Cannondale System Six Team Barloworld Ex-pro Enrico Degano 2007
You will probably wonder what this bike does on my website, since it has nothing to do with vintage bikes. You are absolutely right, but this bike is something very special! It's the former Cannondale System Six team bike which belonged to former pro Enrico Degano. This bike was used during the 2007 season and even participated in the tour de France that same year.
Enrico Degano is a former Italian cyclist. He was known as a good sprinter and rode for the Italian team Barloworld, Mercato Uno and Ceramiche Panaria outfit during his career. During his active career as a pro cyclist he won five stages during the Langkawi tour, one stage in the Tour of Slovenia and one stage in the Tour of Croatia.
Enough about Degano, let's go back to this fantastic bike. The Cannondale System Six was a revolutionary model in 2007. Carbon was still new and Cannondale was very busy experimenting with this material. The System Six was their top of the line race bike and was manufactured in their Bedford, USA factory, instead of Taiwan or China where almost all frames are produced nowadays. Not only did the frame look very progressive for that time, it is also a special marriage between a carbon front end and an aluminium rear. The front half is made from high-modulus undirectional carbon, while the remaining bits are made from the company’s well proven CAAD9 aluminium frame.
The bike itself is still in a good, used condition. It has some battle scars here and there, but nothing really disturbing. Especially if you take into account that this bike was actually used during races. As it should be with a former team bike with Italian roots, it is assembled with the best components that were possible at the time. In this case it is a complete Campagnolo Record Titanium groupset pared with Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL wheels which are both still in a very good condition. Also have a look at the original team photos that I have attached. In all these photos you can see Degano with exactly this bike!