Pro Bikes of 2017: Tom Boonen's Specialized S-Works Venge ViAS Disc | Cycling Weekly

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We take a look at Tom Boonen's 2017 custom S-Works Venge ViAS Disc.

Classics legend Tom Boonen has been racing aboard this wicked looking Specialized Venge ViAS for the 2017 season.

Immediately, that white and gold paint job stands-out. As it should considering it’s honouring his retirement this year – Boonen plans to depart racing after Paris-Roubaix. He’s angling for his fifth win, which will rocket him into the history books. As if white and gold wasn’t enough, Boonen also has “heroes get remembered, but legends never die” painted on the seat tube.

The ViAS’ frame is as equally smart. Those arches allow it to pass through the air as cleanly as possible.

Despite this, Boonen has opted to run a standard cockpit setup. The ViAS usually has an integrated front end, but it could be that the Belgian powerhouse doesn’t find it stiff enough when he’s putting the power down.

As equally interesting is Boonen’s choice of Shimano’s R9170 hydraulic Dura-Ace groupset. He’s been an advocate of discs from the start, having success already this year.

That in itself is nothing unusual, and Future Shock is available on the consumer model of the Specialized Roubaix. For these, the spring comes in three different weights.

However, Specialized says that Boonen has been experimenting with how stiff he runs his front end, so chances are, what he raced at Flanders is a lot stiffer than what you or I could buy.

There are other features of the consumer bike that Boonen has chosen to forgo, too. For example, the stock option comes with a CG-R seat post, which uses special inserts to make the ride more comfortable thanks to its added vertical compliance.

Whether Boonen feels this doesn’t suit his riding, we’re not sure, but either way, he has chosen to not use it.

In the end, though, it wasn’t to be in Flanders for Boonen, who suffered two bouts of bad luck with just 40km to go. The Classics legend suffered a mechanical at the bottom of the Taaienberg before quickly suffering a second on his replacement bike.

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