Tommasini Tecno Extra Team Grassi Mapei Team Bike 1996

Team Mapei is notoriously known for their domination in the second half of the 1990s. What is less know is that Mapei sponsored also an amateur team called GS Grassi Mapei. Some great riders wore the red and green jersey in the beginning of their career. The biggest star among them was certainly Paolo Bettini, the future World chamipon, Olympic winner and possibly the best classics specialist of late 90s. Our Tommasini Tecno Super stems from the same year as Bettini joined the team and it belonged to Mirko Lauria.

It is based on an equisite frame. Still made of steel, it was designed to compete against spreading aluminium and even carbon rivals. To be able to do so, it had to be exceptionaly light and rigid. This was acchieved by using custom version of Columbus Genius tubes, which were round but of rhombic shape at the ends, where they were TIG welded together. Another details like the lugged dropouts or the robust (and beautiful) seat cluster add to the rigidity too. And the chromed unicrown fork with simple Tommasini logos is just as elegant.

Being and amateur team bike, you would perhaps expect some compromises and savings have been made but you would be wrong by this one. On the contrary, the best possible frame is equipped with best racing parts available - Campagnolo Record Titanium 9-speed groupset. And in this case it is really the whole groupset including the rather rare seatpost and front hub with sealed bearings. It is then completed with ITM Goccia stem, red anodized FIR rims and Vetta saddle. To make the bike ready to hit the road again with full force, we have put some brand new handmade Tufo tires on.

An authentic team bike which still amazes how well it rides, even after some 25 years.