Heras' golden bicycle auctioned for Katrina victims

The personalised gold bicycle on which Roberto Heras rode the final stage of his fourth victory in the Vuelta a España will be auctioned via the internet to raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Liberty Seguros-Würth team director Manolo Saiz and Heras thought of the idea to auction the bike for charity, enabling them to show their solidarity with American-based sponsor Liberty Mutual in a time of hardship for some Americans. Next week, several Liberty Seguros-Würth riders, led by Heras, will travel to Boston, Liberty Mutual's central headquarters, to take part in a cyclo-tourist race. While there, Alberto Contador and Luis León Sanchez will also do aerodynamic tests in a wind tunnel facility.

The bike, which celebrates Heras' record of four Vuelta victories, will travel next week to the US to be exhibited at the Las Vegas Bicycle Show, before being auctioned on eBay. The day bidding begins, scheduled to be October 7, Heras and Saiz will hold a press conference in Madrid to announce the details of this initiative.