For the 2016 Tour de France, Specialized produced a custom-painted Venge for German sprinter Marcel Kittel - Nick Legan
Apparently Kittel had much to do with the aesthetic of the bike, working closely with Specialized artists to produce this impressive finish. For gearing, the German is using 53/39 rings and an 11-25 cassette - Nick Legan
Specialized produced a coordinating Romin Evo saddle to maintain the look top to bottom. Kittel's seat height is a lofty 80.4 centimeters - Nick Legan
Small details dotted the frame and fork - Nick Legan
Even the cutout on the down tube for the front brake received the motif colors and lines - Nick Legan
Specialized mentioned that they have updated the brakes on the Venge, with tighter tolerance bushings, new materials and different springs - Nick Legan
Some have vocally criticized the brakes on the Venge and before the start of the Tour, Specialized was on hand with new versions - Nick Legan
Kittel is very particular about his handlebars and likes them to remain the same between his Tarmac and Venge. His bar of choice is an FSA Energy Compact, measuring 42cm outside-outside - Nick Legan
Kittel, like others in the peloton, love Zipp's Sprint SL stem, here in a 12cm. Team mechanics though have blacked out logos as Zipp is not a sponsor. Seen here is also a new headset cap for the Venge that Specialized is producing for riders not using the integrated ViAS bar/stem - Nick Legan
Shimano's Di2 sprint shifters are de rigueur equipment for many top sprinters on the Japanese firm's components - Nick Legan
Etixx-Quick Step mechanics use very tidy number plate holders that play very nicely with the aero shapes on the Venge - Nick Legan
German sprinting powerhouse Marcel Kittel is on a mission to add to his eight Tour de France stage victories. To do so he’ll need the help of his Etixx-Quick Step teammates, but for an added boost Specialized produced a custom painted Venge aero road bike. Working directly with Kittel on his preferred colors and aesthetic, the result is a beautiful bike with vicious intentions.
Marcel Kittel's Specialized S-Works Venge ViAS
Small details dot the frame, fork, dropouts, saddle and even the cutout on the down tube, there to clear the integrated front brake. While much of Kittel’s bike is what you’d expect to see on any Etixx-Quick Step team bike, with Dura-Ace Di2 and Roval wheels, the bar and stem are noteworthy.
Kittel, like others in the peloton, loves Zipp's Sprint SL stem, here in a 12cm. Team mechanics though have blacked out logos as Zipp is not a sponsor. Seen here is also a new headset cap for the Venge that Specialized is producing for riders not using the integrated ViAS bar/stem - Nick Legan
Because the German likes to use the same handlebars on both his Tarmac and Venge race bikes, his ViAS foregoes the normal integrated bar and stem. Instead an unbranded Zipp Sprint SL stem holds his preferred FSA Energy Compact bar.
This does mean that the cables aren't hidden and therefore the bike is a tad slower aerodynamically. Surely, we’ll see if the tradeoff was worth it for Kittle in the opening stages of this year’s Tour de France.
