If ever a racing performance deserved a two-wheeled reward, then Annemiek van Vleuten's 105 kilometre world championship breakaway ride has to be up there.
The Mitchelton-Scott rider has been presented with a custom Scott Addict RC disc brake road bike to race during the course of the 2020 season, in celebration of her sensational winning effort.
The 37-year-old Dutch rider, who is currently logging some incredible rides with the Mitchelton-Scott men's team in Italy, will ride the Shimano Dura Ace equipped model when she makes her season debut at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday February 29.
The bike carries her nickname, 'Vleuty', on the top tube, over a rainbow road design with three symbols of her Dutch heritage: a windmill, a clog and a tulip.
Image: Mitchelton-Scott
A diamond emblem carries the words: "105km solo", in a nod to the effort which won those multicoloured stripes, and the entire chassis has a glitter sheen, which reflects light with every movement.
“I really love the bike, Scott made it especially for me. The thing I like the most is that it says 105km solo, that’s the amount of kilometres I did solo at the world championships, so it makes the bike really personal to me," Van Vleuten said of her new racing machine.
Image: Mitchelton-Scott
The 2020 season will be the first where the entire Mitchelton-Scott women's team will race with disc brakes, on the re-launched Scott Addict RC, with its new wind cheating features and bolstered stiffness.
“I also really like that this bike is with disc brakes. That’s a new feature for the women’s team in 2020, my descending on it has been going like crazy so that’s really good and yet the bike is still very light", Van Vleuten says.
The new, aero optimised lightweight machine in Scott's stable comes with claimed weights from 6.9kg, and with Van Vleuten riding a size XXS it's likely hers will be on the lower end of the 850g frame scale.
The celebratory bike has been fitted with a Syncros Creston IC SL cockpit, and its rider has opted for 38cm bars, with an 80mm stem - images show her training with a Garmin 1030 computer.
Image: Mitchelton-Scott
The Syncros Duncan Aero SL seatpost is also from Scott's in-house brand, and the world champion rides the Belcarra saddle.
The wheels are Shimano Dura Ace C40 carbon hoops, wearing Pirelli P-Zero tyres, and the pedals are Shimano's top flite Dura Ace option, too.
Image: Mitchelton-Scott
The bike will of course match Van Vleuten's rainbow jersey, produced by Mitchelton-Scott sponsor Giordana; she wears the FR-C Pro jersey and matching bib shorts. Highlights include seamless chest, shoulder and arm panels for an aerodynamic fit, plus a Cirro S chamois with Aloe Vera infusion in the shorts.
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Michelle Arthurs-Brennan the Editor of Cycling Weekly website. An NCTJ qualified traditional journalist by trade, Michelle began her career working for local newspapers. She's worked within the cycling industry since 2012, and joined the Cycling Weekly team in 2017, having previously been Editor at Total Women's Cycling. Prior to welcoming her daughter in 2022, Michelle raced on the road, track, and in time trials, and still rides as much as she can - albeit a fair proportion indoors, for now.
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