Pro bike: Simone Velasco's Wilier Triestina Filante SLR

After winning the Italian national road race championships in June, it came as no surprise that Wilier went all in to provide Simone Velasco with a special edition bike fit for a national champion.

The Italian brand had already delivered Astana Qazaqstan with an eye-catching team bike for 2023, alongside a special edition Filante SLR for what was supposed to be Mark Cavendish's farewell Tour de France.

Now, with an Italian national champion on Astana Qazaqstan's roster, the Italian brand has designed a tricolore-emblazoned bike. GCN took a closer look at Velasco's ride at last month's Giro del Veneto in Italy.

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Italian brand Wilier have splashed the Tricolore across the Filante SLR's frame

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the tech, we have to take a moment to marvel at the paint job of this Filante SLR.

Velasco's bike is in no way subtle about his title as Italian national champion, with Il Tricolore embellishing the frame and fork. A second, smaller, Italian flag features on the seat tube over blocks of white and grey paint.

For the late-season races in Italy, Velasco had two custom bikes at his disposal. GCN took a look at both bikes, which had the same design but with a few component tweaks.

Velasco's race bike featured extra, personalised details, including a special edition saddle. The Italian's Prologo Scratch M5 saddle features a series of foam pads that aim to offer an improved level of comfort, customised to display Il Tricolore.

It isn't just an Italian-themed saddle that Velasco is treated to though, with his rear derailleur hanger and race number holder also in red, white and green.

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Simone Velasco's race bike has an Italian-themed Prologo Scratch M5 saddle

The stand-out customised aspect of Velasco's bike setup is undoubtedly his angular bars. Velasco is one of several riders attempting to skirt the UCI's 350mm minimum bar width by angling his hoods inwards to have a more aerodynamic position on the bike.

With the hoods tilted inwards, it allows the rider to get as close to the outlawed puppy paws position as possible while sticking to the rules - for now!

The Filante SLR has the same carbon monocoque handlebar used on its climbing race bike sibling, the Wilier 0 SLR. By bringing the lightweight approach to its aero bike, Wilier has been able to produce a cockpit with a much improved stiffness-to-weight ratio, offering extra steering precision for riding in the chaotic environment of the pro peloton.

Velasco's handlebars are finished off with black Prologo bartape and end caps.

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Aggressively angled hoods provide Velasco with a UCI legal-aerodynamic advantage

The most notable of the component variations across the Italian's two bikes were the wheel choices. For his race bike, Velasco had the HED Vanquish RC6 Pro wheelset fitted - the brand's fastest-ever wheel - while he had Corima's WS Black 47 on the other. HED's offering has a depth of 60mm compared to Corima's 47mm-deep wheels.

The mix of wheel brands on his bikes might raise eyebrows but Astana Qazaqstan have confirmed that both manufacturers are official team partners but neither is an exclusive supplier.

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Simone Velasco's wheelsets varied across his two bikes

Both wheelsets were paired with Vittoria Corsa Pro 28mm tyres, a popular choice within the pro peloton.

Also spotted on Velasco's ride was a Shimano Dura-Ace 12-speed groupset, featuring a 54/40T chainring, and Look Keo Blade Carbon pedals.