Regarding the Zabriskie thread and a brief discussion regarding saddle length rules/limitations: Since fi’zi:k was directly involved with this particular event (the modification of the official UCI rules) - thought I’d jump in to shed some light.
Up until January 01, as Gerard explained, the saddle length was approx 28.5 cm. The length of the Arione (and Arione Tri for that matter, since both use the same shell) measures 30 cm. In order to bring the saddle to market - or more importantly for the saddle to be permissable for use in UCI sanctioned events - it was up to us (fi’zi:k) to, literally, change the rule book. After several meetings with the UCI (late 2002), rule 1.3.014 on page 53 of the UCI rulebook was officially modified (January 01, 2003) – a modification that can be contributed soley to fi’zi:k.
And as history goes, the only two riders using that saddle in 2003 were Gilberto Simoni and Igor Astarloa. Simoni went on to win the '03 Giro, and Astarloa went onto win the 2003 Road World Championships in Hamilton. To this day, the Arione continues to be, as Phil Liggett stated during his 2003 Giro d’Italia broadcast, “the longest saddle in the peloton.”
Suzette Ayotte
US fi’zi:k