The Colnago V4Rs of Tadej Pogacar dominated this year. Photo: ASO/Billy Ceusters
The Tour de France is back for another year of exciting race action, tragic defeats, and heroic moments. Once again, I’m going to be doing what bike nerds love doing most — looking at all the awesome bikes! Riders, teams, and manufacturers all bring their best equipment to the Tour, so its the perfect place for us to geek out on new bikes, gear, and tech.
When I tracked all the stage-winning bikes and gear last year, it became one of my most popular posts, so let’s do it again this year. At the end, we should have some fun data, and maybe some inspiration for how to equip our own road bikes at home. I'll be updating this post after every stage, so stay tuned!
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The Best Bikes of the 2024 Tour de France
Photo: ASO/Charly Lopez
2024 Tour de France Jersey Winners:
- General Classification (Yellow Jersey) - Tadej Pogacar - Colnago V4Rs
- Points Classification (Green Jersey) - Biniam Girmay - Cube Litening Aero C:68X
- Best Young Rider (White Jersey) - Remco Evenepoel - Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8
- King of the Mountains (Polka-Dot Jersey) - Richard Carapaz - Cannondale Lab71 SuperSix EVO
Tadej Pogacar's Colnago V4Rs was the star of the Tour this year. Despite being one of the oldest brands in cycling, before Tadej's first Tour win in 2020, no Colnago-branded bike had ever won the Tour. Colnago did build Eddy Merckx's Tour-winning bikes back in the '70s, but they were branded Merckx. Now, they've become the brand to beat.
Bike brands have been struggling since the end of 2022 and many are relying on huge sales and discounts to move bikes. Colnago, however, has no such issues. This is partially because they build fewer bikes than the bigger brands and they focus on the high-end market. But the Tadej Pogacar effect can't be discounted. MAMILs with cash to burn want the best bike, and it's hard to argue with Tadej's results. (Cervelo is actually in a similar position thanks to the success of Visma, Jonas Vingegaard, and Wout van Aert.)
Biniam Girmay won the Green Jersey and brought Cube its first Tour stage win. I never had an interest in Cube's road bikes before, but now, his Cube Litening Aero C:68X is looking pretty good, especially in that special green colorway (see stage 8)!
Remco Evenepoel was the Best Young Rider, and his Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 was probably last year's biggest new bike release. Unfortunately, despite all the hype, the new Tarmac SL8 didn't get any glory at the Tour this year. It will need to wait for 2025 to get another chance to win a stage.
Richard Carapaz won the King of the Mountains and gave the new gen 4 Cannondale Lab71 SuperSix EVO a spectacular Tour stage win. What I like is that it's not actually the fancy Lab71 (see stage 17 for more details). It's a "regular" SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod. You don't need the absolute lightest frame to crush climbs! (You just need good legs...)
The Best Frames and Components:
Photo: Colnago World
- Best Bike Frame - Colnago V4Rs - 5 wins
- Best Drivetrain - Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 - 20 wins
- Best Wheels - ENVE SES 4.5 - 6 wins
- Best Tires - Vittoria Corsa Pro - 10 wins
The Colnago V4Rs was top of the pile with 5 wins. The Cube Litening Aero C:68X and Canyon Aeroad CFR did well with 3 stage wins each. I usually expect dedicated aero bikes like the Litening or Aeroad to take the most wins because sprinters have the most opportunities to win, but when you're up against a raging Tadej Pogacar, forget about it.
Shimano dominated this year while the new SRAM RED AXS only won one stage. SRAM probably hoped for more with their new drivetrain. Unfortunately, all the SRAM-sponsored teams struggled. Visma is down on both luck and firepower, the star riders of Lidl-Trek and Red Bull Bora abandoned due to crashes, and Movistar was more or less invisible the entire race. Surely, they'll be gunning for more stages next year!
Thanks to Tadej Pogacar, the ENVE SES 4.5 wheels had a great Tour. It was really no contest. It wasn't all Tadej though. Anthony Turgis, a humble domestique, also won the stage 9 gravel stage on the SES 4.5, which I think gives them even more credibility.
As for tires, the Vittoria Corsa Pro is the most successful race tire ever, and this year, it only added to its win tally. The Continental Grand Prix 5000 was very close, with 9 wins, but it's split between the S TR and S TT models. Ultimately, it's hard to go wrong with one of these two tire choices. There's a good reason so many top teams run Vittoria or Continental.
Cool Bikes That Didn't Win
There are a lot of bikes I thought or hoped would win a stage, but didn't:
- Cervelo S5
- Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8
- Trek Madone SLR Gen 8
- Pinarello Dogma F
- Factor Ostro VAM
- Van Rysel FCR
- Dare Velocity Ace
If you read through all the stage-by-stage details below, you'll see that I kept wanting the Cervelo S5 to take a win because it happens to be my dream bike. Alas, Tadej Pogacar was just too dominant. Jonas Vingegaard had a pretty interesting S5 setup on a few mountain stages. He used a 50t 1x chainring with a 10-32t or 10-36t cassette (such power!) and Reserve tubular wheels.
Despite two favorites — Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic — both riding the Specialized Tarmac SL8, again, they just couldn't beat a dominant Tadej Pogacar.
Trek, Pinarello, and Factor all updated their flagship bikes this year, but Trek lost its top sprinter early, and Pinarello and Factor just don't have any riders who can hang with the top favorites.
