Tour of CA--Prologue updates

I noticed that to. It was strange… I couldn’t find any Giant logos on the bike anywhere. I saw George cooling down on that very bike, and he had another one on the roof of a car there which also had his name on it.

Because they aren’t Giants. We talked to Bob Stapleton today and he said they are team designed bikes built by someone but he couldn’t say who (but not Walser, which someone asked him specifically).

clm

peterwong · February 15, 2009, 6:14am

Awesome pictures! Thanks!

triathlonshots · February 15, 2009, 8:24am

Wowwwww!!!

Not bad shots.

G.

Mad_Jee · February 15, 2009, 11:54am

They are Giants. Or Giant has engaged in a long running coverup. Columbia/High Road was sponsore by Giant last year and first rode the prototypes of those bikes. Now they are sponsored by Scott yet still riding some of the Giants. And now Rabobank, who is sponsored by Giant, is riding the same frame.

ironclm · February 15, 2009, 1:38pm

They are Giants. Or Giant has engaged in a long running coverup. Columbia/High Road was sponsore by Giant last year and first rode the prototypes of those bikes. Now they are sponsored by Scott yet still riding some of the Giants. And now Rabobank, who is sponsored by Giant, is riding the same frame.

Perhaps they are re-badged Giants. I’m just repeating what the man said. He should know.

clm

OldFart · February 15, 2009, 1:56pm

They definitely look like Giants.
Also I am sure Stapleton is not going to openly say oh these are X bike when his team is sponsored by Y bike.

ironclm · February 15, 2009, 2:18pm

They definitely look like Giants.
Also I am sure Stapleton is not going to openly say oh these are X bike when his team is sponsored by Y bike.

I asked him when everyone was going to be on the Scott bike (since there were a mix of bikes sitting in front of us). He said some guys liked the way they were dialed in and didn’t want to change yet. Then someone mentioned the Giant TT bikes and he said, “They aren’t Giants. They are team designed but I can’t say who made them.” My friend mentioned Walser and he said no, not Walser. They then started talking about the old contract in place where most German riders rode Walser.

Maybe he was talking a bunch of shit. Who knows. I only know what he said. He seems like a super nice guy. Very willing to talk to the fans, sign autographs and pose for pictures. And to tell people to come back when the riders would be there. I’ve always been a Hincapie fan, but now I’m a High Road fan.

clm

steeplesteve · February 15, 2009, 4:12pm

Judge for yourselves. Here is Rabobank’s Giant and HighRoad’s bike X.
There are similarities, but differences in the seat bolt clamps and cable routing, at least that I can see.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a296/steeplesteve/IMG_3462-1.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a296/steeplesteve/IMG_3467-2.jpg

zebragonzo · February 15, 2009, 4:30pm

They definitely look like Giants.
Also I am sure Stapleton is not going to openly say oh these are X bike when his team is sponsored by Y bike.

I asked him when everyone was going to be on the Scott bike (since there were a mix of bikes sitting in front of us). He said some guys liked the way they were dialed in and didn’t want to change yet. Then someone mentioned the Giant TT bikes and he said, “They aren’t Giants. They are team designed but I can’t say who made them.” My friend mentioned Walser and he said no, not Walser. They then started talking about the old contract in place where most German riders rode Walser.

They were designed by a British company called velo science:http://www.veloscience.co.uk/

“Velo Science, a UK company, has collaborated with Giant and Team Columbia in the design and development of the frame and handlebars used on the new Giant time trial bike in the 2008 Tour de France.”

trail · February 15, 2009, 4:31pm

Explained here: http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2009/feb09/california09/tech.php?id=/tech/2009/features/toc_tt_bikes_09

So it’s a Giant with basically a few tweaks. I believe the Giant guy that the bike is Giant’s intellectual property, though.

ironclm · February 16, 2009, 3:24pm

So it depends on whom you talk to. I was hoping my hearing wasn’t going out.

“According to team owner Bob Stapleton, the bike is the product of team development work done in conjunction with Giant but it’s not a Giant bike.”

android · February 16, 2009, 4:04pm

Yeah, you’re supposed to get them free when you register a PxC online. I had to call customer service and remind them to send it after about 6 months.