Remco Evenepoel’s bike: Custom paint for the double Olympic champion

The biking world is definitely nonetheless reeling from Remco Evenepoel’s victory within the Olympic street race on Saturday. The Belgian took his second Olympic Gold medal after scorching across the rain-soaked Paris streets additionally to take victory within the time trial simply days earlier than. He turns into the primary male to win each titles and joins feminine rider Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel, who achieved the feat in 2000 in a really unique double winners membership.

Evenepoel used Specialized bikes on the Olympics, the sponsors of his Soudal Quick-Step Pro Team. Evenepoel used the S-Works Tarmac SL8 for the street race and Shiv time trial bike to take his victories, and like numerous different Specialized athletes, used custom-painted, pink, purple and gold frames which actually stood out within the bunch. These bikes aren’t particular editions for the Olympics per se, however a well-timed fiftieth anniversary scheme to rejoice the corporate’s half-centenary.

We have pulled collectively a motorcycle test of each of Evenepoel’s successful machines. The pictures present detailed photographs of his {custom} time trial bars, feeding technique and monster 1X carbon fibre time trial chainring.

Keep studying to additionally see a number of of Evenepoel’s custom-painted bikes from years passed by on this hub or try our 5 favorite {custom} Olympic bikes function, in addition to successful Olympic street race bikes from years passed by.

What is Remco Evenepoel’s bike?

Soudal-Quickstep is considered one of a number of groups sponsored by Specialized, and it now solely produces the brand new Tarmac SL8 ‘all-rounder’, relatively than having separate aero and light-weight race bikes. The model produces the light-weight all-rounder Aethos mannequin, but it surely is not raced on the high stage. 

Evenepoel is a smaller rider at 171cm, and makes use of a 52cm frameset. He technically is between two sizes, however, as almost all professionals would, he is sized down and opted for an extended stem. Very gentle builds are achievable with the light-weight S-Works SL8 Tarmac, although we count on these lustrous custom-painted frames added a few hundred grams in comparison with the all-black light-weight body Evenepoel used within the excessive mountains of the Tour de France only a few weeks in the past – although it actually did not maintain him again. 

Evenepoel has been World Champion within the each the street race and time trial and has worn numerous stage race leaders’ jerseys. As such he is been using loads of custom-painted bikes, from the Olympic-winning bikes under to his purple Tour of Spain successful bike again in 2022.

Remco Evenepoel’s Paris Olympics successful street bike

Evenepoel rode the vast majority of the Olympic street race on his {custom} Tarmac S-Works SL8 which featured black, silver, pink, purple and gold highlights. Equipment except for the particular paint seems to be the identical as Evenepoel has been utilizing all 12 months. This 12 months is Specialized’s fiftieth anniversary, so we might guess the oldsters again at Specialized HQ have much more trigger to rejoice now. 

The Belgian opted for 40-56 chainring sizes for the comparatively flat street race and used them to devastating impact. We additionally noticed a waxed chain within the footage down under. 

A Dura-Ace Di2 digital groupset takes care of shifting and braking. The majority of the remainder of the bike tools comes from the Specialized subsidiary model Roval which give the Rapide handlebars, saddle, and wheels. The tyres are additionally from Specialized and we imagine have been arrange with latex interior tubes. 

Remco Evenepoel’s Paris Olympics successful TT bike

Next up is Evenepoel’s Shiv time trial bike which he used to win the Olympic time trial occasion on. The course was moist and town streets have been treacherous, however the Belgian’s effort was issue-free. 

The Shiv has additionally obtained the identical Specialized {custom} paint therapy however options, like most TT bikes, a couple of extra eye-catching options. 

Up entrance, there’s a {custom} carbon fibre time trial handlebar for Evenepoel which routes his brake hoses internally and in addition contains a neat built-in laptop mount to maintain the bike laptop out of the wind, in addition to hand rests which might be angled inward, we assume to convey the riders arms collectively in a extra aero place. 

Equipment is Dura-Ace once more, aside from the very giant Digirit entrance carbon fibre chainring, a model we additionally see used indoors for observe occasions. Digirit elements are made in Taiwan. 

Tyres are Specialized Turbo Cottons, which additionally look to be fitted with interior tubes judging by the valve stems. Evenepoel should have thrown warning to the wind on the soaked and slick Parisian streets in an effort to safe victory. 

