We’re taking a closer look at the unique giraffe-themed bike owned by the multiple Ironman winner, loaded with custom bits and pieces.
Marta Sanchez will be racing a custom-painted Quintana Roo vPRi triathlon bike at Ironman 70.3 Oceanside this weekend. (Photo: Travis Mundell/Triathlete)
Published on March 26, 2026 at 03:27 pm
Spain’s Marta Sanchez has quickly become a familiar face at the front of the medium and long races. Last year, Sanchez made the podium at the Ironman South Africa Championships (second) and finished in the top 15 in three T100 Tour events.
It is worth noting that Sanchez achieved the fastest bike race at the famous Ironman Lake Placid race last July on his way to third place in the overall standings. Why is this noticeable? Sanchez edged out Ironman world champion Solveig Løvseth (NOR) on the bike en route to third place in Placid. (In case your memory is short, Loveseth was, too Fastest split bike in Kona last year.)
In other words, Sanchez will be afraid on the bike, even though the custom giraffe-themed paint is on it Quintana Roo vPRi The small size may not immediately intimidate, it certainly is eye-catching. It could also serve to distract from the entire stack of custom components in Sánchez’s unique 2026 70.3 Oceanside setup.
We’ve taken a closer look at what she’ll be racing in Southern California this weekend – check out the details below:
Marta Sanchez 2026 70.3 Oceanside Quintana Roo vPRi
This weekend, Sanchez will be riding in her Quintana Roo vPRi painted in the shape of a baby-sized giraffe. The giraffe design, drawn by QR’s StudioNext, was inspired by a training trip to Kenya in 2023. “I saw a giraffe while I was out training, and it became a random representation of my intention to train and race with purpose,” says Sanchez. “One Kenyan told me that giraffes see things from a different perspective. It changed something in me, and gave me confidence.”
The eye doesn’t have to wander far to see the first eye-catching bit on Sánchez’s QR: a flat Sram Red chainring with rainbow outer panels wrapped around a 1x Rotor Alohu crankset with a 54T chainring and ultra-compact 155mm crankshafts. Although typically seen on gravel bike frames, Sram’s unique chainring is rare in triathlon setups.
Sanchez chose to use Favero Assimomo PRO-RS pedals to measure power on the 70.3 Oceanside mountain bike trail.
On race day, Sanchez will ride a 13-speed XPLR cassette with a very wide range of 11-46t, although she says the first seven gears have the same ratio as a standard 11-33t cassette. Sanchez will also use a Hed Vanquish disc with 28mm Continental GP 5000 TT TR tires.
Here we take a closer look at Sánchez’s mountain/gravel bike XPLR cage plate mounted to a SRAM Red rear derailleur. Although this is a rare find in the transition zone for triathlon pros, we’ll likely see more of it as pros adopt 1x settings on courses with shorter hill features.
Sánchez chose a Hed Vanquish v84 front wheel with 28mm Continental GP 5000 TT TR tires.
Here we get a top-to-bottom view of Sánchez’s unique cockpit that includes Fast TT bars, custom titanium extensions from Prinforwatts with a custom aerobar extension, and basic bar handles from Leap.
Sanchez’s custom base bar handles even have their name printed on the surface.
Sanchez will use the XLab Torpedo Hydration System between the arms with the Aerotriad Gel Cage for her nutrition.
Here we take a closer look at the amazing custom paint job on Sánchez’s Quintana Roo vPRi.
Sanchez chose a Dash V8 saddle with custom rear dampening for race day.
Here we see a closer look at Sanchez’s custom hydration system behind the saddle.
