Ineos Grenadiers have today provided their new Olympic champion and gold medallist with a bike to match.
Richard Carapaz won the Tokyo Olympics road race on July 24, taking Ecuador's first-ever cycling gold medal in the process. He did so with a long-range attack in which he and Brandon McNulty (USA) distanced the remaining contenders at the 25km mark, before riding clear from the American at 5.8km and going solo to the finish line.
It's no surprise to see the Ecuadorian given a bike to match his title. Reigning champions of national, European, World and Olympic road races are regularly seen aboard custom bikes as sponsors look to capitalise on the rider's increased profile and capture the attention of onlookers. Other examples include current road world champion, Julian Alaphilippe, riding a Specialized Tarmac with rainbow stripes, and Giacomo Nizzolo aboard a dual-design BMC that celebrates his current position as national and European champion. Over the past five years, Greg van Avermaet has ridden something of a golden wave after winning in Rio in 2016 with various bikes including his latest golden BMC Teammachine.
Carapaz's own golden wave will last for just three years until the 2024 Paris Games, but it has begun in style with the new Pinarello Dogma F switching from its usual silver design to this stunning metallic golden theme.
Ineos Grenadiers presented the bike to Carapaz in a video shared on social media, which you can watch below.
Of course, with sponsor commitments to adhere to, the bike's specification remains the same as his teammates, with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset, a cockpit from Pinarello's component branch, MOST, and wheels also courtesy of Shimano's Dura-Ace range, although the team has regularly swapped these out for lighter weight sponsor-incorrect options.
The bike will see its first competitive outing at the Vuelta a España, although it will have to wait until stage 2, since the race opens with an individual time trial.
| Frame | Pinarello Dogma F (size 50cm) |
| Groupset | Shimano Dura-Ace R9150 Di2 |
| Brakes | Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 Rim |
| Wheelset | Shimano Dura-Ace C60 tubular |
| Stem | MOST Talon Ultra bar/stem (120mm) |
| Handlebars | MOST Talon Ultra bar/stem (42cm) |
| Power Meter | Shimano Dura-Ace R9100-P (170mm cranks, 53/39 chainrings) |
| Pedals | Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 |
| Saddle | Fizik Antares 00 carbon braided |
| Tyres | Continental Pro Ltd Tubular |
| Computer | Garmin Edge 530 |
| Bottle Cages | Elite Leggero Carbon |
| Bottles | Elite Fly (not pictured) |
