Bike at Bedtime - Jakob Fuglsang’s 2013 Tour de France Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL4

Go back to 2013 and race bikes were all about low weight, high stiffness and dialled handling. There wasn’t much in the way of aero on Jakob Fuglsang’s S-Works Tarmac SL4 and this one will please the purists.

While the current S-Works Tarmac is all about balancing low weight with aero gains, the SL4 was more of a mountain machine. This was the bike that the climbers like Fuglsang turned to and his build features some lovely components.

Campagnolo’s Super Record EPS 11-speed groupset is a lovely choice and one detail that we love about this bike is that it uses the old 5-arm chainrings in the standard 53/39 size.

These are mounted on 175mm S-Works carbon cranks and we can’t see a power meter on this bike. Fuglsang was obviously a fan of racing on feel.

The bottom bracket is branded with a CeramicSpeed logo, suggesting that there are some low friction bearings down there.

The wheels are from French brand Corima and feature a distinct spoke lacing pattern which, along with the shallow rim depth, kept the wheels light. The tubular tyres, from what we can see, are completely unbranded. A close inspection of the tread suggests that these are Veloflex.

While we’re down at the wheels, let’s take the chance to admire these lovely hubs, glistening in the Corsican sunshine. Why did all hubs start coming in black? We’re not sure.

The Campagnolo Record brakes house a pair of Corima-specific brake blocks.

FSA supplies a lot of the frame’s finishing kit with a carbon seatpost, stem and handlebar. Fuglsang goes for the pro's choice of white bar tape. When you’re not cleaning your bike, it doesn’t matter.

An unbranded yet distinctly Fizik saddle sits atop the seatpost. Fuglsang opts for the carbon rail version of the Aliante VS. Handily, the colour ties in nicely with the rest of the bike.