No half measures for this Independence Day paint scheme delivered just in time for the 4th of July
Sean Quinn's American flag-themed custom cannondale SuperSix(Image credit: Ashley and Jered Gruber/EF Education First-EasyPost)
Some things are proper cycling heritage. A yellow Colnago ridden by Thomas Voeckler, having a cigarette at the foot of a climb to open the lungs, a French national champion with a jersey devoid of sponsors, and of course a stars-and-stripes Cannondale.
While Quinn Simmons' be-chromed Trek Madone of last year was eye catching, there's something about a Cannondale fully decked out in the motif of Old Glory that just makes sense. Ever conscious of the media landscape, EF Education Easypost waited until the 4th of July to bestow this special race bike to US National Champion Sean Quinn, who will now ride it for the remainder of the Tour de France.
Under the paint the bike is as per Quinn's normal setup. The SuperSix Evo is Cannondale's one-bike do-it-all solution for racing now that the SystemSix has all but been mothballed. The paint on the seat tube denotes that this is a Lab71 model, which uses a different carbon layup and even higher modulus carbon than the HiMod model, though we have seen HiMod bikes painted up as Lab71 in the past.
In any case, just treat this as a 4th July treat and soak it in.
Under the paint it's a standard, race-going SuperSix. Nothing too outlandish. Given that we've seen Mark Cavendish rocking custom decals on his identical Vision Metron 60 wheels it's perhaps a good thing that these have been kept to white. You can have too much of a good thing, though a blue front and a red rear would have been cool. (Image credit: Ashley and Jered Gruber/EF Education First-EasyPost)
Cavendish had a custom painted bar, which as well as looking cool disguised a sponsor-incorrect Vision cockpit. No such issues here, so the bar is left raw. (Image credit: Ashley and Jered Gruber/EF Education First-EasyPost)
Given the team bikes are so garish, the standard matching water bottles do clash somewhat, but I don't think Quinn will be overly bothered. (Image credit: Ashley and Jered Gruber/EF Education First-EasyPost)
Like the bottles, the pink tubeless valves are a slight clash with the red, but that's only going to irk only the most ardent matchy-matchy fans. (Image credit: Ashley and Jered Gruber/EF Education First-EasyPost)
Without seeing the UCI sticker it's impossible to tell if this is a HiMod or a Lab71 model, but on past form I expect it to be the former. (Image credit: Ashley and Jered Gruber/EF Education First-EasyPost)
There'll be no missing this in the bunch, especially in combination with a typically EF champion's jersey. (Image credit: Ashley and Jered Gruber/EF Education First-EasyPost)
Cannondale's in-house paint wizard, Doktor Bobby, has worked his magic yet again from his workshop in the Southwest of England. I'm sure there's something in there about improving 'the special relationship', but I might be reaching a little far. (Image credit: Ashley and Jered Gruber/EF Education First-EasyPost)
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.
