Canyon has announced the release of a limited edition Ultimate CF SLX in collaboration with the iconic band Kraftwerk ahead of the 2017 Tour de France. A limited run of 21 Ultimate CF SLXs celebratse Kraftwerk’s iconic aesthetic and pioneering music that has paved the way for so many others.

Kraftwerk is a German electronic band formed in 1969 in Düsseldorf, the same city the 2017 Grand Départ gets underway in this Saturday. They were among the first successful pop acts to popularise electronic music and are considered to be innovators of the genre. Their famous ‘Tour de France’ song was released in 1983 and their Tour de France Soundtracks album was released in 2003 (and re-released in 2009).

For Canyon founder and CEO, Roman Arnold, this partnership carries personal significance.

“My memories of partying in friends’ basements as a teenager are dominated by hearing Kraftwerk’s groundbreaking sounds,” Arnold said. “Kraftwerk and cycling have a special and unique connection – their music, and all that they do, has inspired our work at Canyon in so many ways across the years. It is an unbelievable honour for us to pay respect to everything that Kraftwerk stands for and has achieved in such a fitting way with these stunning bikes.”

Inspired by the band’s live appearances, the Ultimate CF SLX Kraftwerk uses design elements that echo Kraftwerk’s approach. Canyon claims that the pattern, originating from Kraftwerk founder Ralf Hütter’s own design, is one of the most complex ever applied by their design team, taking seven hours per frameset.

Keep an eye out for Tony Martin (Katusha-Alpecin) as he rolls down the start ramp at the 104th Tour de France prologue this Saturday on a Speedmax CF SLX bearing the same design.

The Ultimate CF SLX Kraftwerk goes on sale on Monday, 3 July at 12:00pm CEST on the Canyon website and will cost €10,000 (equipped with SRAM eTap and Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels).