Vinokourov's Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL4

Alexandre Vinokorouv (Kazakhstan) rode a 52cm Specialized Tarmac to an Olympic gold medal in

This article originally published on BikeRadar

Alexandre Vinokorouv came into the 2012 Olympic Men's Road Race with just a single teammate, Assan Bazayev. While no country had a 9-man squad, as in the Tour de France, there were nine squads with five a piece: Spain, Italy, Great Britain, the United States, Belgium, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands. At the end of the day, all Vinokourov needed was a bike and the right moment.

Vinokourov rode an Olympic version of his Team Astana Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL4. The only difference in the frame is the paint — neon red, as for all of Specialized’s Olympic riders — and the limited branding that Olympic rules dictate.

Similarly, the Corima wheels that Vino rode were a Carbon Viva S front and a Carbon Aero+ MCC rear, with decaling stripped down to a single logo on each side.

In addition to the number of logos, Olympic rules also specify exactly how tall each logo can be.

The Carbon Aero+ MCC rear wheel lives up to its name with generous serving of carbon fiber. Beyond the 3k/12k 47mm carbon rim, the wheel has a carbon hub and 12 carbon spokes. The rear weighs a claimed 620g.

Vino’s front wheel is somewhat less exotic. The Carbon Viva S uses a 12k carbon rim and 18 metal spokes for a 480g claimed weight

Vino uses a nearly complete SRAM 2012 Red group save the cranks. His S-Works Tarmac SL4 has a 172.5mm S-Works crank with an integrated SRM power meter.

The FSA Plasma Integrated Compact white handlebar and stem boasts a 370g weight.