It often happens that professional racing bikes are auctioned off. Last November, for example some racing bikes of the Groupama-FDJ team offered for auctionlike the Lapierre Xelius that Thibaut Pinot rode in his last Tour de France - successful bid of 12,600 euros. On the auction platform Catawiki there is once again a very special collector's item up for grabs: a racing bike from the Pope.
Pinarello Dogma F12: Gift from Egan Bernal to Pope Francis
Egan Bernal paid Pope Francis a visit at the Vatican in June 2021 after his victory at the Giro d'Italia. The Colombian presented the Argentinian head of the church with a Pinarello Dogma F12. In keeping with Francis' origins, the bike is painted in white and celeste - the national colours of Argentina. A small sun can also be seen on the fork, as it appears in the flag of the South American country.
The Pinarello Dogma F12 in frame size 53 is equipped with mechanical Shimano Ultegra, Vision wheels and Pirelli P Zero tyres. The auction will run until Sunday evening. As of Thursday 16:04, the highest bid for the Papst-Pinarello is 9000 euros. A purchase price of 25,000 to 30,000 euros is expected. If you want to bid, you can do so here: https://www.catawiki.com/en/l/78951653-pinarello-dogma-f12-special-edition-egan-bernal-x-pope-francis-race-bicycle-2021
Egan Bernal's pink jersey will also be auctioned off
The same seller is also offering the pink jersey that the winner of the 2019 Tour de France gave to the Pope in 2021 - current bid 340 euros. The jersey has a special dedication and has been signed by Bernal.
The Ineos Grenadiers pro, who is himself a devout Catholic, described his audience with the Pope in 2021 as the "most beautiful experience" of his life, more important than winning a stage of the Giro d'Italia.
