikes. That’s why after announcing his intention to return to professional cycling in 2009, it was natural for Trek’s Creative Group to begin working on a new set of custom-painted bikes for Lance.

Bike Name: The 1274 Madone

About the Bike: For his first race back in the pro peloton— Australia’s Tour Down Under—Trek built Lance Armstrong a special LIVESTRONG-themed Madone 6.9 to help him carry his cancer-fighting message around the world. In addition to the distinctive LIVESTRONG badging used throughout the frame, components, and Bontrager Aeolus wheels, Armstrong’s custom-painted Madone was themed around two important numbers: 1274, and 27.5. Prominently displayed on the seat tube, as well as painted on the insides of the fork and chainstays, 1274 signifies the number of days since Lance’s last race as a professional cyclist—the final stage of the 2005 Tour de France (July 24). In that time, nearly 27.5 million people worldwide have died from cancer, a number that’s called out on the rear seatstays of Armstrong’s bike. For the Tour of California, Trek outfitted Lance with a matching 1274 Equinox TTX 9.9 SSL, which was stolen after the Prologue but later recovered in time for the Stage 6 ITT. And for the Tour of the Gila, Lance rode a special white and silver 1274 Madone.

Lance isn’t the only champion on the Trek-sponsored Astana Team. Levi Leipheimer’s a champion in his own right. It’s only fitting we show him the love too.

Bike Name: The Bear TTX

About the Bike: Trek delivered Levi Leipheimer a special, custom-painted Equinox TTX 9.9 SSL to help fuel his bid for a third-consecutive Tour of California Championship. Designed by in-house Trek designer Shane Siedschlag and painted by Project One, the unique ursine-themed TTX gave the two-time champ both the recognition he deserves and a little something special to help fuel his chase for number three. And it worked. Levi sealed up his third ToC Championship by winning the critical Solvang time trial.

He’s the best stage racer in the world, he’s won all three of the Grand Tours, and he rides Trek. Translation: get that man a custom-painted Madone.

Bike Name: The Contador Madone

About the Bike: The Tour de France. The Giro d’Italia. The Vuelta a España. The three Grand Tours of cycling. All won by Alberto Contador. And all won on a Trek Madone. Only four other riders in the history of cycling have won all three races, and none has won in quicker fashion than Alberto Contador, who needed just 14 months to etch his name alongside the legends of the sport—Anquetil, Gimondi, Merckx, and Hinault. With success like that, it’s only fitting that Contador’s Trek pay tribute to his accomplishments. (And it doesn’t hurt to remind the peloton who they’re dealing with.)

Working closely with Trek’s design team, Contador had an active hand in crafting his special, one-of-a-kind championship Madone. Revolving around a simple, stylized, and abstracted interpretation of his signature victory salute (found on the top tube and Aeolus wheel decals), the overall design is tranquil and unassuming—just like the man himself. And of course the three colored bands on the seat tube—yellow, pink, and gold—reference his Grand Tour wins and work to tie together the entire design theme by playing off the mark itself. Of course, Trek’s Project One crew turned the design concept into a rolling reality.