I didn't expect the new Van Rysel FCR prototype or Dare Velocity Ace prototype to actually win any stages, but I did have a bit of hope because I do think they are extremely cool. The FCR might become the future king of budget aero bikes. Dare is an up-and-coming Taiwanese brand, and the Velocity Ace is absurdly aero-focused. The headtube and fork legs look like they came off a TT bike. I'd ride one!
Interesting Trends:
- Wider tires - Tadej Pogacar won the Tour de France on 30mm wide tires. I remember a time when 30mm tires were considered extreme even at Paris-Roubaix! Now, most riders are riding tire at least 28mm wide and Tadej's success might push some to go even wider. Tubeless is the norm now too. There was only one stage win for clinchers (Remco's TT bike) and no tubular wins.
- Narrower bars - So many riders prefer narrow handlebars now that it's super weird looking when a rider is using something wider. Narrow bars in the 35-38mm range are the most common because they reduce your frontal area and improve aerodynamics. Even older riders like Geraint Thomas and Mark Cavendish are on narrow bars, so it's more than just fashion.
- Shorter cranks - 165mm cranks have appeared on TT bikes before, but now that Tadej won the Tour on 165mm cranks, every racer at TPC (including me) is thinking about buying 165mm cranks. The short crank revolution is here. They let you pedal in a more aero position, maintain a higher cadence, and for some, reduce knee pain. I'm all for it.
- Aero frames on climbs - I was surprised by the number of riders using dedicated aero frames — the Cervelo S5, Scott Foil, Giant Propel, Van Rysel FCR, and Dare Velocity Ace, etc. — on big mountain stages. Aero frames are getting lighter, but they also allow riders to use ultralight wheels while keeping their bike at or near the UCI weight limit. An aerodynamically efficient frame with low rotating weight in the wheels might be the ultimate combo!
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2024 Tour de France Stage-Winning Bike Details:
- Stage 1 - Scott Foil RC
- Stage 2 - Bianchi Oltre RC
- Stage 3 - Cube Litening Aero C:68X
- Stage 4 - Colnago V4Rs
- Stage 5 - Wilier Triestina Filante SLR
- Stage 6 - Giant Propel Advanced SL
- Stage 7 - Specialized S-Works Shiv TT
- Stage 8 - Cube Litening Aero C:68X
- Stage 9 - ENVE Melee
- Stage 10 - Canyon Aeroad CFR
- Stage 11 - Cervelo R5
- Stage 12 - Cube Litening Aero C:68X
- Stage 13 - Canyon Aeroad CFR
- Stage 14 - Colnago V4Rs
- Stage 15 - Colnago V4Rs
- Stage 16 - Canyon Aeroad CFR
- Stage 17 - Cannondale Lab71 SuperSix EVO
- Stage 18 - Orbea Orca Aero
- Stage 19 - Colnago V4Rs
- Stage 20 - Colnago V4Rs
- Stage 20 - Colnago TT1
Stage 1 - Florence > Rimini - Winner: Scott Foil RC
Rider: Romain Bardet
Bike: Scott Foil RC
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: Shimano Dura-Ace C36
Tires: Vittoria Corsa Pro
Bike Type: Aero
Stage Type: Hilly
Romain Bardet (right) & Frank van den Broek. Photos: Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL
Stage 1 of this years was expected to be one of the hardest Tour starts in recent memory. Tough climbs, high temps, and costal winds would make many riders suffer early. DSM teammates Romain Bardet and Frank van den Broek surprised everyone by staying away until the line, giving the Scott Foil RC a 1-2 finish. The Foil RC recieved a major update in 2023, that Scott claims made it 9% lighter, 21% faster and 10% more comfortable. Maybe this is proof!
Bardet swapped to the shallower and lighter Dura-Ace C36 wheels (versus the deeper C60 wheels their bikes are often photographed with) for the tough climbs that came early in the stage. Besides good legs, tactics, and descending, their aero frames, aero Syncros cockpits, and turned in levers surely made them extra slippery, which probably helped the pair maintain their gap in the windy finale!
I also noticed that Bardet is running bars with a more classic profile rather than the shallow drops most riders use these days. He also had a 26mm front tire (paired with a 28mm rear... weird). That used to be considered wide, but now it's surprisingly narrow!
Stage 2 - Cesenatico > Bologne - Winner: Bianchi Oltre RC
Photo: Bianchi
Rider: Kévin Vauquelin
Bike: Bianchi Oltre RC
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: Vision Metron 45 SL
Tires: Vittoria Corsa Pro
Bike Type: Aero
Stage Type: Hilly
Photo: ASO/Billy Ceusters
How do you get the French to win stages at the Tour? Start in Italy! We have another French winner, conveniently, on and Italian bike too. Kévin Vauquelin attacked the breakaway just over 14km from the finish and solo'd to the win. Despite the hilliness of the first two stages this year, it seems that most riders who have the option of an aero or a climbing bike have been been choosing the aero bike, usually with shallower wheels.
Bianchi's all-rounder, the Specialissima RC, has improved aerodynamics, and Vauquelin's teammate in the breakaway was riding it, but Vauquelin decided to go with the heavier but more aerodynamic Oltre RC. He did swap to the lighter Vision Metron 45 SL wheels for the tough climbs. Aero frame + lightweight wheels seems to be the combo du jour.
