See also: TV schedule and time conversions for Tour Down Under
Here's Lance Armstrong's photo of his just-delivered Trek Madone 6.9 delivered from Madison to Adelaide for the Tour Down Under.
In posting this to TwitPic (higher resolution photo), Armstrong quizzed his Twitter followers about the two special numbers appearing on the frame — 1274 and 27.5.
The “1274” on the seat tube corresponds to the number of days Armstrong has gone without a pro cycling race. The “27.5” represents the 27.5 million people worldwide who have died from cancer in that time.
More numbers
[It was revealed that “FSU2009” is etched below the bottom bracket; he has said that's personal.]
I don't see the number on the bike, but it could also have a 15 — the weight of the bike in pounds.
There's another significant number for Armstrong — “10/2” — that became the name of a Nike line of sportswear back in 2005. Do you remember what that signifies? In a press release on VeloNews, Armstrong says:
“October 2, 1996. The day it all changed. The day I started never to take anything for granted. The day I learned to take charge of my life. It was the day I was diagnosed with cancer.”
Nike donated $1 from the sale of every piece of 10//2 clothing to the Lance Armstrong Foundation for the battle against cancer.
The bike
According to James Huang at Cycling News, the bike is essentially the same bike, except for the paint job, that his Astana teammates will ride.
The bike is a “fully standard 58cm Madone 6.9 frame pulled directly off the production line,” Huang writes. “Armstrong will use the standard team build kit consisting of SRAM Red and Bontrager wheels and cockpit components. Almost assuredly, the bike will also be topped with Armstrong's signature Selle San Marco Concor Lite saddle.”
And yet more about Armstrong's bike at CyclingNews: Lance Armstrong's Trek Madone 6.9 Livestrong posted on Jan. 21.
First ride
Armstrong went for a ride around Adelaide on his first full day on Austalian soil. Sharing his ride were 2-time TDU champ Stuart O'Grady, retired TDU champ Patrick Jonker and under-23 national road and time trial champion Jack Bobridge.
More color from this ride at the Herald-Sun.
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