Art bike...

LANCE ARMSTRONG TO RIDE TREK ART BIKE CUSTOMIZED BY RENOWNED DESIGNER MARC NEWSON IN TOUR DE FRANCE LAUNCH IN MONACO ON JULY 4

To help raise awareness for LANCE ARMSTRONG’s mission to bring heightened global attention to the cancer burden and his anti-cancer art show STAGES, which will open its doors in Paris on July 16, world-renowned designer MARC NEWSON has created a special TREK time trial art bike for Lance’s debut ride on the Tour de France on July 4 in Monaco.

Lance made history in 2005 when he rode an artist-designed Trek TTX in his final run in the Tour de France before retiring, and his return to professional racing in 2009 has been marked by a series of artist-designed bikes as a continuation of this groundbreaking collaboration with the creative community. For the commencement of the Tour de France, it is only fitting that an artist of Newson’s stature customize the ride of cycling’s most accomplished racer and cancer’s most outspoken advocate.

Born in Sydney, Australia in 1963, and based in London, Marc Newson is a revolutionary designer whose work in the fields of aerospace, furniture, product, jewelry, interior, and vehicle design have earned him countless accolades from the design community. He counts companies like Nike, Ford, Dom Pérignon, Cappellini, Qantas, Samsonite and Jaeger Le Coultre among his A-list clientele, and Newson's now iconic “Lockheed Lounge” remains the most expensive piece of furniture ever sold at auction. In 2005, he was selected as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people. In 2007, he completed the cabin design for Spaceplane, a sub orbital spacecraft to be produced by EADS Astrium, scheduled to take passengers into space beginning in 2012. His work is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, London’s Design Museum, Musée national d'Art moderne-Centre Georges Pompidou, and the Vitra Design Museum. He is represented by Gagosian Gallery.

As his first run on the Tour de France after retiring from professional racing three years ago, the opening time trial will be one of the most high-profile moments in Lance's historic comeback and one appropriately commemorated by Newson's graphic treatment. Featuring subtle flat black paint offset by glossy contrast details including Newson's “Stroboscopic” rear wheel design that appears to pulse as it spins, the bike brings a new level of design sophistication to the most legendary cycling event in the world while simultaneously flying the flag of cancer awareness in Livestrong yellow. (Read more...)