Pro Bike Gallery: Peter Sagan’s worlds-winning Specialized Tarmac

Peter Sagan rode quietly until the last kilometers at worlds before he unleashed an attack no one could counter. Here's the bike he rode.

September 28, 2015 Dan Cavallari

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Pro — Peter Sagan was almost a ghost for much of the race in Richmond, but when it mattered most, he powered his Specialized Tarmac to victory to claim gold. Photo: @chrisriekert

Pro — Oleg Tinkov had kind words for Sagan after his Worlds victory, calling him “the beast.” Photo: @chrisriekert

Pro — Deep dish Roval carbon wheels are wrapped in Specialized Turbo tires to handle the rigors of the Richmond course, which includes cobbled sections as well as plenty of fast straightaways. Photo: @chrisriekert

In what has shaped up to be a bridesmaid season for Sagan, he climbed to the top step of the podium with authority, breaking away from the peloton in the final kilometers. Photo: @chrisriekert

Sagan’s S-Works Tarmac has a custom paint job to give the Slovakian sprinter even more flash on the course. Photo: @chrisriekert

Look carefully and you’ll spot shift buttons on the drops so Sagan can throw the hammer down without moving his hands too far. Photo: @chrisriekert

Pro — That long stem is cinched down with a Body Geometry top cap, indicating Sagan has gone through a thorough fitting to find the right position for power and comfort. Photo: @chrisriekert

Pro — A touch of national pride decorates Sagan’s seat tube. Photo: @chrisriekert

Pro — Not surprisingly, Sagan sports a long stem and a deep handlebar drop to get him in an aggressive sprint position. Photo: @chrisriekert

Pro — Long, sleek, and carbon: there’s plenty of reach for an aggressive sprint position. Photo: @chrisriekert

Pro — With low-end power like Sagan’s, the bottom bracket area of the frame needs to be exceptionally stiff to ensure power transfer. Photo: @chrisriekert

Pro — The mostly-flat Richmond course still had a few punchy climbs, so Sagan opted for a 53-39 chainring combo. Photo: @chrisriekert

Pro — Di2 up front works in conjunction with an FSA crankset. Photo: @chrisriekert

Pro — Sagan uses Shimano’s Dura-Ace Di2 drivetrain for smooth shifts. Photo: @chrisriekert

Pro — More Dura-Ace rounds off the build. Photo: @chrisriekert

Prologo provides the saddle on Sagan’s Tarmac. Photo: @chrisriekert

Pro — Though he’s been spotted with bright green Look Keo pedals in the past, Sagan opted for the more subdued custom colors on his Worlds bike. Photo: @chrisriekert

Pro — Virginia is also for Slovakia this year. Photo: @chrisriekert

About the Author

Dan Cavallari

Dan Cavallari was the technical editor at VeloNews from 2015 through 2020. Before that, he was a writer and photographer, a high school English teacher, and a longtime bicycle mechanic at shops between Maine and Arizona. He lives outside of Denver, Colorado and loves knobby tires, good bourbon, and guitars.