At the beginning of this Giro d’Italia critics are sure: Vincenzo Nibali will win. The Kazakh Astana team trusts its champion as well, and in order to celebrate him, as it should be, forewarns Luca Marangon from Lumar Colors, company specialized in bike frame painting, about the painting of Vincenzo’s bike frame in the colour of the primacy: the PINK.

Then Luca Marangon contacts our distributor from Padua, Targa Trade, asking to prepare a particular chrome pink effect.

While Vincenzo’s “engine” is ready to start on the roads of Giro d’Italia, Targa Trade and Lumar Colors would be ready to kick off, but stand by, waiting for a sign from Astana. The celebrative bike will be used only on the last day, during Turin’s parade, in case Vincenzo triumphs, in line with the forecasts.  

However, something seems to go wrong: Vincenzo’s “engine” is not well tuned, sometimes it gets stuck and his performances are not as brilliant as expected. Massimo Targa from Targa Trade and Luca Marangon from Lumar are still waiting, while Vincenzo works hard, he attacks but then is left behind. He has to deal with riders that go faster than he does.

The raw frame is waiting.

Then, on the day of the Time Trial up the Alpe di Siusi, Nibali’s race seems to be over. He gets almost 3 minutes-gap from the winner and 1 minute and a half from the Pink jersey.

Astana keeps the silence, but on the following day, Massimo Targa decides to stop the delays and, in defiance of the superstition, he prepares the colour, creating a superb pink with Lechler’s Brilliant Colors. “Luca, when you like, the colour is ready”. “Send it to me here, even though I fear we won’t need it”.

At Giro critics already celebrate the funerals of the Italian champion, but Vincenzo Nibali seems still to believe in it. He is behind, but he does not give up, he does not fall, and in the 19th leg with destination  Risoul, he rises again and wins! He does not manage to take the pink jersey and Astana’s team doesn’t want to commit itself yet.

The raw frame still waits, but the colour is now ready next to it.

Only a few hours are missing to the end of the race, and a frame painting is neither an easy nor a fast operation. The self-denial and the passion for his job gain the upper hand in Luca Marangon, who, without waiting for Astana’s approval, takes a decision: “I’ll do it!”. So, on Monday, while the unpredictable Vincenzo Nibali climbs towards Sant’Anna di Vinadio and grabs an unexpected pink jersey, the pink frame is done!

The bike frame is ready, but it is in Padua, while the Giro is taking place in Cuneo. How could this story of escapes and pursuits end? Luca Marangon loads the bike in his car and leaves. He reaches at night Astana’s hotel. The mechanics wake up a few hours before the already strict scheduled time and mount the bicycle in a rush.

On Sunday, Vincenzo Nibali is all in pink, bike included.

(source: http://www.cyclinside.it/web/giro-ditalia-2016-e-la-specialized-tarmac-s-works-di-nibali-diventa-rosa-ecco-come)

Thanks to the tenacity, passion and determination he let off on the pedals when everything seemed to go wrong, but also thanks to the passion, determination and commitment of Massimo Targa and Luca Marangon, who have always believed in him and in their own work.