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News :: The Killer's Nude (Bianchi FG Lite)

20 January 2006

The Killer's Nude (Bianchi FG Lite)

D. Di Luca, ProTour Winner 2005, photo: Liquigas

The 2005 ProTour Champion, Danilo Di Luca, will ride in the nude for 2006. The Killer will exchange the all white Bianchi that he rode for most of last year, in honor of his white ProTour jersey, for a striped down version of the Bianchi FG Lite.

Bianchi engineers and Di Luca (30) decided to leave his machine unpainted for a minimalist look but adding some special lettering: D. Di Luca, ProTour Winner 2005. "My reactions are mostly spontaneous and instinctive, rather than calculated, both in race and in life: for my bicycle I choose simple design features ... " explained the Italian.

Di Luca with New Frame, photo: Liquigas

The nude sub 1Kg frame was first rolled out at the 2005 Giro di Lombardia for The Killer to test. Over the winter he made a couple of visits to the Bianchi factory in Treviglio (Lombardia) to provide input to the engineers. They made some slight refinements and now the 2006 version is ready for winning races. "I've fined-tune this bicycle together with the Bianchi technicians and I've been thinking about it race by race. That's an extraordinary bicycle for sure ..." said The Killer

Also Bianchi Celeste

Complete Machine, photo: Liquigas

The rest of the Liquigas team will be on frames in the classic celeste color that is recognized world wide as the "Bianchi color". The 2006 FG Lite (FG being the initials for Felice Gimondi) edition has been upgraded so that it extrudes more rigidity while keeping lightness. Engineers fabricated the frames from 7000 series Hyperalloy aluminum, alloyed with zinc and magnesium.

The frames are currently being race-tested for the first time in 2006 at the Tour Down Under. New Liquigas signing, Luca Paolini, and the rest of the Liquigas crew are hammering on the frames under the hot Australian sun. "The bicycle was perfect during the race," said Daniele Colli, who finished 2nd behind Robbie McEwen in the opening race.

If you are interested in riding a Bianchi like the Liquigas squadra, then check out the RBK - RulloBike.com website. (In December we had a chance to preview the new 1400 square meter space of RBK - RulloBike.com in Como and it was truly impressive. Read: RBK - RulloBike.com ... Como and the World.)

Read:
Magnus Backstedt Tests Bianchi D2 Crono, 13 December
Buy The Killer's Weapon, 19 November
Liquigas-Bianchi: Tour de France Plans and a New Yellow Bianchi, 29 June
Di Luca's Steed, All White Bianchi, 3 June
Di Luca On A New Felice Gimondi Bike, 16 April

20 January News ...