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2002 pro team bike review
This year's models
By John Stevenson, technical editor
Welcome to Cyclingnews' review of the bikes the pros will be riding in the 2002 season. Over the next few weeks we'll bring you a selection of images and specifications of this year's pro mounts – in other words, a feast of veritable bike porn.
Telekom's Pinarello Prince SL
For starters, here's Team Telekom's Pinarello Prince LS. Telekom and Pinarello go for the 'customise it' philosophy, building a unique frame for each rider, and indulging rider preferences like Jan Ullrich's affection for the older Campagnolo Record levers and Erik Zabel's new bike for Milan-San Remo.
CSC-Tiscali's Look KG381i
The second of our 2002 bikes is Look's all-black CSC-Tiscali team issue KG 381i. This menacing carbon lightweight is fully Dura-Aced up from the wheels to the shifters and is also supplied as a custom-build for each rider. Take a look (sorry) and find out what crank length Laurent Jalabert uses!
AG2r Prévoyance's Décathlon Penta Pro
A large French-based chain of sports stores, Décathlon isn't the sort of brand you immediately associate in the same company as Colnago and Look. But since the start of its association with the AG2r Prévoyance team, Décathlon has genuinely made an effort to supply the team with the best possible bikes and AG2r's Décathlon Penta Pro is the latest in the development line.
Mapei's Colnago C40
A legend of the peloton, ridden by one of the most powerful teams in pro racing and of course we can't resist a mention of the way spare bikes just happen to be lying around at the roadside when a team member needs a spare Mapei team issue Colnago C40.
Lotto-Adecco's Litespeed Titanium Vortex
Litespeed titanium bikes have been present in the European peloton for several years, but always rebadged as other people's bikes. 2002 is the first time Litespeeds have actually carried their own decals, and the bike builder from Chattanooga, Tennessee is understandably proud of Lotto-Adecco's Litespeed Titanium Vortex bikes.
Acqua&Sapone Specialized S-Works E5
With this year's association with an Italian team, things have come full circle for Specialized. Although it's perhaps best known as a pioneer of production mountain bikes, Specialized started as a small import business, with founder Mike Sinyard bringing Italian components into California. For 2002, then, Mario Cipollini's team will be aboard Acqua&Sapone Specialized S-Works E5s.
Team Coast's Bianchi EV4
Celeste is the bike colour for 'the other German Division 1 team' for 2002 and with Angel Casero in the squad, Coast must be hoping they'll have a better year aboard the Team Coast Bianchi EV4
Saturn's LeMond titanium
For 2002 the women of the all-conquering Saturn team, and their US-based male counterparts, are aboard frames bearing the name of the last great American cycling legend. Saturn's head mechanic gave us all the details on Saturn's LeMond titaniums.
Saeco's Cannondale
It seems to be the year for transatlantic team/bike maker partnerships, but Cannondale and Saeco was the first such combo. The culmination of one of the longest-running partnerships between team and bike maker is this year's Saeco Cannondale CAAD7
Navigators Colnago CT-1
Here's another transatlantic partnership, but this time 'in reverse': an Italian bike maker (some would say the Italian bike maker) and a US team. We think this is the first such partnership and the result is the Navigators Colnago CT-1
La Française des Jeux Lapierre
A French team with a reputation for fighting the anti-doping good fight, and French bike company that's dedicated to helping French racers – it can only be the La Française des Jeux Lapierre.
AIS Trek
Bike sponsors don't just put their hands in their pockets for the high-profile returns of Division I teams. Trek Australia is helping develop riders from the Australian Institute of Sport by supplying AIS Trek 5500s.
Lance Armstrong's US Postal Trek 5900
At last! We've been getting requests for this one ever since we started this series, but it's taken us a while to catch up with the man and his crew. As a bonus for your patience, here's Lance's bike, an interview with his mechanic and a sneak peek at Shimano's next pedal on the US Postal Trek 5900.
Davide Rebellin's Klein Q-Pro Carbon
The top Italian and Gerolsteiner team leader needs a top bike, and this is it, a featherweight, custom-built pro workhorse, aka Gerolsteiner's Klein Q-Pro Carbon.
7UP/Nutrafig's Cannondale CAAD5
With an eclectic mix of parts and some custom features, here's a typical US working pro bike, the 7UP/Nutrafig Cannondale CAAD5
Paul Rowney's Yeti ARC
A small detour into the dirt for a look at a classic cross-country racing mountain bike, Paul Rowney's Yeti ARC
Phonak's BMC
A Swiss team riding innovative Swiss bikes, the Phonak BMC
Scott Sunderland's EDS-fakta's Principia
The top Danish Division II team rides locally-made lightweight bikes, the EDS-fakta Principias
Jonny Sundt's K2 Enemy
We've recently reviewed the out-of-the-box version of the K2 Enemy, so how does pro rider Jonny "The Cat" Sundt hot up a 'cross bike straight off the rack? Jake Frame, The Cat's master mechanic, and Sundt himself lets the cat out of the bag.
Kristin Armstrong's Team T-Mobile Cannondale CAAD7
What better way to unveil your latest road offering than at an early season pro training camp? Cannondale let loose a stable full of their 2003 CAAD7 road machines among Team T-Mobile's squad of eager new recruits at their recent pre-season training camp in Arizona.