A bicycle with gold on the frame debuts at the Giro d'Italia for the Polti VisitMalta team

There have been several racing and extreme luxury bicycles, including some with gold-plated frames and components worth over 300,000 euros and a Colnago with gold leaf detailing and an embedded diamond. But until now, none had been seen at the Giro d'Italia. In fact, the one that started on Friday in Bulgaria marks the debut of an all-black carbon bicycle with powder and gold leaf inserts.

Sprinting on the wings of the precious metal are the riders of Team Polti VisitMalta with the new Aurum Magma AU109, an iconic object capable of merging technology and meaning, starting with the name that pays homage to the chemical symbol for gold (Au) combined with the number that recalls the 109th edition of the pink race.

Aurum AU109 bicycles feature an exclusive 24-carat gold leaf coating, the result of an alchemy between four complementary elements the engineering excellence of Aurum, the bicycle brand created by two champions such as Ivan Basso and Alberto Contador that already winks at gold from its name; the colour and painting technique of Lechler; the Polti VisitMalta team as a sporting and narrative platform that aims to continue the tradition of great Italia cycling; StoneX Bullion, a precious metals trading platform that is a sponsor and partner of the project making gold accessible for cycling.

The link with the international leader in gold and precious metals trading was born around two wheels: the managing director of StoneX Bullion, Daniel Marburger, is a great cycling enthusiast, protagonist of feats such as the Migration Gravel Race in the Kenyan savannah that impressed Ivan Basso, who contacted him last summer.

"AU109 is the perfect image of the direction we are building, a sports project that reinforces vision and identity through valuable synergies," commented Basso. "Bringing this bike to the Giro d'Italia means telling not only about a team, but about an idea of development.