To describe Felice Gimondi’s tenure with Bianchi as successful would be an understatement.
The Italian won his third Giro d’Italia, the world road race championship, Milan-San Remo, and the Tour of Lombardy aboard a Bianchi.
Gimondi celebrated his seventieth birthday a little over a month ago, and to commemorate his three score years and ten, Bianchi has released a special edition of their flagship 2013 Oltre XR.
Just 70 will be made, and those lucky enough to purchase one will walk away with a machine for which Bianchi claim a frame weight of 895 grams; some 30 grams lighter than its first incarnation and a claimed 20 per cent increase in stiffness
The signature Celeste blue finish is highlighted on the top tube, down tube, chainstays, seatstays and fork with a narrow, coloured strip, symbolizing Gimondi’s greatest wins.
The yellow celebrates overall victory in the 1965 Tour de France, his Giro victories (1967, 1969, and 1976) are indicated by pink. The rainbow bands commemorate his coronation in 1973 as world road race champion, while the red, white and green tricolore salutes his two victories in the Italian national championships (1968 and 1972). His legendary palmares is neatly stenciled in chronological order on the down tube .
The deeper blue represents sapphire, which Bianchi explain with references to amulet stones and birthdays in September.
Its salute to bygone glories is limited to the finish. Beneath the celebratory paint scheme is a high-modulus, unidirectional carbon frameset with modern design staples including a tapered headtube, BB30 press fit bottom bracket, and seat stays accurately described by the Bianchi marketing machine as “Ultra Thin”.
As might be expected, little expense has been spared in equipping the machine, which includes a Campagnolo Super Record 11 EPS groupset, and a special-edition set of Campag’s flagship Bora 50mm deep section carbon wheels.
If all that wasn’t enough to tempt you, Bianchi are throwing in a semi-rigid, wheeled bike bag on which the Gimondi 70 logo is emblazoned, a bike cover (ditto), a commemorative brochure, replica 70s shorts and jersey from Santini, and, most impressively, a certificate of authenticity signed by the man himself.
The price? If you need to ask, you can’t afford it. To you sir, 13490 Euros (£10,799 at today’s rate). Shall I wrap it up or will you ride it home?
