In a field of black saddles at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, there's one that stands out.
It's flashy, transparent, and eye-catchingly different.
Fitted to the yellow bike of the race leader, Kim Le Court-Pienaar, a new-look S-Works saddle has entered the peloton.
Launched last month, the product is an updated model of the S-Works Power saddle, named the 'EVO'. Le Court's translucent version is an unreleased colourway, currently only available to the pros.
"It's limited edition," she told Cycling Weekly, in a rush to make the stage start. "They're promoting it."
'They', in this case, is Specialized, the brand that supplies equipment to Le Court's AG Insurance-Soudal. Contacted by Cycling Weekly, a spokesperson from the brand said the saddle was created by their in-house "body geometry" team, along with scientists, medical experts, and input from pro riders.
So what makes it so special? The EVO is made using Specialized's 'Mirror' technology, a 3D-printed honeycomb of liquid polymer. Around 21,000 stringy nodes make up the saddle's structure, almost three times the number of the previous S-Works Power saddle.
As such, the saddle is said to be particularly comfortable, relieving more pressure from the rider – 34.1% at the nose, and almost 30% at the sit bones, compared to regular foam equivalents.
According to the brand, it's "built for riders who move", and used too by Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step).
As for the colour, Le Court's striking choice strays from the standard black of the rest of the bunch, and is set on a red, carbon fibre shell.
It's the same saddle that was also spotted at the men's Tour de France, earlier this month, on the bike of Pascal Eenkhorn (Soudal Quick-Step).
"The coloured saddles on the pro bikes help us tell this story," a Specialized spokesperson said, "and really stand out as something different in what is usually a sea of black saddles.
"However, it does showcase what our engineers can do now, not only with Mirror tech but colours too – so watch this space for the future."
Though the translucent version is not yet on the market, the same saddle is available in black for £379 ($449, $475).