Stage 3 - Plaisance > Turin - Winner: Cube Litening Aero C:68X
Photo: Cube Bikes
Rider: Biniam Girmay
Bike: Cube Litening Aero C:68X
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: Newmen Streem Sprint 60/66 Vonoa
Tires: Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT TR
Bike Type: Aero
Stage Type: Flat
Photo: Intermarché-Wanty
Bini, Bini, Bini! Biniam Girmay took his first-ever stage win and he has become the first-ever Black African stage winner. Holy crap, that brought a tear to my eye. He diced through a chaotic bunch sprint and had enough of a lead to post up and celebrate before the line. Someone might need to check me on this, but I also think this is the first TdF stage win for Cube Bikes too. They're not well-known here in the US, but the German brand is BIG in Europe.
The bike photo above is a bit outdated because Bini's Intermarché-Wanty team is running the newer Newman Stream Sprint wheels which have a wider 22mm internal width (vs. 18mm for the old Advance SL Streem wheels) and they weigh 1,355g. This is super impressive for 60mm/66mm deep wheels and it's thanks to the use of Newman's Vonoa carbon spokes.
Bini's bike was photographed with Conti GP 5000 TT TR tires and he likely used them for the stage. They're slightly faster than the "regular" GP 5000 S TR but sacrifice some puncture protection so many teams only use them on super flat stages. Some also mix tires with a TT on the front and S on the rear.
Also, look how narrow Bini's handlebars are compared to the other racers in this finish photo. Narrow bars for the win! Perhaps running them so narrow (they look ~35-36cm?) is why he doesn't mind the aero penalty of wrapping the tops in bar tape.
Stage 4 - Pinerolo > Valloire - Winner: Colnago V4Rs
Photo: UAE Team Emirates
Rider: Tadej Pogacar
Bike: Colnago V4Rs
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: ENVE SES 4.5
Tires: Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR
Bike Type: All-Rounder
Stage Type: Mountain
Photo: ASO/Billy Ceusters
A few things in life are certain: death, taxes, and Tadej Pogacar ripping everyone's legs off with a devastating attack on the final meters of a climb. Pogacar rode back into the Yellow Jersey on the Col du Galibier, erasing any doubt that he's this year's favorite. He did so on his trusty Colnago V4Rs.
The Colnago V4Rs isn't the most aero or the lightest bike in the peloton, but it's a solid do-it-all racer. It certainly hasn't held Pogacar back. Interestingly, he chose to run the deeper ENVE SES 4.5 wheels today, despite the big uncategorized climb. The SES 4.5 seems to be Pogacar's go-to, and he only swaps to the lighter SES 2.3 or 3.4 wheels on truly extreme climbing days.
Like Bini's bike, Pogacar's was photographed on stage 3 with Continental GP 5000 TT TR tires. With a fast and tricky descent at the finish of stage 4 though, it's very likely that Pogacar switched to the GP 5000 S TR tires for today's stage.
I do love that Pogacar does some serious bike geek things to his bike with Carbon-Ti hubs, chainrings, and brake rotors, plus absoluteBLACK Ceramic GRAPHENpads brake pads. Again, I must comment on the bars. Pogacar runs it long, low, and narrow with a one-piece ENVE cockpit measuring 37cm wide with a 130mm stem and the levers turned in as far as the rules allow so they measure closer to 32cm at the hoods. So aggressive!
Stage 5 - Saint-Jean-De-Maurienne > Saint-Vulbas - Winner: Wilier Triestina Filante SLR
Photo: Wilier Triestina
Rider: Mark Cavendish
Bike: Wilier Triestina Filante SLR
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: Vision Metron 60 SL
Tires: Vittoria Corsa Pro
Bike Type: Aero
Stage Type: Flat
Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency
He fricken' did it. I almost can't believe it. Mark Cavendish has broken the Tour de France stage win record with his 35th victory. His team was great in the run-in, but in the end, he surfed wheels on his own to somehow get into the perfect position. When he hit the front with speed, he was so low and aero, last year's fastest man Jasper Philipsen couldn't come around.
The record-setting bike was a Wilier Triestina Filante SLR with a special edition Cavendish paint job. The colors represent some of Cavendish’s career highlights — green for his two Tour points jerseys, yellow for his brief stint in the yellow jersey as the Tour de France leader, with blues and reds completing the colors of the World Championship rainbow band, which Cavendish won in 2011. The fork says "CVNDSH," which is Cav’s personal brand. In case you don't know, dropping vowels is the cool thing to do these days.
Cav put a lot of thought into aero enhancements this year with aero water bottles, socks, and a new aero racesuit. Clearly it helped! His team also switched from HED to Vision wheels, so Cav won on the Vision Metron 60 SL wheels, which might be some of the most underrated race wheels around. I've been eyeing them myself.
Also, check out that MASSIVE 55t Miche chainring. He certainly won't get spun out, but Shimano spend a lot of time perfecting their tooth profiles. Perhaps that's why Cav's chain dropped after he crossed the line...
My co-worker Andy says it's happens to sprinters like Cav a lot and it's from "backpedaling super hard when he posts up."
Stage 6 - Macon > Dijon - Winner: Giant Propel Advanced SL
Photo: Kristof Ramon
Rider: Dylan Groenewegen
Bike: Giant Propel Advanced SL
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: Cadex 50 Ultra
Tires: Vittoria Corsa Pro
Bike Type: Aero
Stage Type: Flat
Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency
Another dull flat stage leading into a chaotic sprint finish. This time, Dylan Groenewegen came out on top, beating Jasper Philipsen (who also got relegated for impeding Wout van Aert) by centimeters with a well-timed bike throw. What bike did he throw? The Giant Propel Advanced SL.
