Tao Geoghegan Hart receives Giro celebration Pinarello F12 (and discovers it doesn't fit into a phone box)

Tao Geoghegan Hart has received a Giro d'Italia themed Pinarello F12 to celebrate his win at the Italian Grand Tour earlier this year, and it didn't take him long to hunt out a patriotic picture opportunity.

The 25-year-old Ineos rider picked up the bike at the Pinarello store, in London - having been invited for what he believed to be a Q+A session.

The rim brake machine has of course been painted in the colours of the historic race, and bears the scrawl of Fausto Pinarello on the seat tube, whilst still wearing the race number 165 - which Geoghegan Hart pinned on for the first stage, on October 3.

The bike has been photographed, and its build documented, by Gee Milner.

As you'd expect, the cockpit is a Most Talon Ultra bar/stem combo, and the steerer has been cut as low as it goes for a nose down position (should Tao take this one for a spin).

The frame has been dressed in a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset, alongside matching Dura Ace C60 wheels which roll aboard Continental Competition Pro Ltd rubber; the Pro Ltd version of the top end tubular isn't available for sale and features a latex inner tube.

The saddle is a colour matched Fizik Vento Argo model, we assume the R1 with carbon rails, this is a perch that's well suited to a forward racing position, with the central relief channel providing comfort when riding on the rivet.

The baby pink hue continues to the Elite Cycling Custom Race bottle cages - no doubt an area where Ineos is taking care having had Geraint Thomas knocked out of contention by a crash involving a rival team's flyaway bidon.

Fausto Pinarello attended the hand-over event, and Geoghegan Hart - who abandoned the race in 2019 before coming back to win the overall this year - commented: “It’s lovely, chatting to Fausto and having a personal message from him [on the bike].

"It’s special what the bike represents to me...It’s just super special to have something to remember the race by.”