One of Fabian Cancellara's race bikes from his final season has been sold at auction for £13,708.
The Trek Domane SLR, replete with Cancellara's race number, Trek-Segafredo decals and a sticker on the stem denoting the Tour of Flanders climbs, was sold through online auctioner Catawiki.
The £13,708 Trek Domane SLR
Cancellara, who is a three-time winner of both the Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubaix, eventually came second in the race to Peter Sagan, but after the event his bike was handed over to the Belgian TV broadcaster Sporza as part of a competition.
But with the number, stickers, and a personalised paint scheme that lists all of Cancellara's Classics victories, the bike became a collector's item, and when listed on the auction site it easily surpassed its original value. Bidding on the bike started at a mere £42, but sold for £13,708, to - unsurprisingly - a Belgian.
'Cancellara is one of the greatest cyclists of all time,' said Mark Borgman of Catawiki. 'His career came to an end last year after proving once again his almost untouchable status as a time trial cyclist when he won gold in Rio de Janeiro. The interest in his bike was fantastic with bidders from all over Europe fighting for their own prize to become the new owner. Eventually, the highest bid came in from a Belgian cycling fan.'
Cancellara handing the bike over on TV