Steel Frames in the Tour de France

[Old Ned]

Found this site with lots of info on Merckx frames etc. including a mention of the GAN Arcabaleno steel frames in '98 on the page linked.

Seems like an interesting site in general.

http://www.tearsforgears.com/search/label/team%20colors

 

[lost in france]

he great Eros Poli in 1999 riding for Credit Agricole on a look stickered steel bike??


can't prove it thow

Van petegem won flanders on an 853 gazelle back in 1999 while riding for TVM, but i don't think they used them for le tour

 

[CTK]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Scapin-EOS-Pr...39:1|66:2|65:12|240:1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

This Scapin EOS for sale on ebay.co.uk as used (possibly) in the TDF 99/00-

If it was 56cm I wouldnt be posting a link!!

 

[lelobysfoot]

Site

Theres a great little article by Gladys Hopkins on 'Drillium' on that Tearsforgears site.

Some fantastic photos of exotic gear too.

Thanks.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

O'Grady also won a sprint into Grenoble, but I can't find anything that would prove one way or another if he was on steel or Ti.

At the bike jumble yesterday I spent a little while thumbing through some old magazines. I didn't buy any (my bag was full to bursting already) but I did find a number of pictures of the '98 Tour. All the pictures of the GAN squad that were clear enough to pick one way or the other showed titanium frames, some (Boardman and O'Grady in particular) with a "titane" decal clearly visible on the top tube.

So that currently leaves 1997 as the most recent certain date that a steel frame was ridden in the Tour. I'd love to learn of a proven later sighting.

 

[pigman]

possibly ulrich 2003 tour with bianchi (you said rumours). What I do know is that his bike was made by a swiss builder for him specially using tubing specc'ed by him and had never seen the bianchi factory. Some one once old me it was made using the lightest steel available, but from that date I'm inclined to believe it was aluminium.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

(you said rumours)

I said plausible rumours...



I tend to think that if a steel frame had been ridden to a podium place six years after the last confirmed sighting of a steel frame in the Tour, someone might have suggested it before.

But I'd love it to be true. Any supporting evidence?

 

[cchris2lou]

possibly ulrich 2003 tour with bianchi (you said rumours). What I do know is that his bike was made by a swiss builder for him specially using tubing specc'ed by him and had never seen the bianchi factory. Some one once old me it was made using the lightest steel available, but from that date I'm inclined to believe it was aluminium.

one of the most famous swiss frame builder is Alain ferraroli , he used to make incredible bikes in the early 90s . they all were steel and very lightweight .
later on he was working for the phonak team .

 

[one-eyed_jim]

Here are a couple of reasonably detailed snaps of Ullrich in '03. The first is from the final stage in Paris:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49793621@N ... 0/sizes/l/

and the second a mountain stage, presumably l'Alpe d'Huez:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/watchdog/32969229/sizes/o/

And here's what Bianchi say he was riding:

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/tech.php ... hi_Ullrich

What do we think?

 

[pigman]

looking at the first photo with the all- celeste frame, i'd go for aluminium cos of the buging headtube for the headset cups.

The last photo, bianchi shoot I reckon isnt his bike. It looks too small given the size it quotes and if you look at the other photos, the headtube is much longer.

I once read an interview with ullrich where he said all his frames pre-carbon were made by his favourite swiss frame builder, so I'm happy to go with his being a bianchi in name only.
however steel or not is still unresolved??