The brand say that the aesthetic of the new Les Classiques Tempo Overcurve R4 road shoe has been inspired by the mud, sweat and dust emblematic of cycling’s toughest single-day races, honouring the heroes crowned on the cobbles.
The brand has specifically engineered the shoe to perform over the one-day cobbled classics, where a balance of comfort and pedaling efficiency needs to be struck.
(Image credit: Fizik)
Aimed at being all-round performer, the Les Classiques Tempo Overcure R4 shoe has been constructed using the Fizik R4 sole, which is described as moderately stiff. The brand say that as well as having a low profile and 15 per cent infused carbon fiber composition, the cleat holes have been positioned slightly further back towards the heal, when compared to a more traditional position.
They believe this will help optimise pedaling efficiency by reducing knee compression, and is most suited to an aggressively forward aero riding position that is required to ride over Pavé and rougher roads.
The sole of the Les Classiques is teamed with what Fizik call its Overcurve shoe construction. A BOAIP1 dial sits on top of a staggered collar to wrap around the ankle asymmetrically, to ergonomically follow the foot’s anatomy for a more comfortable fit. Made from polyurethane-laminated material and mesh the shoe also promises to offer enhanced ventilation and support where it’s needed.
Available to buy now, the Les Classiques edition of the Fizik Tempo Overcure R4 shoe is priced at £209.99, around £15 more than a standard pair.
The poster uses traditional printing techniques
(Image credit: Fizik)
To celebrate the launch of the Les Classiques Tempo Overcure R4 shoe, Fizik has partnered with Italian printing house Tipoteca Italiana, to release a limited-edition artist print, which it says honours the riders of notoriously challenging Spring Classic races. The printing house, which is also a museum and archive, was chosen because of it’s preservation of traditional classic printing techniques, which Fizik say is the perfect way to pay homage to the history of the revered cobbled classics.
Letterpress-printed in stark relief, “The Call of the Cobbles” poster presents a simple call to action to riders ready for the rough stuff is priced at £29 and is available to buy now.
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Hannah is Cycling Weekly’s longest-serving tech writer, having started with the magazine back in 2011. She has covered all things technical for both print and digital over multiple seasons representing CW at spring Classics, and Grand Tours and all races in between.
Hannah was a successful road and track racer herself, competing in UCI races all over Europe as well as in China, Pakistan and New Zealand.
For fun, she's ridden LEJOG unaided, a lap of Majorca in a day, won a 24-hour mountain bike race and tackled famous mountain passes in the French Alps, Pyrenees, Dolomites and Himalayas.
She lives just outside the Peak District National Park near Manchester UK with her partner, daughter and a small but beautifully formed bike collection.
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