I remenber the thread on the discovery channel during this years tour with the older Team Discovery mechanic discussing of he ages tubulars and he had some that were aged for three years before they were stretched and prepped for mounting on wheels. Some were a year old and others upto three years. They were kept in a cool dark room.

"So, what a delight to hear from Christo that for at least the last seven years, a mechanic has been reverently aging a set of tubular tires for the entire team. That's exactly the age of a stash of tubulars I have been holding in reserve, sort of in honor of past glory and in hope of some kind of renaissance. Like wine, these tubular tires improve with age. They've never even been stretched on a rim, let alone ridden. It's worth the wait, though, because something wonderful happens to the rubber over time and they're like magic on the road. They grip corners like glue, and the ride is so smooth. With just a little imagination, I'm there."

Check this link and scroll over to the picture of Julien the Discovery Team mechanic a sub title for "tires aged to perfection" will pop up. Click on Julien's picture and enjoy.
http://team.discovery.com/videogalle...r/popular.html