Tom Boonen’s Specialized S-Works Roubaix SL4
Tom Boonen’s Specialized S-Works Roubaix SL4
Tom Boonen went into the cobbled Classics as Omega Pharma-Quickstep’s leader but it was team-mate Niki Terpstra who emerged from Paris-Roubaix victorious.
It shows the strength in depth of the Belgian team, who all ride Specialized’s S-Works Roubaix SL4 on the pavé. The bike features ‘Zertz’ viscoelastic inserts on the fork and seatstays to reportedly help absorb the vibrations kicked up by the cobbles.
Like Sagan, Boonen’s cobbles bike has a custom geometry to achieve the low-and-long position preferred by pro riders on a frame otherwise designed with a more upright riding position for amateurs. Boonen’s ’60 Pro’ geometry combines the reach of a standard 61cm frame with a front end some 80mm lower than usual.
Dressed in SRAM’s Red 22 groupset, the bike is finished with Zipp’s 303 Firecrest wheelset and tyres produced by Specialized in collaboration with FMB, while Boonen’s Specialized’s S-Works Romin saddle has considerably more padding compared to team-mate Zdenek Stybar’s when we spotted the bikes at the Tour of Flanders.