One of the most recognisable bike brands in the world with its unique Celeste signature frame colour, Bianchi celebrates its 125th Anniversary in 2010.
In their time they have carried some of the brightest Italian stars to famous victories; Felice Gimondi, Fausto Coppi, Marco Pantani, Gianni Bugno and Moreno Argentin, a veritable who’s who of Italian cycling. And not forgetting Magnus Backstedt and his 2004 Paris-Roubaix win. This is clearly a company that dearly loves cycle racing and for 2010 will be partnering with the Italian Ceramica Flaminia team.
The squad will ride the new 928 SL IASP. This frame gets its name from the last three times that a Bianchi won both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, those being 1949, 1952 and 1998.
The striking frame is made from Toho IM600 high modulus carbon fibre and most prominently features an integrated aero seatmast, that’s what the acronym IASP in the name stands for. A WMP (Wrinkles Molding Process) is an optimised moulding process to lower the weight by reducing unnecessary material.
All up weight for the frame should tip the scales at about 1kg, along with a 315g full carbon fork plugged into the 1 1/8in headtube. A BB30 bottom bracket is a further weight reduction.
Commenting on the company’s longevity, Bianchi CEO Bob Ippolito said: “When we think of Bianchi, everyone correctly thinks about Bianchi’s longevity and success to be a leader in bicycle racing, design and technology but another area of Bianchi’s strength is the passion of all of the people who have been associated with Bianchi over the past years and until today.
“Success begins with great people and we must recognize all of the people past and present who have made Bianchi a truly unique and powerful name in cycling.”