Remco Evenepoel’s 2024 Specialized Tarmac SL8 

Below is the bike Evenepoel began the 2024 race season on, which we snapped and received up shut and private with at a pre-season coaching camp. 

Evenepoel has ridden so many {custom} bikes this 12 months although that it is arduous to recollect this mannequin already. 

At the time, this chequerboard bike marked a departure from Evenepoel’s outdated two-piece bar and stem to the built-in Roval Rapide handlebar, which is a typical sight now as we head towards the tail finish of the 12 months.

Elsewhere, it is a fairy acquainted spec and construct, with Dura-Ace di2 tools and Roval elements. The chrome and black bike Evenepoel used at this 12 months’s Tour de France appears to maybe be a growth of this paint scheme thought. 

Remco Evenepoel’s 2023 World Champion’s Specialized Tarmac SL7

Having received the 2022 World Championship street race in Wollongong, Australia, Evenepoel was, as is customary, handled by his bike sponsor to a largely white bike to journey for his season within the rainbow bands. Given the discharge of the brand new Specialized Tarmac SL8 on the Glasgow super-worlds, it was the ultimate time we noticed the Belgian celebrity on the outgoing mannequin. 

Given rule adjustments and new tools from Specialized, it was additionally the final time we noticed him with the aggressively turned in hoods we received used to seeing so many riders go for earlier than they have been banned by the UCI, and the final time we noticed him go for a separate bar and step combo.

Remco Evenepoel’s 2022 World Championship successful bike 

In order to earn oneself a rainbow bike one should first win the world championship street race. Remco Evenepoel received the hilly course in Wollongong, Australia, with a solo assault 25km from the road. He was using a motorcycle very a lot the identical as his present white steed, however within the case of the world championship race, he was operating the older mannequin of the tyres.

While the bike and componentry have been basically the identical, the all-black paint job may have been lighter as it’s basically uncooked carbon relatively than heavy white paint. Interestingly on his worlds-winning bike, we did spot that the Di2 cable had been secured to the derailleur hanger by what seems like warmth shrink or black tape, to keep away from any potential mishaps in such an necessary race. While we did not spot this on his bike on the coaching camp it could be one thing we see throughout races. 

Remco Evenepoel’s 2022 Vuelta a España successful bike 

Some riders can win one-day races commonly. Some riders can win grand excursions and stage races. The crossover on the centre of the Venn Diagram that encompasses each races accommodates an alarmingly small variety of riders. One of them although is Remco Evenepoel, who, earlier than successful the world championships in Australia, introduced the purple jersey of the Vuelta a España again to Belgium for the primary time in lots of a few years. 

His bike, as per his worlds-winning, and world champions bikes above, was largely inventory, save for a commemorative purple paint job and a colour-matched saddle and bar tape. The Roval Rapide, relatively than Alpinist, wheelset options purple decals utilized over the white. 

Remco Evenepoel’s time trial bike

While Remco spends the vast majority of his time on his S-Works Tarmac SL7 by means of the season, he often has to participate in time trials. As a part of his 2022 Vuelta win, he additionally took stage 10 aboard his Specialized Shiv TT bike by a margin of 48 seconds. 

Below you may see the setup he normally opts for, although for the Vuelta he used an Aerocoach entrance wheel relatively than the Roval mannequin you may see right here. It’s a motorcycle designed to battle towards the clock, so the whole lot is optimised for max effectivity, together with custom-made bars moulded to his forearms

Remco Evenepoel’s gravel bike

Gravel is the most popular style in biking in the intervening time, and an increasing number of professional racers from the street scene are popping up at gravel races. While Remco Evenepoel would not routinely participate within the gravel scene in the intervening time, his presence on the 2021 Belgian Waffle Ride, a gravel race in California, aboard an S-Works Crux was noteworthy sufficient to warrant a gallery, regardless of the very fact he solely rode the quick ‘Wafer’ route relatively than the total ‘Waffle’. 

Given he is a Specialized and Shimano-sponsored athlete it is no shock to see him aboard an S-Works Crux, geared up with Shimano GRX Di2 and Roval wheels. The tyres, Pathfinder 42mm fashions, have been additionally Specialized. Given the dearth of impartial service in gravel racing, it is rather more frequent to see riders carrying restore tools, like spare interior tubes, together with them for the race in case of any dangerous luck.