The Propel was updated for 2023 to be lighter, stiffer, more compliant and more aerodynamically efficient than its predecessor. All things we expect. The impressive thing is that is was designed to be a sub-7kg bike. The rear end was slimmed down significantly, which reduced weight and added a lot of rear compliance. Paired with 1349g 50mm CADEX wheels with carbon spokes, and you get a complete build thats hover around the 6.9kg range, making it one of the lightest disc brake aero road bikes currently available.
Groenewegen is the Dutch national champion, so his Propel is painted in the colors of the Dutch flag. Something I found interesting is that his team seems to all be running Vittoria Corsa Pro tires despite being sponsored by CADEX, which recently released a new line of tires to pair with their wheels. Are the new CADEX tires not up to snuff? One more thing — I couldn't resist using a photo that clearly showed Groenewegen's absurd Batman-mask aero sunglasses. Is this the future?
Stage 7 - Nuits-Saint-Georges > Gevrey-Chambertin - Winner: Specialized S-Works Shiv TT
Remco's bike at the Criterium du Dauphine. Photo: Specialized
Rider: Remco Evenepoel
Bike: Specialized S-Works Shiv TT
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: Roval Rapide CLX 64 / Roval 321 Disc
Tires: Specialized S-Works Turbo Cotton
Bike Type: Time Trial
Stage Type: Individual Time Trial
Remco sported the White Jersey for best young rider during the TT. Photo: Photo News Agency Belgium
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the reigning time trial world champion, Remco Evenepoel, won the first time trial of the Tour. He's definitely targeting both time trial stages this year, and has regularly been seen warming down after stages on his TT bike rather than his road bike to stay familiar with the riding position.
Remco's bike is the same Shiv TT he used to win the time trail at the Tour's traditional warm-up race, the Criterium du Dauphine, which has a special "Liquid Metal" paint job for this year's Tour.
He rode a massive 62-tooth 1x chainring with a K-Edge chain catcher to maintain the ideal chainline in the 14-15t cogs. His aerobar extensions are custom moulded by a Dutch company, Speedbar, and attached to the standard Shiv basebar. He uses the Roval 321 Disc wheel in the rear and switches between the Rapide CLX 64 wheel on the front or a deeper 100mm Aerocoach wheel (pictured at the Dauphine above). Quick-Step still uses tubes (Gasp!), which allows Remco to ride his favorite Specialized Turbo Cotton tires. They were 26mm wide. It's super fast, but it does feel a bit outdated these days. Still, you can't argue with a win!
Stage 8 - Semur-en-Auxois > Colombey-les-Deux-Églises - Winner: Cube Litening Aero C:68X
Photo: Léon van Bon
Rider: Biniam Girmay
Bike: Cube Litening Aero C:68X
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: Newmen Streem Sprint 60/66 Vonoa
Tires: Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT TR
Bike Type: Aero
Stage Type: Flat
Photo: ASO/Billy Ceusters
Bini did it again! Today was wet, windy, and finished with a slight uphill kick which suited Bini a bit more than the "pure" sprinters. His team kept him sheltered and he was able to grind it out and out-drag Jasper Philipsen to the line, becoming the first rider to win two stages this year. What a great Tour for Bini and his team!
His Cube Litening Aero C:68X Pro is set-up the same as when he won on stage 3, but now it has a fetching green paint job since Bini is in the Green Jersey. He's crushing the intermediate sprints too, so it seems very likely that he'll stay in Green all the way to the end.
Stage 9 - Troyes > Troyes - Winner: ENVE Melee
Photo: ENVE
Rider: Anthony Turgis
Bike: ENVE Melee
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: ENVE SES 4.5
Tires: ENVE SES Race Day
Bike Type: Aero
Stage Type: Hilly
Photo: ASO/ Billy Ceusters
Stage 9's novel gravel stage might be one of the best Tour stages I've seen in a long time. There was chaos, drama, and plenty of dust. In the end, the winner was Frenchman Anthony Turgis, a rider who completely flew under my radar. Turgis is a domestique, a workhorse, and this is the biggest win of his career. It's actually his first win at the World Tour-level! The French are having one of the best Tours they've had in a long time. It's also the first Tour stage win for the ENVE Melee, ENVE's first production road bike.
If ENVE wanted their bike to win one stage, stage 9 was probably it. The Melee is unique among aero road racing frames because it has a relatively massive 35mm tire clearance, making it perfect for mixed terrain stages like this. I'm not sure Turgis' team took advantage of this though. I struggled to find any clear shots of Turgis' tires, but they look closer to 29mm wide, which is the widest option available for the ENVE SES Race Day tires. However, on the super wide SES 4.5 wheels, they balloon out to ~30-31mm. Most riders today used tires in the 30-32mm range.
When Team TotalEnergies announced that they'd be riding the Melee this season, I wasn't sure the bike would be competitive at this level of racing. ENVE is known for its carbon wheels, but it's pretty new to the framebuilding game. Turgis used the Melee to outsprint Tom Pidcock on the new Pinarello Dogma F though, so I guess it's legit!
Stage 10 - Orléans > Saint-Amand-Montrond - Winner: Canyon Aeroad CFR
Photo: Josh Croxton
Rider: Jasper Philipsen
Bike: Canyon Aeroad CFR
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: Shimano Dura-Ace C60
Tires: Vittoria Corsa Pro
Bike Type: Aero
Stage Type: Flat
Photo: ASO/Charly Lopez
Jasper Philipsen probably feels very relieved right now. After dominating sprint finishes last year, he was the hot favorite for this year's flat stages. Until today, he kept getting beat, but his lead-out train finally got it together and launched him to the finish so fast, no one could come alongside him. He's on a Canyon Aeroad CFR, just like last year, but his frame looks like it has a few updates that we'll likely see on the upcoming 2025 Aeroad.
