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To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Giro d’Italia, organizers of the 2009 event unveiled a surprise, a throwback route favouring raw power over the usual modern day tactics. Gruelling mountain stages occurred unusually early. The longest, hardest time trial in more than a decade exposed the weak. It was the ultimate test of man and machine and it all came down to this: Which rider, which team and which bike could best live up to this blunt challenge? In the end, the answers were clear: Denis Menchov, Team Rabobank and Giant TCR Advanced SL. Menchov’s journey to the coveted maglia rosa, the pink jersey awarded to the Giro winner, commenced long before the race start in Venice. It began at a team training camp in January, when the partnership between Giant and Rabobank took flight. That’s when Menchov first swung a leg over the TCR Advanced SL, the bike he would later ride to victory in
Italy. It’s also when the quiet Russian first laid eyes on the unique Giant prototype Trinity Advanced SL bike that would later carry him across the Giro’s final finish line in Rome. Long before Menchov raced the Giro, there were questions to address. There were technological issues to consider. Like most pro road racers, Menchov obsesses over equipment. He constantly pushes boundaries to gain a competitive edge. He has to, his job depends on it. Giant engineers and product developers share this obsession. The feedback and the results of Giant sponsored pros inform the never ending process of improving the bikes you ride. It’s a collaborative effort.
channel directly into the ongoing development process,” said Wollny. “Ultimately, those riders benefit from the advancements.” Hundreds of details go into the creation of a Giant performance bike, all before it ever hits the market. So, the next time you’re pushing your limits on a Giant bicycle, rest assured that athletes like Menchov, athletes whose jobs depend on performance, have had plenty to say about it.
Ride Life. Ride Giant. Photo: Cor Vos
our values | Push the Boundaries
PUSH the boundaries Giant Team Technical Manager Andy Wollny interacts with Rabobank pros on a daily basis; he’s the conduit between engineers and athletes such as Menchov, Robert Gesink and three-time world champion Óscar Freire. “We get constant feedback, which we
Andy Wollny, Giant Team technical manager
Rabobank’s Denis Menchov recovered from a crash in the final-stage time trial of the 2009 Giro d’Italia and stormed to victory in Rome aboard his Trinity Advanced SL.