[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
NARRATOR: It is the dream scenario for every cyclist.
JAKOB FUGLSANG: I arrived here in Paris,
riding in front of the peloton with the yellow jersey,
and the team.
That was incredible.
NARRATOR: After nearly three grueling weeks of competition,
the final stage was a victory lap
of sorts for Vincenzo Nibali, cruising
through the streets of Paris with the sport's
pinnacle achievement firmly secured.
LIEUWE WESTRA: We win the tour with Vincenzo--
was very strong.
He's very, very happy now.
VINCENZO NIBALI: [SPEAKING IN ITALIAN]
NARRATOR: Still, for Nibali, his journey to a Tour de France
victory hasn't been entirely smooth.
Considered one of the strongest stage racers in the sport,
Nibali made the decision two years ago
to change teams and join Specialized Racing.
SIMONE TOCCAFONDI: At first, he was presented to us
as a very traditional athlete that
didn't want to change much.
We sat down with him.
We just introduced to him our performance program.
We said to him that we would have basically map
his performance and try to improve it.
We did a full-body geometry fit with him.
We then tested them, and the results were quite good.
So he saw the improvement.
He saw the effort of the company.
He started to ask for more, and we
started to work on different other little things,
like preparing a race from, of course,
like an aerodynamic and equipment perspective.
And things went really well.
The satisfaction has been that the rider has really
considered Specialized as a big part of his success.
NARRATOR: From an early age, cycling
was always a passion for the Sicilian from Messina.
VINCENZO NIBALI: [SPEAKING IN ITALIAN]
NARRATOR: Having celebrated the birth of his first daughter
earlier in the year, Nibali was considered by many
to be a Tour favorite, yet had been in quiet form
for most of the season, posting no race
victories or high finishes.
However, Nibali and Specialized regrouped, with the main goal
being the Tour de France, testing positions, equipment,
and introducing the new Rider-First Engineered Tarmac.
VINCENZO NIBALI: [SPEAKING IN ITALIAN]
NARRATOR: The work by Vincenzo and Specialized
proved crucial in the Tour de France.
Their earlier recon on the pave of northern France
had Nibali fully prepared equipment-wise
for the cobbled sections of stage five,
where he dominated the competition.
Claiming four stage wins on his journey to Paris,
Vincenzo became the first Italian
to win the Tour de France in 16 years and one of only six
riders who have won all three Grand Tours.