Zipp News

Big Tom's bike has all sorts of Zipp

Big Tom Boonen left no doubt he’s in top form by winning a drag race to the finish line at today’s E3 Prijs Vlaanderen – Harelbeke in Belgium.
 
The race was a grueling 203 km. But the win was decided by just a few centimeters as Boonen edged out Spanish sprinter Oscar Freire. Incredibly, it was Omega Pharma – Quick Step Cycling Team’s 25th victory of the season.
 
Boonen's win also underscores Zipp’s commitment to use professional cycling’s greatest athletes and toughest races to develop the fastest, most durable wheels and components.
 
Stem
Boonen is a big guy, listed by his team as standing 192 cm tall (almost 6-foot-4). To help meet the needs of such riders, Zipp developed a 140 mm length version of its stiff and dependable Service Course SL stem. It proved rock solid on the cobblestones.
 
The new 140 mm Service Course SL will be available for purchase this spring.
 
Handlebar
Affixed to the end of that new 140 mm stem was Boonen’s Service Course CSL bar, which features Zipp’s new Super Short Reach bend. Boonen chose this newest handlebar in the Zipp lineup for greater comfort and easy access to his control levers.
 
Seatpost
Boonen crossed the finish line sitting atop the carbon Zipp SLSpeed Seatpost, which is based on the design of Zipp’s alloy seatposts but to also have the lightweight and stiffness of carbon. The SLSpeed seatpost has an extended range of adjustment to dial in that perfect fit.
 
Wheels
Boonen’s Specialized was equipped with Zipp 303 wheels, already a proven winner in the cobbled classics. Boonen has been savvy this season in matching his wheels for the course, so look for more of the fast-but-durable Zipp 303 during the Spring Classics.
 
But for the recent Milan- San Remo – where he was in contention until being caught behind a late crash -- he choose a 404 Firecrest front and 808 Firecrest rear for maximum aerodynamics for the sprinter’s classics.
 
It’s all about choices.