MOSER Leader AX – “G.Bugno Team Gatorade Chateau d’Ax”, 56cm (1991) – SOLD

Francesco Moser, born 19 June 1951 in Palù di Giovo, Trentino, nicknamed “Lo sceriffo” (The sheriff), is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He was dominant from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s and won the 1984 Giro d’Italia, the 1977 world road racing championship and six times in three of the five classics. He turned professional in 1973, showing a stylish pedaling style. But his powerful build meant he wasn’t a gifted climber. His 273 road victories puts him behind Eddy Merckx (525) and Rik Van Looy (379), but ahead of Rik Van Steenbergen (270) and Roger De Vlaeminck (255).

After his carrer Francesco Moser began building racing bikes, as did many Italian bicycle racers, in his small workshop in Trento, Italy. Moser’s frames are unique among Italian racing bicycles for being fillet brazed using silver solder rather than using lugs with brass brazing (silver solder never gets hot enough to weaken the tubing and thus bicycles constructed in this manner do not need to be reinforced with lugs, thus reducing the bicycle’s weight). After brazing, each frame is hand filed and aligned on a digital alignment table. The smooth lines resulting from the lack of lugs are emphasized with a unicrown fork and an integrated seatpost, attached by an expander bolt in a manner similar to the handlebar stem.

Gianni Bugno (14th Feb 1964) is considered as one of the best Italian professional cyclists. He was a versatile rider, able to win in different types of races. In 1990 he won numerous stages in the Tour de France and the Milan–San Remo. In 1991 he won the Clásica de San Sebastián, and in 1994 he won the Tour of Flanders. Bugno’s greatest success was the double victory in the World Championship. In 1991 WC in Stuttgart he beat S.Rooks (Ned) and M.Indurain (Spa). A year later he won WC Benidorm 1992 ahead of L.Jalabert (Fra) and D.Konyshev (Rus). Bugno’s performance in the Grand Tours, however, was over-shadowed by Miguel Indurain. Bugno’s victory in the Giro d’Italia in 1990 is considered one of the most dominant performances in that race — he led from start to finish. While he won the Giro in 1990, he finished second to Indurain in the Tour de France in 1991 and third behind Indurain and Claudio Chiappucci in 1992.

G.Bugno at the Tour de France 1991

Here we offering a superb racing machine from 1991 – MOSER Leader AX, a clone of G.Bugno’s bike, when he rode Team Gatorade Chateau d’Ax, back in 1991. Superb framest is made of magnificient ORIA FSB (fillet silver brazed). Build with top of the line Shimano Dura Ace 7402 groupset, FIR wheels, ITM handlebar, Vetta saddle.

A legend.

Frame & Fork: MOSER Leader AX, Team Gatorade

Size:

– seat tube (c-t): 63.5 cm

– top tube (c-c): 56 cm

– headset tube: 14.4 cm

– standover: 81 cm

Crankset: Shimano Dura Ace 7402

Bottom bracket: Shimano Dura Ace 7402

Front Derailleur: Shimano Dura Ace 7402

Rear Derailleur: Shimano Dura Ace 7402

Headset: Shimano Dura Ace 7402

Brake levers: Shimano Dura Ace 7402

Brakes: Shimano Dura Ace 7402

Handlebar: ITM

Hubs: Shimano Dura Ace 7402

Rims: Fir

Seat: Vetta

Pedals: Shimano

Tires: Michelin Hi-Lite

Handlebar Tape: White, leather

Condition: Used, but good condition. Original paint and decals. No cracks, no dents, not bent. Some signs of normal use. All parts are working fine.

Year: 1991

Price: SOLD (August 2023)