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

​The three riders cannot choose their own bikes: The Equipment is linked to the teams’ sponsors. Pogačar and del Toro, who ride as team-mates for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, both ride Colnagos, but opt for different models from the range depending on the stage. Evenepoel rides for Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe and therefore rides a Specialized. On most stages, he lined up at the start on the new Tarmac SL9.

1st place: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – Colnago Y1Rs & TT2

Pogačar lined up at the 2026 Tour de France with two Colnago bikes: the Y1Rs aero road bike for the road stages and the new TT2 time trial bike. According to Colnago, his Y1Rs (size 54, Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, 165 mm cranks, ENVE SES 4.5 Pro wheels) weighs 7.07 kg. In the independent In the TOUR wind tunnel test, the Y1Rs achieved excellent aerodynamic performance figures of 204 watts, but fell significantly short in terms of stiffness and comfort – resulting in an overall TOUR score of 2.1. For the time trials, he rode the TT2 with shorter 160 mm cranks – which allow for a more compact, aerodynamic position on the aerobars – along with a single chainring (64 teeth) and a full-carbon rear disc for maximum aerodynamic efficiency.

2nd place: Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe) – Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9 & Shiv TT

Remco Evenepoel relied mainly on the new Tarmac SL9, the aerodynamically refined successor to the SL8. According to Specialized, the frame saves four watts at 45 km/h compared with its predecessor, whilst weighing just 687 grams. The bike is powered by SRAM RED AXS with a power metre crankset (56/43 teeth) and Roval Rapide CLX III wheels. 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 – on a par with the Giant Propel. For the time trials, he opted for the Specialized S-Works Shiv TT – a prototype model not yet released to the public, which made its debut at the opening team time trial in Barcelona and replaces the predecessor, which had remained unchanged since 2019. It is fitted with short 165 mm cranks, a single 60-tooth chainring and a 10–36 cassette – the 1x configuration provides an additional aerodynamic advantage.

3rd place: Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – Colnago V5Rs

For much of the tour, Del Toro relied on the lighter V5Rs rather than his team-mate Pogačar’s Y1Rs, in order to get closer to the UCI minimum weight limit of 6.8 kilos. His bike is fitted with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 (165 mm cranks, 54/40 teeth, 11–34 cassette), ENVE SES 4.5 Pro wheels and a Fizik Vento Antares 00 saddle. According to Colnago, the unpainted V5Rs frame in a small size weighs just 685 grams; in the wind tunnel, the bike is said to be nine watts faster than its predecessor, the V4Rs. For the final stage to Paris, del Toro was given a bespoke white Y1Rs by Colnago – to match the white jersey for the best young rider, which he secured, mirroring Pogačar’s yellow anniversary bike for his fifth Tour victory.