The Aeroad is already one of the most aerodynamically efficient frames (based on Tour Magazine wind tunnel tests) on the market, but Canyon has refined the shape of the head tube, seatstay and seat tube junction, and chainstays to improve aerodynamics even more. There's also a new integrated Canyon handlebar that has a negative rise stem to help riders get lower than before for even more aero gains. Based on photos it's called the "CP0049" (BTW, does Canyon have the worst component names?) and like the current Aeroad handlebar, the width is adjustable. It looks like Philipsen is running it in the narrowest 36cm position.
Stage 11 - Évaux-les-Bains > Le Lioran - Winner: Cervelo R5
Photo: Team Visma-Lease a Bike
Rider: Jonas Vingegaard
Bike: Cervelo R5
Drivetrain: SRAM RED AXS
Wheels: Reserve 42|49 TA
Tires: Vittoria Corsa Pro
Bike Type: Climbing/All-Rounder
Stage Type: Mountain
Photo: ASO/Billy Ceusters
This Tour is shaping up to be one of the best ever. Many, including me, had doubts about Jonas Vingegaard after his horror crash at in the spring, but he showed that his form is good by beating Tadej Pogacar in an uphill finish sprint (this might also be first time he's beaten Tadej in a sprint).
Today was also the first stage where Jonas switched from his usual Cervelo S5 aero bike to the lighter R5 climbing bike/all-rounder, which he saves for the big mountain stages. I've been staring at pixels on the Team Visma Instagram and I think it's equipped with Reserve's latest 1,341g 42|49 TA wheels. The TA stands for "turbulent aero." I've heard Jonas likes his bike to be right at the 6.8kg weight limit so when he's riding the S5 on climbing stages like stage 4, he actually uses Reserve's 1,166g 36|39 Tubular wheels.
Jonas' R5 is set-up with a stiff and aero Vision Metron 5D integrated cockpit, which looks noticeably wider than the ENVE cockpit Tadej is using (maybe it's just the lever angles?). Team Visma's S5s are alway set-up with Cervelo's V-Stem and bar, but all the R5s all use cockpit components from their sponsor FSA/Vision.
This is also the first stage win for a SRAM-equipped bike, and the first for SRAM's new updated RED AXS group. I have a feeling the SRAM bosses back in Chicago were getting a bit nervous with so many Dura-Ace bikes winning! Tadej might be feeling a bit nervous now too. I'm excited to see how he handles a potentially resurgent Jonas in the third week of the Tour.
Stage 12 - Aurillac > Villeneuve-sur-Lot - Winner: Cube Litening Aero C:68X
Hat-trick! Photo: Intermarché-Wanty
Rider: Biniam Girmay
Bike: Cube Litening Aero C:68X
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: Newmen Streem Sprint 60/66 Vonoa
Tires: Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT TR
Bike Type: Aero
Stage Type: Flat
Bini does it again! He's pretty much proven that he's the fastest finisher at the Tour this year and you'd be a fool to bet against him taking the Green Jersey all the way to Nice (remember, the Tour doesn't finish in Paris this year). Now that Bini's bike is a three-time stage winner, let's talk a bit about some of the small aero details of his kit and bike setup.
Photos: cyclingmedia_agency/Uvex
I find his Uvex Surge Aero MIPS helmet pretty interesting. It's a brand-new helmet from Uvex that is only just now available for sale. For aerodynamics, it has a detachable plug-in cover for the vents, but this actually goes against UCI regulation 1.3.013: "It is prohibited to add a detachable cover to a helmet." So how is the team legally using this new helmet? They just superglued the cover on so it's technically no longer detachable! Obviously, us regular consumers won't have to worry about that though.
Photo: Photo News Agency Belgium
Bini's aero socks (which are the best aero upgrade for the money) are made by Verge Sport and have some nice-looking texture on them. I might have to try some out! His riding position is very modern — i.e., extremely low and forward — and to help him achieve this he actually rides a Prologo Dimension Tri saddle designed for TT/triathlon bikes. It looks similar in shape to most "snub-nosed" saddles but the "sitting area" 2cm farther forward than normal. The tip is wider and has more padding, allowing riders to scoot up and adopt an extremely aero position. Of course, Bini's legs do most of the work, but these little aero details likely contribute a bit to the amazing speed Bini has on fast sprint finishes!
Stage 13 - Agen > Pau - Winner: Canyon Aeroad CFR
Photo: ASO/Charly Lopez
Rider: Jasper Philipsen
Bike: Canyon Aeroad CFR
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: Shimano Dura-Ace C60
Tires: Vittoria Corsa Pro
Bike Type: Aero
Stage Type: Flat
Photo: Russell Ellis
Jasper Philipsen has seriously turned his Tour around after a winless first week. Now, he's the second best sprinter after Bini with two wins. Honestly, I was hoping today's 2nd place finisher Wout van Aert would pull it off just so I could talk about the Cervelo S5 (my dream bike). The Canyon Aeroad isn't terribly interesting to me, BUT it's still a VERY fast bike.
One of my favorite publications is Tour Magazine out of Germany because they're one of the few doing their own independent wind tunnel testing. If we look at their aero results, the current generation Aeroad CFR is among the fastest bikes tested with 202 W of drag. Will the refinements seen on this new 2025 version make it even faster? We'll have to wait and see.
