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Colnago, official bike of the Tour de France, is glad to present the Colnago Fleur-de-Lys, an exquisite piece of art produced in 111 numbered examples as a tribute to Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, that will host the Grand Départ of the 111th edition of the French Grand Tour, and to the lily symbol, the heraldic element that unites the history of the city of Dante Alighieri to the French nation.
Celebrating France and Italy, homelands of culture and cycling
The 2024 Tour will unite France and Italy. Two central nations in the history of European and world culture. Not only the ‘high’ culture of the great philosophers and men of letters, painters and sculptors, but also its most common expressions. It is the aesthetics of the everyday. That all-European ability to take the humblest things in life and treat them to the point of making them art. The excellence of the two countries in food, clothing, and design comes to mind. But it is also the case with the humblest of means of transport: the bicycle.
It is in these two countries that cycling as a sport was born and achieved its glorification. From Milan-San Remo to Paris-Roubaix, from the Giro d’Italia to the Tour de France. These two countries have always been the blank page on which the most formidable champions, challenging each other, have written their legends. Garin, Girardengo, Petit-Breton, Bottecchia, Pellissier, Bartali, Bobet, Coppi, Anquetil, Gimondi, Hinault, Saronni, Fignon, Bugno, Virenque, Nibali… heroes of an epic that, for more than a century, has brought the masses together by the side of the road, children and the elderly hand in hand, to cheer on the champions of the future and to recount the great feats of the past.
Colnago has interpreted this connection through a bike, the C68 Fleur-de-Lys, which features the fleur-de-lys as a key design element, being the lily, a symbol full of significance both for Florence and for France.
Paying homage to the Fleur-de-Lys
Attention to detail, excellent craftsmanship and use of cutting-edge technology have characterized Colnago bicycles since the very first beginning, in 1954. This special bike for the 2024 Tour de France is no exception, expressing the savoir-faire and artistry of Italian manufacturing in a tribute to the culture and history that unite the two countries.
This special C68 features the fleur-de-lys as a key design element. The French lily is serially reproduced on the top tube in gold on a Bleu de France-coloured metal leaf field. This pattern – in addition to being a tribute to a recurring coat of arms in French royal iconography – echoes the pattern of the frescoes in the Sala dei Gigli, one of the most beautiful rooms in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, the venue for the presentation of the teams and the starting point of the first stage of the Tour.
Not only that, the frieze of the pediment at the entrance to Palazzo Vecchio, under which the riders pass on the day of the team presentation, also features a background of lilies on a blue field. A reminder, again, of the French, protectors of the Florentine Republic.
They are symbols of a closeness – between the Tuscan city and France – that between sympathies and antagonisms has lasted for centuries. They are synapses of a great, deeply interconnected European cultural history, a web that unites historical events, art and literature, culminating in great moments of popular aggregation – such as the Tour de France, with its epic of great champions.
The lily decorative element is therefore not only a visual tribute, but also embodies the spirit of cooperation and friendship between the two nations.
By integrating the symbols of Florence and France, Colnago has created a symbol of unity and beauty, perfect for such a prestigious sporting event. The bike thus becomes a tangible symbol of this historic event and is itself transformed into a moving work of art.
The pinnacle of Italian craftsmanship at the service of the most fascinating Grand Tour
The Colnago Fleur-de-Lys is the latest work of art created in the laboratory of Cambiago.
Every Colnago is a wonderful bicycle to ride, but we reserve special treatment for some projects that give us the possibility to unleash all our creativity and artistry. The Colnago Fleur-de-Lys is an example of such a project, being a limited edition bike based on the frame of a C Series, the C68.
Hence, similarly to all the C Series bikes in our range, it is handmade in Italy and is based on a modular frame, which means that the bike triangle is made of carbon fiber tubes and joints glued together thanks to a special technique that we refined through the years. While this characteristic gives a very frictionless riding experience, it also adds a touch of tradition to the bike, since nowadays this building construction is becoming more and more rare.
To glue together the pieces – to reach a result such as that of the C68 – requires time, patience and a unique savoir-faire, a tradition that, as Colnago, we are truly committed to defend and continue.
Bleu-de-France metal leaf finishing
At first glance, what makes this bicycle stand out is the Bleu de France-coloured metal leaf on the frame, which shines, and gives mesmerizing reflections.
This effect requires the leaf finishing to be applied each time by hand, with the result that the texture changes from one frame to the other, making each of the 111 examples simply unique.
The Fleur-de-Lys pattern
On this wonderfully rich and blue background, a pattern composed by 15 small lily flowers applied by gold leaf embellish the horizontal tube, introducing the key design element of the bicycle, which also name it: the Fleur-de-Lys.
The Tour-de-France trophy bottle cage
An element that stands out in the design of the bike is the bottle cage, modeled and printed in 3D, which takes the form of the trophy of the Tour.
The Colnago CC.01 Tour de France special limited edition
The Colnago Fleur-de-Lys mounts a special limited edition of the Colnago CC.01 handlebar, which comes with a special incision on the cap of the steering tube, the rich-in-history logo of the Tour de France.
The fork
On the bottom of the fork it’s possible to appreciate the Colnago x TdF logo, as well as the indication of the number, out of 111, of this limited edition bike.
Dedicated components
The bike is further enriched by the making of some specific components, created in concert with some of our most trusted suppliers such as Prologo, Enve, Carbon-Ti, MyLime, and CeramicSpeed.
111 Numbered Pieces for the 111th Tour de France
Colnago limited editions are now universally recognized and appreciated by collectors all over the world.
The Colnago Fleur-de-Lys, is available in only 111 specimens, with each bike numbered, with the evidence of the number on the fork, and is delivered with a special volume that tells the story and the cultural background that inspired the Colnago Fleur-de-Lys.
Tadej Pogačar & Colnago Fleur-de-Lys number 1 of 111
The Entry Door of Palazzo Vecchio is surmounted by a marble decorative plaque with two lions and the French Fleur-de-Lys flower.
The Presentation of the 2024 Tour de France teams will start from Palazzo Vecchio, the City Hall of Florence to Piazzale Michelangelo.
We’ve agreed with ASO and UAE Team Emirates that Tadej Pogačar will ride the Colnago Fleur-de-Lys number 1 of 111 during the team presentation (27th of June). The ride will start exiting from Palazzo Vecchio’s entry door pictured here.
The number 1 will be auctioned by Sotheby’s during the 2024 Tour de France (the auction will start on the first rest day and end on the second rest day, running during the second week of racing)
Technical information
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200.
Chainrings: Carbon-Ti special limited edition custom Colnago. 52-36t
Sprockets: 12-speed, 11-30t
Pulley: CeramicSpeed Shimano 9250/8150 OSPW special limited edition Colnago x Tour de France
Wheels: ENVE SES 4.5 special limited edition Colnago x Tour de France, hand-spoked in Italy, with special gold spokes
Discs: Carbon-Ti X-Rotor SteelCarbon 3 – 160mm front / 140mm rear
Tires: Continental GP5000 S 28mm
Saddle: Prologo Nago R4, special limited edition Colnago Fleur-de-Lys.
Handlebar: Colnago CC.01 special limited edition with gold Tour de France logo
Bottle Cage: Colnago special limited edition, replica of the Tour de France Trophy.
Colnago
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