Sponsored by the Italian Trade Commission, Interbike's Italian Pavilion is made up of a wide swath of booths manned by a variety of Italian bike companies. No other country maintains such a strong national promotion as the Italians. Best of all, it provides attendees with a chance to check out the latest and greatest parts from the boot country. Wilier's latest superbike, the Zero.7, was on display. Its core is the new BB386EVO bottom bracket standard, developed by Wilier in conjunction with FSA components and BH Bikes. Wilier claims that the frame of this particular Medium-size display model, decked out in minimalist matte black and red paint, tips the scales at just 750 grams, while the fork comes in at 360 grams. As is, this display model featuring a Campagnolo Super Record drivetrain and Campagnolo Bora tubular wheels has a retail price of $12,000.

Wilier's latest time trial bike features a radically new front end design. It's available in four sizes, as well as four color schemes including this bright orange number, a Lampre-ISD team livery, a yellow, white and green combo, and a modern matte black motif.

The front brake and base bar are integrated into two separate struts that extend from the fork crown up to either side of the headtube. Wilier claims that this design, which is strikingly different from the narrow, streamlined headtube areas of most of its competitors, was perfected in the wind tunnel and helps direct airflow more efficiently over the bike's frontal area. 

TRP brakes are integrated behind the fork to get them out of the wind. The fork struts extend up past the traditional crown area to meet an all-new headtube area with an integrated stem.

Campagnolo's Heritage line of clothing has been completely revamped for 2012. Whereas previous Heritage pieces featured simple black, white and grey motifs, the new Heritage line has received a dash of color as well as more prominent classic Campagnolo logos. This La Ferte jacket is made of a windproof material and has a full-length zipper and high-collar.

This Campagnolo Aleegro jersey is made from a wool-blend and features a half-zipper combined with a standard fit for a more classic design.

Named after Italy's top professional soccer league, the Serie A kit is another high-end offering from Italian clothing company Capo. The jersey retails for $99.99 and features Capo's proprietary Micro Quattro fabric and a full-length, hidden zipper. The bib-shorts sell for $159.99 and are comprised of Capo's Power Lycra material, as well as mesh fabric on the straps.

Capo's popular Modena kit has received a few updates for 2012, while still maintaining the brand's signature black and white design. Retailing for $89.99, the jersey features three back pockets and a full-length zipper, while the bib-shorts retail for $149.99 and are made of Capo's high-end Power Lycra.

American importer Albabici had many fine brands on display in the Italian Pavilion, including several Fondriest road bikes. This TF3 was decked out in glossy black paint with highlighter-yellow accents, which is a new color scheme for the TF3 in 2012. Other colors will include a predominantly white colorway, as well as a matte black motif. And new for Albabici is their distribution of Ursus wheels, which are all assembled in Italy.

While Ursus wheels may be assembled in Italy, many of the wheels' components are manufactured elsewhere. For example, the carbon rims of this Miura C58 wheelset are manufactured by Zipp in their Indiana headquarters, while the spokes come from Asia and the hubs are Ursus' own creations. A truly international set of wheels!

Beyond the Italian Pavilion, there were plenty of innovative products to be seen. Tubeless wheels for the road have been available for some time, but more and more manufacturers are jumping aboard as the market continues to show increasing interest. Easton will launch one RoadTubeless-certified wheelset in 2012. The EA90RT aluminum clincher set weighs in at a claimed 1550 grams and retails for $850.

To help accommodate a tubeless setup for the road, Easton's engineers borrowed their proprietary developments from their line of tubeless mountain bike wheels. The aluminum rims do not have holes drilled through them for spokes, but rather utilize dual-threaded nipples that screw into special rim inserts. The design allows mechanics to use standard wheel tools for truing and maintenance.

Scottish sportswear company Endura has been in the cycling game for a while, but they're making an even bigger push into the American market in 2012. Pieces like the FS260-Pro jacket should help them continue to make a splash. At around $90, this lightweight jacket features thermal lining to block against the wind, yet offers plenty of ventilation for reducing excess body heat. A tailored fit, rear pockets and reflective details complete the package.