Bianchi introduces Tour de France Oltre RC road bike

Italy’s Bianchi has unveiled a Tour de France version of its Oltre RC road bike in a limited edition run of just 176. Why 176? Because that’s the number of riders who’ll start the Tour in Bilbao on 1st July.

The Oltre RC was launched last October and hit the headlines for its removable Air Deflectors – said to improve the aero performance – attached to the sides of the head tube. Those Air Deflectors aren’t UCI-legal so you won’t see them on the Arkea Samsic bikes raced in the Tour.

> Bianchi unveils radical new Oltre road bike with ‘Air Deflector’ aero tech 

“For this special occasion, the Bianchi Reparto Corse has developed a new exclusive colour scheme, starting with the unmistakable Celeste Bianchi and transforming it with shifting shades, adorned with metallic and iridescent effects,” says Bianchi.

“It is a modern version of the traditional Celeste Bianchi, harmoniously merging with the iridescent yellow-gold, the iconic symbol of the Tour de France. Each of the 176 models of the Oltre RC Tour de France Limited Edition is hand-painted in Italy, with the Grande Boucle logo positioned on the right side of the seat tube.”

The bike is built up with a Shimano Dura Ace Di2 groupset and Reparto Corse RC50 front and RC65 rear wheels.

Each bike comes in a box that contains a yellow jersey from Santini, a saddle cover, wheel bags, a letter signed by Bianchi's CEO, and “a book showcasing images and stories detailing all the aspects of the Oltre RC Tour de France Limited Edition”. You get an ownership card bearing your name and a number from 1 to 176, which is also displayed on the frame.

The price is €15,500 (around £13,280) + VAT. Well, it was never going to be cheap, was it?

Find out more here.