Seemingly within hours of Lucinda Brand winning the 2021 UCI world cyclocross championships, Trek had a custom-painted bike for her to ride in the few remaining races of the season before she took to her road bike.
In addition to the ’cross worlds, Brand also won many other elite races in 2021, including three World Cups, the overall UCI World Cup series, the Superprestige Series, and the X2O Trophy series.
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Flash-forward a few months to the coming ’cross season — which gets underway this weekend in Trek’s backyard — and the world champion has an updated Trek Boone with a few special touches that you or I just cannot get as part of Trek’s ProjectOne customization program.
Rainbows and gold paint — which at first glance make this bike look dirty when viewed from afar — are the livery for the world champion’s team-issue bike.
While the majority of the frame was splashed with shiny paint flecks, the bold Trek branding glitters in the sun.
While Brand’s palmarès is impressive, it lacked a world championship win until this year.
Brand’s hometown in The Netherlands is Dordrecht. Those from Dordrecht are nicknamed “sheep heads.”
While Brand spent several years away from her home, she returned this year and reconnected with her roots.
Brand is also talented on a road bike.
Racing with Trek-Segafredo Women on the road, she won the overall at the 2021 Thüringen Ladies Tour — winning stages 3 and 5 — and also won the QOM classification at this year’s Giro Rosa.
Below the IsoSpeed Decoupler — that little diamond at the seat cluster, which allows the seat tube to move almost independently from the top tube to provide some comfort — are some noticeable stripes.
The fork on Brand’s Trek Boone also gets the world champ treatment.
Will any of Brand’s competition get to see the front of the stem on her Trek Boone?
Bontrager Aeolus RSL 37 wheels with Dugast tires freshly wrapped around them.
Handmade tubular tires are still common on pros’ bikes.
A 170mm SRAM Red crank turns a 38-tooth chainring.
Baloise-Trek Lions component partner SRAM also gets a golden paint treatment.
Brake lines are routed internally, at the front of the head tube, which gives this special bike a very tidy appearance.
New bike day even makes world champions smile.