For his shot at a seventh straight Tour, Lance has chosen Trek's new Madone SSLX prototype. "Lance told us that he likes this new version of the SSLX, which is more rigid than the earlier prototype he used in the Ventoux TT in the 2004 Dauphine." Daubert said that Trek has added carbon fiber with boron to certain parts of the SSLx frame for 2005, resulting in a frame, "that is 10-12 percent more rigid on our test bed at Trek's OCLV facility in Waterloo, Wisconsin. Out on the road it's hard to measure, but Lance is riding it, so that tells the story."

Armstrong has a 58cm frame that looks like the Trek Madone SL from the outside, but is considerably lighter. Another way Lance is saving weight for 2005 is by using new Bontrager RaceLite XXX carbon fiber handlebars. "This year is the first time Lance has used carbon fiber bars for his road bike; the (Bontrager RaceLite XXX) weigh 185 grams for the 44mm width that Lance uses and have a classic, non-anatomic curve he likes. Lance also helped us develop the variable radius curve on the drops; it's not a constant curve and helps Lance get his brake lever position perfectly dialed," said Daubert.

"To make the RaceLite XXX carbon bars more rigid, our engineers in W