Tantalizingly close for the Texan, but the Nederlander gets it. Tom was also pretty handy in the Spring classics as well, taking the third podium step in the ’99 Paris-Roubaix. On his day Tom Steels could beat the best in the world (4 stages-’98 TdF), unleashing his trademark rage-face victory pose. Paolo’s most wins in a season came in 2002 with 15. That year Bettini dropped the watercarrier role and La Doyenne.
“Il Grillo” rode for Bartoli until Michele crashed and wasn’t able to race LBL. His wardrobe was completed by accessorizing with the C40. The master of style was also a master of the classics. Tragically, a week later he’d shatter his knee in the Arenberg Forest of Paris-Roubaix.Ĭoming back from his nearly career-ending ’98 Roubaix crash, Johan destroys the field soloing for the final 40k. Teammates Wilfried Peeters and Tom Steels round out the podium.įlemish MONSTER!! Johan captures his third Ronde in true Leeuw van Vlaanderen fashion.
’95 P-R winner Franco Ballerini arrives ahead of teammates Wilfried Peeters and Andrea Tafi.Īndrea Tafi finally gets his own cobblestone trophy. Mid-race Mapei team owner Georgio Squinzi phoned DS Patrick Lefevere giving orders that Museeuw cross first. Johan Museeuw, Gianluca Bartolami, and Adrea Tafi destroy the field arriving in the Roubaix velodrome together. Here are some of my favorite moments (and riders). While not as prolific as Mapei, they also produced wins astride delicious looking Colnago C40s. The Dutch Rabobank and Belgian Landbouwkrediet teams also waged war on these bikes. The wins upon them were magnificent and filled with spectacle. Squadra Mapei obviously are the main reason I came to know of these machines. Sure, there are equally amazing bikes out there, but none carrying the historical pedigree as these. To this day, the C40 and Colnagos in general are the only bikes that produce chills. You couldn’t escape it, and I didn’t want to. Every magazine displayed their unbelievable (heh!) dominance whilst crushing pedals attached to the brilliantly painted C40.
COLNAGO C40 ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT PRO
But, I was being sold the Italian masterpiece via the pelotonal marketing assault the Mapei team was waging on the pro peloton around that time.
COLNAGO C40 ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FULL
Even in the midst of a shop full of the latest Treks, GTs, Giants, Bianchis, as well as a few spectacular leftover Fondriest frames, there was one bike that captured my imagination: the Mapei Colnago C40. My indoctrination started in earnest once I found myself employed in a bike shop. Think of this as the CliffNotes for fanboy cycling history. Even in light of these facts and my apparent inability to provide anything fresh, I shall proceed and continue. Sumptuous, loving images have been captured of its visage. Blog posts have been, well, posted before this. Magazine articles with insider knowledge of construction history have been written before this.
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