Pro bike: Yukiya Arashiro's Colnago M10
National theme bike for Tour's lone Japanese rider
This article originally appeared on BikeRadar
Now in his sixth year on a major French pro team, Yukiya Arashiro is racing this year's Tour de France aboard a custom-painted M10 for Team Europcar. As the sole Japanese rider in this year's Tour, Arashiro has a white Colnago M10 with a few red sun discs from Japan's flag and the characters for Nippon (Japan).
Europcar has more varieties of road bikes to choose from than any other team at the Tour. While compatriot squad Ag2r-La Mondiale is racing all the road stages on one bike, the Focus Izalco Max, Europcar riders have five: the C59, C60, V1-r, CX Zero and the M10. Despite that, Europcar does not have a power-meter sponsor. A simple Sigma computer adorns Arashiro's integrated Deda Alanera bar/stem combo.
As a domestique at the Tour, Arashiro likely won't earn much TV time or any headlines, but the two-time Japanese national road champion did score a 10th place finish at the Amstel Gold this year. In 2012 he won the Tour du Limousin.
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