Pro bike: Thomas Voeckler's BBox-Bouygues Telecom Colnago C59

Bastille Day will hold an especially important meaning for BBox-Bouygues Telecom team leader Thomas Voeckler at the Tour de France, he being a French rider on a French team, a memorably valiant defender of the maillot jaune two years ago, as well as the current national road champion. Proudly dressed in the colors of his country's flag, his bike is however a nearly 100 percent Italian machine: Colnago's latest C59.

Rather than use the more common tube-to-tube or semi-monocoque carbon fiber construction of the rest of the industry, Colnago has opted to stick with its tried-and-true lugged technology. It's no boat anchor, though, with all-carbon tubes and lugs that keep the frame down to a highly competitive 950g or so.

Neither does the C59 use old-style round pipes, either, with its '+'-profile tapered down tube and multisided top tube. The rectangular chain stays are slightly larger than what we've seen in the past out of Cambiago, too, while the wishbone-style seat stays slim down a bit for a smoother ride. Also featured on the C59 is a tapered front end for added steering precision and internally routed cables for a cleaner appearance.

Voeckler runs no spacers either above or below the stem so team mechanics trim the steerer just so.

The build kit is almost entirely Italian as well with a nearly complete Campagnolo Super Record group and Campagnolo Bora Ultra Two deep-section carbon tubulars with matching white, blue and red decals. Voeckler subs in a Chorus front derailleur, though, with a titanium cage instead of the carbon fiber one of Record or Super Record. And as is common for most riders at the Tour, it's supplemented with a slim chain watcher to prevent a dropped chain.

Rounding things out are FSA's Plasma integrated carbon fiber bar and stem, a Prologo Scratch Pro TR saddle with carbon fiber rails, Hutchinson tubular tires and Time's latest i-Clic Ti Carbon clipless pedals.

Total weight as pictured is just 7.08kg (15.61lb).

Complete bike specifications:

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