The Bike details
Description
This one came home in 2022.
The 1998 Giant ONCE is a truly iconic model, instantly recognizable among a thousand with its radical compact geometry. At a time when everyone rode traditional frames, this bike was an absolute game-changer, blending futuristic looks with pure performance.
Out on the road, it is hands down one of the lightest and stiffest frames I have ever owned. It delivers an incredibly responsive, snappy ride and aggressive power transfer that still puts many modern bikes to shame today.
Close up
My built
Giant TCR Aluminium frame & fork
Mavic Ksyrium
Campagnolo record 10
Rotor 3D Crank
KCNC
Burrows aero seatpost
8,3 kg
The bike story
During the 1998 and 1999 seasons, the mighty Spanish ONCE-Deutsche Bank squad unleashed this yellow weapon to completely terrorize the professional peloton. Ridden by ruthless champions like Laurent Jalabert, Alex Zülle, and Abraham Olano, this bike was at the center of the sport's biggest power moves.
The bike famously carried Olano to a dramatic overall victory at the 1998 Vuelta a España and propelled Laurent Jalabert as he dominated the world rankings, crushing opponents in the mountains and time trials alike. Initially banned by the UCI for its "untraditional" shape, this Giant TCR overcame the authorities to prove its total mechanical superiority, forever cementing the ONCE yellow train as the catalyst for the modern compact race bike.
The image gallery
- Giant TCR Once
- Jaja le Panda
- 1998
- Tour de France
- Giant