​2026 Tour de France: The bikes of the top three in the mountains classification

The mountains classification – that is, the competition for the polka-dot jersey – is decided by the points awarded for crossing categorised climbs. Depending on the difficulty level, different numbers of points are awarded: 20 points for the first rider to reach the summit of a Hors Catégorie climb, 10 for Category 1, 5 for Category 2, 2 for Category 3 and just 1 point for Category 4 (with points staggered for multiple riders in each category). The rider who has collected the most points across all the climbs in the Tour is declared the winner.

​1st place: Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost, 156 points) – Cannondale SuperSix Evo

Carapaz is riding the Cannondale SuperSix Evo, with which the team is pursuing a single-bike strategy – the same aero all-rounder is used on both flat stages and in the high mountains; only in time trials do they switch to the SuperSlice time trial bike. The SuperSix Evo team bike is fitted with SRAM Red AXS, Vittoria tyres and Vision Metron RS wheelsets. In the TOUR test, the Shimano version tested (LAB71, with a different wheel set) achieved the top mark of 1.5 with 205 watts in the wind tunnel and a total weight of 6.89 kilos – on a par with the Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Aeroad and Scott Foil.

2nd place: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG, 100 points) – Colnago Y1Rs

Pogačar lined up at the start of the 2026 Tour de France with two Colnago bikes: the aero road bike Y1Rs for the road stages and the new TT2 time-trial bike – even in the high mountains, he didn’t switch to a lighter model. His Y1R (size 54, Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, 165 mm cranks, ENVE SES 4.5 Pro wheels) weighs 7.07 kg according to Colnago, which is not far off the UCI minimum weight of 6.8 kg. It’s worth noting that the Slovenian lightens his bike with all sorts of performance parts: carbon chainrings and lightweight components from Carbon-Ti aren’t normally found on the standard production model. In the TOUR wind tunnel test, the Y1Rs achieved a very good aerodynamic performance of 204 watts, though not the best results; it also fell significantly short in terms of stiffness and comfort – resulting in an overall TOUR rating of 2.1.

3rd place: Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal-QuickStep, 99 points) – Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9

Paret-Peintre rides practically the same bike as Remco Evenepoel, runner-up in the overall standings: the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9, the aerodynamically refined successor to the SL8. According to Specialized (and also according to TOUR wind tunnel measurements), the frame saves four watts at 45 km/h compared with its predecessor, whilst weighing just 687 grams; in the TOUR test, the SL9 achieved the current top score of 1.4 with a weight of 6.49 kilos and 205 watts in the wind tunnel. At Soudal-QuickStep, however, it is fitted with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 instead of SRAM Red AXS. The bike’s weight, ready to ride, will meet the UCI minimum weight requirement; without pedals and bottle cages, it weighed just 6.49 kilograms in our test. Other components used by the team, such as tyres, saddle, handlebars and wheels (Roval), are also supplied by Specialized.