An interesting thing I noticed in the photo above is that Jasper seems to ride with his levers at a slight downward angle. Maybe that helps him get more aero in sprint finishes? It also looks like he uses 140mm brake rotors front and rear. Is this to save weight or for better aerodynamics? Maybe both? I wonder if he (or rather, his mechanic) switches back to 160mm rotors for mountain stages. I'd hate to do the big alpine descents with such a small front rotor!
Stage 14 - Pau > Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d'Adet - Winner: Colnago V4Rs
Photo: ASO/Billy Ceusters
Rider: Tadej Pogacar
Bike: Colnago V4Rs
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: ENVE SES 4.5
Tires: Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR
Bike Type: All-Rounder
Stage Type: Mountain
There he goes again, attacking for the win... Pogacar really is something special! This searing attack and subsequent stage win is probably exactly what he needed after his surprise loss to Vingegaard in the stage 11 sprint. After his stage 4 win, I mentioned that I love that Pogacar's bike features many progressive bike geek choices in its build. So let's take a closer look at a couple of my favorite things — wheels and tires.
Photo: Sprint Cycling Media
As I said on stage 4, Pogacar seems to always run the 50/56mm-deep ENVE SES 4.5 wheels on big mountain stages. Why? Here's a few theories:
- Pogi is riding fast enough up climbs to benefit from the aerodynamic gains of 50+ mm rims.
- Pogi's bike is right near the 6.8 kg UCI weight limit, so the slighter heavier 4.5 rims keep it legal. (ENVE 4.5 = 1,432g, ENVE 3.4 = 1,380g)
- Deeper wheels just look cooler. Plus, they make the ENVE logos bigger. Sponsors love it!
It's likely a bit of all three and the last point probably carries a bit more weight than people might expect. Those massive ENVE logos definitely pop, and to me, they've become a key part of Pogi's image. I mean, can you imagine him in anything besides a MET helmet (with hair tufts always poking through)? Or Scicon sunglasses?
The SES 4.5 wheels are part of the ongoing trend across the industry of ever-wider rim widths with its 25mm internal and 32mm external width. This extra width means riders can run wider 28-30mm tires while still keeping the tires narrower than the external width of the rim. For good aerodynamic efficiency, a rim needs to be at least 105% the width of the tire for airflow to have a chance of reattaching to the rim after being disturbed by the tire.
Pogacar is definitely on the progressive end of tire size too. He regularly runs 30mm Continental GP 5000 S TR tires. They're set up tubeless, and on the wide ENVE rims they generally balloon out to just over 31mm. Many pros still haven't gone as wide as Pogacar despite ample evidence that wider tires have less rolling resistance than narrower tires, especially on rough roads. Maybe if Pogi wins the tour this year it will change some stubborn minds!
Stage 15 - Loudenvielle > Plateau de Beille - Winner: Colnago V4Rs
Photo: ASO/Charly Lopez
Rider: Tadej Pogacar
Bike: Colnago V4Rs
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: ENVE SES 4.5
Tires: Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR
Bike Type: All-Rounder
Stage Type: Mountain
Well, he did it again. This time though, it was Jonas Vingegaard that initiated the attack. Pogacar covered it easily, then left Jonas in the dust, extending his lead in the Yellow Jersey to over 3 minutes. He's also now equal with Biniam Girmay with 3 stage wins this year. I'm glad I stuck to wheels and tires in the last stage. If Pog keeps winning stages, I'm going to run out of things to talk about! Let's cover a couple small components...
The black gunk on Pog's chain is absoluteBLACK GRAPHENlube wax lube.
Pog's Dura-Ace rear derailleur is mounted to an aftermarket CNC machined Framesandgear Direct Mount Derailleur Hanger. Why? At the World Tour level, some riders actually want the extra stiffness of aftermarket hangers for faster and more precise shifts, especially when shifting under load. I actually use one of Silca's 3D-printed titanium hangers on my own race bike, which is designed for the same purpose. I can't say that I notice much difference, but I'm also not a World Tour-level rider!
Photos: Sprint Cycling Media
Look closely at Pog's brakes and you'll notice some interesting machined fins sticking out of his calipers. These are absoluteBLACK GRAPHENpads. The backing plate has cooling fins that stick out the top, and these fins use a thermal coating containing Graphene to keep pad temps low on long and tough descents. The pad compound is ceramic organic and it contains Graphene as well. As a result, they cost twice as much as the regular Shimano pads.
I've also tested these pads on my own bike on some big mountain descents. They're pretty good! They have fantastic bite and modulation, and they're nice and quiet. Considering the price, are they 2x better than stock pads? Eh, no. Pog would have dropped Jonas on the final stage 4 descent with stock pads too. But they're cool, and when people notice them, they know you're a bike geek.
Stage 16 - Gruissan > Nîmes - Winner: Canyon Aeroad CFR
Photo: ASO/Billy Ceusters
Rider: Jasper Philipsen
Bike: Canyon Aeroad CFR
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: Shimano Dura-Ace C60
Tires: Vittoria Corsa Pro
Bike Type: Aero
Stage Type: Flat
After another big win, Jasper "Disaster The Master" Philipsen really looks like the dominant sprinter we saw last year. His leadout was dialed and his sprint was untouchable. Now he's equal with Bini on stage wins and within striking distance of taking the Green Jersey. The final few intermediate sprints in the Tour could get interesting!
Yo, Dawg, I heard you like Canyon Aeroads. Photo: Alpecin-Deceuninck
I'm not sure there's much more for me to discuss with Jasper's Aeroad CFR. I do find it interesting that his team seems to only ride the Aeroad, even on big mountain stages (rather than the lighter Canyon Ultimate). Obviously, since they're a Classics and sprint team, they only target flat and hilly stages, so maybe they just don't care. What's more likely is that the Aeroad is light enough that it makes the Ultimate unnecessary.
