Nibali (Astana) headed to victory in Risoul. Photo by ANSA/CLAUDIO PERI

Nibali (Astana) headed to victory in Risoul. Photo by ANSA/CLAUDIO PERI​

In what was the one of the most dramatic grand tour stages you'll ever see, Italian Vincenzo Nibali clawed his way back into contention at the Giro d'Italia on Friday, thanks in part to an untimely crash by deposed race leader Steven Kruijswijk. While Kruijswijk was trying unsuccessfully to hold onto the pink jersey, Nibali was putting the hammer down, taking the stage win and vaulting into second place overall.

During this 99th edition of Giro d'Italia, Vincenzo Nibali, winner of the Corsa Rosa in 2013, is riding an updated version of his Shark Tarmac.

During this 99th edition of Giro d'Italia, Vincenzo Nibali, winner of the Corsa Rosa in 2013, is riding an updated version of his Shark Tarmac.​

Heading into the race's penultimate stage (see course profile below), Nibali is now just 44 seconds behind new race leader Esteban Chaves, with Kruijswijk now a distant third at 1:05. But nothing is settled yet, as the next stage features three brutal climbs that could further shake up the race before the final pink jersey is awarded on Sunday.

This will be the day that decides the final winner of the 2016 Giro d'Italia.

This will be the day that decides the final winner of the 2016 Giro d'Italia.​

Whether or not Nibali can complete his miracle comeback (he was more than 4 minutes off the lead coming into stage 19), will depend in part to this custom painted Specialized Tarmac. Scroll through the galley below to see more. All photos are courtesy Specialized.

[IMG alt=""The design direction for the 2016 Nibali Shark Bike was to do something a little more organic. Taking cues from Mother Nature, I wanted to bring in the power and the energy of the ocean combined with traditional core race elements that is S-Works. We decided early on that adding more black to the bike would keep it aggressive. The design at its core needed to look fast, clean & ultimately reflect the athlete," said Joe Lynch, Senior Graphic Designer at Specialized."]https://www.roadbikereview.com/reviews/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Vincenzo-Nibali-Tarmac-31.jpg[/IMG]

"The design direction for the 2016 Nibali Shark Bike was to do something a little more organic. Taking cues from Mother Nature, I wanted to bring in the power and the energy of the ocean combined with traditional core race elements that is S-Works. We decided early on that adding more black to the bike would keep it aggressive. The design at its core needed to look fast, clean & ultimately reflect the athlete," said Joe Lynch, Senior Graphic Designer at Specialized.​

On the top tube, there is a Triple Crown representing the three Grand Tour victories achieved by the Italian rider during the last few years. Vuelta a España in 2010, Giro d'Italia in 2013, and Tour de France in 2014. The idea is to both inspire Nibali to victory again, and to celebrate his remarkable achievements.

On the top tube, there is a Triple Crown representing the three Grand Tour victories achieved by the Italian rider during the last few years. Vuelta a España in 2010, Giro d'Italia in 2013, and Tour de France in 2014. The idea is to both inspire Nibali to victory again, and to celebrate his remarkable achievements.​

[IMG alt="Directly under the top tube is Nibali's new logo, "The Shark". It is a tribal design that includes the name of the triple champion and the colors that represent his greatest victories - red, pink and yellow. This is the logo that now accompanies the Sicilian rider since it was unveiled in late 2014. "It reminds me the sea of my region and gives me a sense of rapidly moving water." says Vincenzo Nibali. "I also like the three stylized icons representing my three main successes. I am really happy about the final design. I'll be happy to ride it for the rest of the season.""]https://www.roadbikereview.com/reviews/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Vincenzo-Nibali-Tarmac-121.jpg[/IMG]

Directly under the top tube is Nibali's new logo, "The Shark". It is a tribal design that includes the name of the triple champion and the colors that represent his greatest victories - red, pink and yellow. This is the logo that now accompanies the Sicilian rider since it was unveiled in late 2014. "It reminds me the sea of my region and gives me a sense of rapidly moving water." says Vincenzo Nibali. "I also like the three stylized icons representing my three main successes. I am really happy about the final design. I'll be happy to ride it for the rest of the season."​

Look are the Italian's pedal of choice.

Look are the Italian's pedal of choice.​

We'd expect some climbing gears back here for stage 20, which has three brutal rated climbs.

We'd expect some climbing gears back here for stage 20, which has three brutal rated climbs.​

No electronic shifting for Nibali.

No electronic shifting for Nibali.​

UCI approved of course.

UCI approved of course.​

Cable routing is stealth. The paint job is spectacular.

Cable routing is stealth. The paint job is spectacular.​

Wheels by Corima.

Wheels by Corima.​

There is that shark again. Will he strike tomorrow?

There is that shark again. Will he strike tomorrow?​

The details are astounding.

The details are astounding.​