Lance is back ... And cancer doesn't stand a chance.
In 2009, after three years of retirement, Lance Armstrong exploded into the pro peloton and proved he’s still the force to reckon with. Upon announcing his intention to return to professional cycling, Lance offered two overwhelming motivations: the desire to win more Grand Tours and to support of his global cancer-fighting initiative, the Lance Armstrong Foundation. When Lance asked Trek to help promote his campaign, we knew we were up to the task.
1274 : 27.5
The result? On Lance's new custom painted Trek bikes you'll notice two significant numbers - 1274 and 27.5. The former signifies the number of days Armstrong was in retirement. During this time, nearly 27.5 million people worldwide succumbed to cancer. 27.5 - it's a huge number, a huge battle, but one we're proud to help Lance fight.
Bikes with a Mission
Madone:
KAWS
Equinox TTX:
Kenny Scharf
Madone:
Shepard Fairey
Speed Concept:
Marc Newson
Speed Concept:
Yoshitomo Nara
Madone:
Damien Hirst
What is STAGES?
STAGES is a global art exhibition and a celebration of human potential, inspired by Lance and dedicated to his fight against cancer. As part of STAGES, Trek, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Nike and some of the most recognized and influential contemporary artists from across the globe teamed up to create a unique collection of bicycles that blur the lines separating art, culture, and technology.
The exhibition opened in Paris at the conclusion of this summer’s Tour de France before traveling to New York in October. On November 1st, seven fully custom, one-of-a-kind Trek Madone, TTX and Speed Concept bikes were auctioned off, generating an unprecedented $1.25 million for the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s fight against cancer.
Join the fight. LIVESTRONG.
The Collaboration
Trek has a rich tradition of partnering with Lance Armstrong to outfit him with custom-painted bikes, starting with the "Sabreline" Project One bike Lance briefly rode during the 2002 Tour de France. For the rest of his career - and even after retirement - Lance has more or less ridden Project One painted bikes. That's why after he announced his intention to return to professional cycling in 2009, it was natural for Trek's Creative Group to begin working on a new set of custom-painted bikes for Lance. During a conversation with Trek's President John Burke, Lance discussed the importance of the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign and his desire to link the best Contemporary Artists working today with Trek in an effort to raise awareness and generate funds to benefit LIVESTRONG.
Trek responded by providing each selected artist with consultation to describe fabrication possibilities based on Trek's custom-formulated coatings. The artists were briefed on traditional paint and airbrush techniques as well as masking and decal options in order to pick the methods best suited for each design. Each Bicycle was uniquely handled - some frames were decorated strictly with paint, some required extensive decal work, while others hybridized production techniques and pushed the envelope of aesthetic possibility on a bicycle.
The end results speak for themselves - beautiful bikes with a mission.
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At the Lance Armstrong Foundation, we inspire and empower people affected by cancer. We believe that unity is strength, knowledge is power and attitude is everything.