Let's talk about chain lube for a sec. Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard that waxed chains are the bee's knees. They're more efficient, cleaner, and they reduce wear. In the pro peloton though, there aren't many riders or teams using hot melt wax (where the chain is removed and placed in a pot of melted wax). It makes sense. Most riders have 4 bikes (one race, one spare, one TT, one spare TT), and many riders have even more. That means the team mechanics have to maintain 32+ bikes. That's a lot of chains to wax!
Photo: Dynamic Bike Care
Instead, many teams use a drip wax lube, essentially a wax emulsion, that gets close to the performance of hot melt wax but is much easier to apply. Jasper and his Alpecin team use Dynamic Slick Wax, which is also used by Team Visma and Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. I'll likely stick with my Silca Super Secret drip wax, but if I ever get the chance, maybe I'll try Dynamic.
Also, since this is my last chance (it's the final sprint stage), I must comment on Jasper's sunglasses — the Oakley Kato. Are these the ugliest sunglasses in the pro peloton? Some people think so. I'm on the fence. I actually think Mark Cavendish pulls them off. Maybe it's the black tint that's not working? What's interesting is that the Kato seems beloved by several top sprinters — Jasper Philipsen, Fabio Jakobsen, and Mark Cavendish. Mathieu van der Poel even put them on for a few stages. The field of view they provide is supposed to be incredible, so maybe that's what sprinters want when they're dicing through a chaotic bunch sprint.
Stage 17 - Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux > Superdévoluy - Winner: Cannondale Lab71 SuperSix EVO
Photo: Jered & Ashley Gruber
Rider: Richard Carapaz
Bike: Cannondale Lab71 SuperSix EVO
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 w/ FSA K-Force Crankset
Wheels: Vision Metron 45 SL
Tires: Vittoria Corsa Pro
Bike Type: All-Rounder
Stage Type: Mountain
Photo: Getty Images
The breakaway finally made it today! Richard Carapaz attacked on the second to last climb and held on to the finish. After crashing out in the first stage last year, this has been a much better Tour for the Ecuadorian rider, taking the Yellow Jersey after stage 3 and his first stage win today.
This is also the first Tour stage win for the updated 4th gen Cannondale SuperSix EVO. With this update, Cannondale followed the trend of creating "one bike to rule them all." The aero SystemSix was discontinued, with the idea that the 4th gen SuperSix would be the ideal compromise between aerodynamics and low weight. Carapaz's SuperSix EVO gets a special golden paint job to commemorate him winning Gold in the 2021 Olympic road race.
Interesting tidbit — "Lab71" is Cannondale's top-of-the-line frame offering (similar to Specialized's S-Works moniker) which is about 40 grams lighter than the standard SuperSix Hi-Mod frame. However, despite the EF team frames being labeled "Lab71," they're actually Hi-Mod frames. EF has been somewhat transparent regarding this, and the internet has plenty of theories as to why the team is using Hi-Mod frames. Some think the lighter Lab71 frames aren't as stiff or durable as the Hi-Mod frames. Perhaps Cannondale can't manufacture enough Lab71s to meet the team's needs. Maybe EF just wants to keep their budget tight with "cheaper" frames. Who knows. Only EF insiders do.
Something else I find interesting — this is yet another win for Shimano Dura-Ace, but it's the first winning Shimano bike that isn't running Shimano cranks. FSA is one of EF's main sponsors, so their riders use the FSA K-Force Team Edition carbon crankset, FSA chainrings, and Power2Max NGeco PowerBox power meters. Their FSA sponsorship is also why EF riders use one-piece Vision Metron cockpits (FSA owns Vision) and Vision Metron wheels instead of the stock Cannondale components.
Stage 18 - Gap > Barcelonnette - Winner: Orbea Orca Aero
Photo: Orbea
Rider: Victor Campenaerts
Bike: Orbea Orca Aero
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 w/ FSA K-Force Crankset
Wheels: Zipp 454 NSW
Tires: Vittoria Corsa Pro
Bike Type: Aero
Stage Type: Hilly
Victor Campenaerts won his first-ever Tour stage, and this win might be one of my favorites. Victor might be the peloton's biggest marginal gains geek. He waxes his own chains and is always trying weird and geeky things to try and gain an edge. I've brought up handlebar setup several times this year and Victor was one of the first to really push the limits with super narrow bars and turned in levers to improve his aerodynamics.
Look at the image above, and you'll see just how far his levers are turned in. Victor is often seen attacking right from the gun and driving breakaways while tucked into the most aerodynamic riding position — hands on the hoods with his forearms parallel to the ground. Narrow bars (his are currently 38-40cm) and turned in levers help keep his frontal area small and efficient.
Victor has used narrower 36cm bars in the past, but 38cm bars are the narrowest offered by his team's current sponsor, FSA/Vision. Like Team EF, his Lotto Dstny team also combines FSA K-Force Team Edition cranksets with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 drivetrain.
Photos: Photo News Agency
Interestingly, despite their FSA/Vision sponsorship, Lotto Dstny doens't use Vision wheels. Their wheel situation is pretty strange because they combine Shimano drivetrains with Zipp wheels (a SRAM-owned company). But they technically aren't sponsored by Zipp either.
