The Pinarello that was gifted to Pope Francis has a new owner–for a mere €14,000, around 20K, Canadian, half of what the bike was expected to fetch.
The Pinarello F12 road bike was put on auction on March 19. It was gifted to the Pontiff by Egan Bernal during a memorable encounter in 2021. It is now gracing the online auction platform Catawiki courtesy of a private seller.
The bike is 53 cm frame with a mechanical Shimano Ultegra group, Most bar and stem, Vision wheels, and Pirelli P Zero tires. The paint job is in the colours of the Argentine flag, where Pope Francis was born. Oh, and it has rim brakes, in case you were wondering.
Bidding war for the Papal Pina
A total of 47 bids were placed on the auction, with heightened activity observed on the final day as both a French and an Italian bidder engaged in a bidding war, ultimately resulting in the victory of the former. Despite the impressive winning bid of approximately $21,000 in Canadian, it notably fell significantly below the expert’s estimated value.
Bernal’s pink jersey was also listed in a separate auction.
The bidding for it reached new heights on the final day, with the price soaring from €410 (approximately $600 in Canadian) to the winning total of €1,853 (approximately $2,740), which was submitted by an American bidder.
Bernal gifted the bike after his Giro d’Italia win
The origins of this gift stem from Bernal’s victory at the 2021 Giro d’Italia. A devout Catholic, Bernal regarded his meeting with the Pontiff as an unmatched moment, surpassing even the glory of his Giro triumph.
The Colombian Embassy hosted a celebration in honor of Bernal’s Giro d’Italia victory, where he wore the leader’s jersey for 12 stages, ultimately securing first place after a significant win on stage nine. Bernal, expressing the significance of meeting the Pope, remarked, “It fills my heart with so much happiness to be able to meet Pope Francis in person, because I grew up in a Catholic family. For me, he is of the highest authority in religion, and to receive his blessing is so rewarding.”
Peter Sagan has also given the Pope a bike
Bernal presented his Maglia Rosa and a specially painted Pinarello Dogma F12 bike to Pope Francis, symbolizing cycling’s significance to him and his team. This gesture echoes similar encounters, such as Peter Sagan’s meeting with the Pope in 2018, where he presented a signed rainbow jersey and…
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