Mark Cavendish to race special edition Tour de France bike

Italian manufacturers Wilier Triestina have revealed a brand-new colorway that will adorn Mark Cavendish’s Filante SLR bike at the Tour de France.

Created to pay homage to the British sprinter, who rides for Astana-Qazaqstan, the black and white bike has golden touches throughout and will be available to purchase from Wilier Triestina dealers.

Designed to “honour the remarkable achievements of Mark Cavendish,” Wilier Triestina unveiled the custom paint job on Thursday morning.

In their press release the company said: “Let us unveil the magic that unfolds when colours and mythology unite and join us in celebrating the indomitable spirit of Mark Cavendish, whose perseverance and dedication have propelled him to the pinnacle of success."

Wilier Triestina

This will be the 14th and final Tour de France of Mark Cavendish's career

This year’s Tour de France will be the last of Cavendish’s remarkable career, which has seen him win a record 34 stages and two green jerseys along the way. The Astana-Qazaqstan rider shares the record number of Tour de France stage victories with Eddy Merckx, and one win victory at this year’s race would see him hold the record outright - prompting much discussion over his chances.

Riding his special edition Filante SLR, the Manx Missile will be in search of a milestone stage victory this July, but will be challenged by the likes of Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal-Quick Step) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in the sprints.

Philipsen is a rider that many believe is currently the world’s best sprinter and should he get on a roll at the Tour, he may be a hard man to stop as he looks to add to his two stage victories from last year’s race.

But Cavendish put many doubts to bed at the Giro d’Italia in May, winning the final stage in dominant fashion and raising the hopes of those who would love to see him surpass Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 Tour stage victories - which he, of course, currently shares.

For those interested in purchasing Cavendish’s special Filante SLR livery, Wilier Triestina say that the “colorway (without Astana and Mark Cavendish logo) can be purchased at Wilier Triestina dealers with an upcharge of €800 from the suggested retail price.”