The team's main sponsor is Orbea, and Victor is riding Orbea's Orca Aero. His bike should be equipped with Orbea's Oquo RP57LTD wheels. However, the team seems to only use Oquo wheels for photos while riders use the Zipps when racing. Victor rode the Zipp 454 NSW, which uses Zipp's proprietary "Sawtooth" rim profile to provide the best combo of aero efficiency and crosswind stability. Supposedly, this is because there aren't enough Oquo wheels to go around, but I have to wonder if the team has found the Zipps to be faster.
Stage 19 - Embrun > Isola 2000 - Winner: Colnago V4Rs
Photo: ASO/Charly Lopez
Rider: Tadej Pogacar
Bike: Colnago V4Rs
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: ENVE SES 4.5
Tires: Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR
Bike Type: All-Rounder
Stage Type: Mountain
Photo: ASO/Billy Ceusters
Stop, stop! They're already dead! Tadej Pogacar just annihilated everyone on the final climb to score his fourth stage win, and I couldn't help but ask for mercy for the other riders. Selfishly, I wanted American Matteo Jorgenson to win so I could talk about the Cervelo S5 (which he and Jonas Vingegaard both picked for a big mountain stage. Also, Jonas was on a 1x!), but alas, Tadej passed him easily in the final 2K. Would you prefer the V4Rs or the S5? I'm less sure these days.
Colnago supposedly made the V4Rs to address Tadej's requests for a better bike to win the Tour. It's 4-5% stiffer than the previous V3Rs and significantly more aero. Colnago hired Norwegian industrial designer Torgny Fjeldskaar, who designed the BMC Roadmachine and the Teammachine,. It's huge for a traditional all-Italian brand like Colnago to seek foreign help. Clearly, they wanted to win and the bike is fast. Under Tadej, it's unbeatable.
Tadej has also made several small changes to his setup in the pursuit of marginal gains. A big (or small) one I want to point out is his move to 165mm crank arms. Tadej went from 172.5mm cranks to 170mm in 2023, and then he dropped down to 165mm this year. Shorter cranks help keep his cadence high (impressive with his 55/40t chainrings!) and opens up his hip angle to allow him to adopt a lower and more aerodynamic position. His decisions are definitely going to be studied by his competitors. We'll see how many start copying him next year.
Stage 20 - Nice > Col de la Couillole - Winner: Colnago V4Rs
Photo: ASO/Billy Ceusters
Rider: Tadej Pogacar
Bike: Colnago V4Rs
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: ENVE SES 4.5
Tires: Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR
Bike Type: All-Rounder
Stage Type: Mountain
Sigh... I'd love to talk about another bike, but alas, Tadej is far and away the best rider and he just keeps winning. Is he on the best machine? This is the 5th stage win for the Colnago V4Rs so... Maybe I should buy one...
Stage 21 - Monaco > Nice - Winner: Colnago TT1
Photo: Andy McGrath/VELO
Rider: Tadej Pogacar
Bike: Colnago TT1
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 w/ Cybrei GP-3 Carbon Cranks
Wheels: ENVE SES 7.8 (front) / Aerocoach Aeox Ultra Orbit disc (rear)
Tires: Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TT
Bike Type: Time Trial
Stage Type: Individual Time Trial
Photo: ASO/Charly Lopez
Tadej is just a winning machine. With the lead he had over 2nd place, he could have taken it easy and coasted in for the final time trial, but instead, he pushed hard, had a few sketchy moments, and won his 6th stage of the Tour.
His team has made huge leaps forward in their time trial setup over the last year, and the Colnago TT1 Tadej is riding has every nearly mod possible thrown at it in the pursuit of speed. The frame module alone retails for over $6,000, but with all the components and upgrades, it's estimated to be worth over $21,000!
Photos: Colnago World
There's a lot more than I can cover in a few paragraphs, so let's hit some of the top highlights:
- Frame - The TT1 replaced Colnago's K.One and is the brand's first disc brake TT frame. The bayonet fork is attached to the headtube with a "hinge." There's no steerer tube, which allowed designers to make the headtube area super narrow and aero. The water bottle is 3D-printed and extremely well-integrated into the frame. It looks like a fairing, which are generally illegal, but since there's a credit card's width of space between the bottle and the frame, it's legal in this case. His frame also has no paint to save weight.
- Wheels and tires - In the rear, Tadej is using an Aerocoach Aeox Ultra Orbit disc wheel. For stage 7 Tadej used an unreleased 100mm ENVE front wheel, but for today's hillier route, he went with a shallower ENVE SES 7.8 rim. He's using Continental's GP 5000 TT tires, but NOT the new Continental Aero 111 front tire. Some reporters have also noted that he seems to be using a well-worn rear tire. Perhaps, because it's worn thinner, it rolls faster.
- Cockpit - Tadej's aerobar extensions are clearly custom and they're molded or 3D-printed specifically for him. They were sporting ENVE decals at the Giro earlier this year, but it's unknown who made them.
- Saddle and seatpost - Tadej is on a prototype Prologo Predator TT saddle that supposedly improves aerodynamics by smoothing the air coming off his backside. It also has flat carbon rails that fit the custom Darimo carbon seatpost. Darimo specializes in ultralight carbon parts, so the seatpost was likely chosen to shed a few grams.
- Crankset - the crank arms are Cybrei GP-3 Carbon cranks which are ultralight (320g) and claim to be stiffer than SRAM or Shimano's top offerings. It mates to an SRM power meter, which has massive 60/46t Carbon-Ti chainrings mounted. Tadej used a 60t 1x ring on stage 7, but switched to a 2x for the hillier course.
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