Tom Boonen sees Red, as in the new SRAM Red drivetrain and brakes powered by Specialized carbon FACT crankset and solid SRAM Red TT chainrings for more rigidity. Boonen also runs with Zipp 303 Firecrest tubular wheels mounted with FMB Competition CX 25mm tubulars.

As a fresh North Sea wind blew the clouds away from Flanders on Saturday and the tam-tam of the drumbeats sounded for Sunday's for Ronde van Vlaandren, Het Match Boonen & Cancellara, Man on Man. Road Bike Action was on the spot to bring you the inside look at the rigs of the champions as we checked out Big Tom Boonen's Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL4.


For the Ronde van Vlaandren, Tom Boonen's Specialized has the climbs and kilometers charted out on the top tube behind the new Zipp Service Course 140mm stem.


French National Champion Sylvain Chavanel's Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL4 features a snappy rouge bleu and blanc color schème with new red SRAM Red brake hoods.


The devil is in the details with Dutch champion Nicki Terpstra's Roubaix getting a final set-up before Het Ronde.


Gent is a big university town and many students exist on the unique Belgian diet of frites and beer.


Gent's legendary Plum bike shop is no longer a racers mecca, but the shop in the city center (now a Trek dealer) still has some vestiges of it's legendary past.


Downstairs at Plum is the informal Antiek Fiets Museeum, a cool collection of old historic bikes that anyone can visit.


Legendary Belgian road sprinter Rik Van Looy is all smiles next to a poster for Gent's late, great Winterveledrome on the wall of Plum.