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Saturday’s Il Lombardia marks the end of the career of two of the most accomplished riders in recent cycling history as Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Vincenzo Nibali (Astana Qazaqstan) hang up their wheels.
The pair have received plaudits and honours at ceremonies throughout the season and for Nibali there’s one last gift as he prepares to bow out at the Monument he won in 2015 and 2017.
Astana Qazaqstan have unveiled a special edition Wilier Zero SLR bike that Nibali will ride for the final 253km of his 18-year career.
The bike is Wilier’s top race offering along with their aero Filante SLR, built to be lightweight and suited to the steep climbs of Lombardia. Nibali’s bike, based around a sparkling dark blue paint scheme, features several nods to him and his storied racing career.
Sections of the bike are painted to commemorate his five Grand Tour victories, with a yellow seatpost and seat tube to represent his 2014 Tour de France win, and pink and red paint on the forks for his 2010 Vuelta a España and 2013 and 2016 Giro d’Italia wins.
Stars have also been added to show how many days he led each race on the way to becoming only the seventh man in history to win all three Grand Tours.
A small Italian flag strip on the seat tube salutes Nibali’s two Italian national titles in 2014 and 2015, too, while a stylised shark graphic on the top tube is a nod to his famous nickname – Lo Squalo.
Of course, away from the paintjob and the detailing, there’s top-end componentry all round. To start with, there’s the Zero SLR lightweight frame, which weighs in at 6.5kg and includes the integrated Zero handlebar.
The drivetrain comes from Shimano, with the top-of-the-line Dura-Ace groupset – disc brake, of course – as well as the Ceramicspeed oversized pulley wheel system at the rear derailleur. Wheels come courtesy of team sponsor Corima, with their unique-looking carbon climbing wheel, the MCC 47 – “designed for ultimate performance on hilly courses” -–which is again handy for a…
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