With the Tour of Flanders only days away, the field is starting to take shape and now is the time to register your team for the 2005 Spring Classics Fantasy Game. We've also added some great new prizes to the roster, including 2005 Carnac M5 Carbon shoes from Sinclair Imports and extra-useful tools from Park Tool.
A pair of 2005 model Carnac M5 Carbon road shoes courtesy of the USA distributor, Sinclair Imports, will go to a player in the 2005 Spring Classics Fantasy Game. Just like the shoes that will be used by Discovery team's George Hincapie, these are the top of the line 2005 model shoes from legendary French maker Carnac, and feature the brand-new MFC5 carbon sole from Carnac which now uses a simple, three-hole cleat attachment pattern and no need for pedal adaptors or inserts.
Carnac has also abandoned its use of kangaroo leather for the upper and is now using the state-of-the-art Giardhini micro-fibre upper. Famous for their comfort, the new Carnac shoes feature a three-strap adjustment with the new SMC2 buckle providing snug adjustment at the top of the shoe. The M5 Carbon weighs in at a feathery 285 grams per shoe.
Cyclingnews has combined with our long-time and valued tech sponsor, Park Tool, to provide a specially engraved version of its ultra-handy IB-2 multi-tool for the top 10 players in the Spring Classics Fantasy Game.
The IB-2 has a central aluminium spine that carries a range of tools, with a 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8mm hex keys plus a flat-blade screwdriver, as well as another three sizes of hex key (1.5, 2 and 2.5mm) and a T25 Torx, the size commonly used to mount rotors in mountain bike disc brakes. Weight is 108 grams for the IB-2. And as a special for the Spring Classics, the IB-2 will come with the Cyclingnews logo engraved on one of the faces.
Reviewed on Cyclingnews in June last year, Anthony Tan described the IB-2 as "A perfect tool while on the bike - simple, light and well-designed."
These prizes are in addition to the grand prize of a Specialized Roubaix bicycle, fitted with a Dura-Ace 10-speed groupset, a bicycle that's likely to be ridden in the Paris-Roubaix by members of the Gerolsteiner squad.
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There is also a set of Zipp 404 wheels. Now with dimples for even better aerodynamics, the US$1,600 404 is the slippery workhorse of Zipp's aero wheel range. These are Zipp's most popular wheels, and for good reason: they're light (1292g per pair for the tubular version), fast and tough enough for criteriums and sprinters, as well as their obvious time trial and road racing applications. So what's with the new dimples? They improve air flow over the wheel, reducing the power needed to cut through the air by 1 to 3 watts.
In addition, for the first six of the Spring Classic races you can win one Specialized's 2005 Decibel Helmet, painted in official team colours. For the hottest days, the most intense efforts, and the toughest climbs, you need the Decibel. Designed with input from their world-class athletes, it's the clear choice for anyone who's after the coolest lid on the planet.
