Wilier has released images of the bike that Mark Cavendish will be riding at this year’s edition of the Tour de France. The special edition Wilier Filante SLR bike deviates from the standard Astana Qazaqstan Team paint job. Instead bringing a flourish of colour to a bike that Cavendish will surely be hoping crosses the line first on at least one occasion.
Coming into this year's race Cavendish is on the cusp of doing something that has never been done in the previous 110 editions of the race. Claiming a record-breaking 35th stage win. Cavendish currently sits tied in joint first place on 34 stage wins with arguably the greatest name in the history of the sport; Eddy Merckx. When he lines up at the start in Florence on Saturday there will surely be one thing on Cavendish’s mind.
If you want to read more about the rest of the bikes in this year's Tour de France, check out our Tour de France bikes guide for a breakdown of every team's equipment. And if you really feel like treating yourself our guide to how much a Tour de France bike costs will give you an idea of what you can expect to pay for one.
The Filante SLR is Wilier's dedicated aero bike with the newly launched Verticale SLR taking up responsibilities as the brand's lightweight, climbing-focused bike. As a man on a mission, the faster Filante SLR is Cavendishes natural choice. When asked about his special edition bike Cavendish said;
“Filante SLR is the perfect bike for me, but I wanted something more.”
“Everyone has their own taste and that's why I love to add my own touch to the bikes I use, as they have been an inseparable part of my professional life for 20 years now.”
On his last trip to Wilier’s headquarters back in March Cavendish recalls seeing a picture, although the attached press material doesn't expand on what it was exactly that struck a chord and as a result, he asked if it would be possible to use it on the front of his Filante SLR.
When he got his hands on the finished product Cavendish said, “After a couple of months I found myself handling this Filante SLR which is spectacular, to say the least - perfectly in line with my expectations. They’ve done a great job, which has just given me extra motivation for my next Tour de France”
The colours that make up this striking design all represent moments and victories from Cavendish’s illustrious career—starting with the green that symbolises the Tour de France green jersey that he has won on two separate occasions.
Cavendish actually received a custom white, black and gold bike around this time last year in what we then thought was his final crack at the Tour de France. This year's model looks to pull out all the stops. Like last year's model Cavendish's personal brand name 'CVNDSH' is printed onto each fork leg too.
The splashes of yellow celebrate his time in the yellow jersey as overall leader of the Tour de France. Rounding out the bold colour palette are blue, red and black flourishes that along with the green and yellow symbolise the colours of the UCI rainbow bands awarded to World Champions. This is a nod to his own victory at the Copenhagen World Road Race Championships back in 2011.
It is not just Cavendish that has access to this special edition frameset, however. Wilier is making the CVNDSH edition available to purchase until 31 December 2024. We don't have pricing currently, but this is one way to remember the greatest sprinter of all time.
