2026 Tour de France: Nine new bikes ridden by the stars make their Tour debut

Bianchi Specialissima RC: Bahrain Victorious

​The long-established Italian brand Bianchi is an integral part of the Tour peloton. This year, it is teaming up with the Team Bahrain-VictoriouIt made its debut at the start of the season, replacing its previous equipment supplier, Merida. A few weeks before the tour, the Italians unveiled a new generation of the Specialissima. The former lightweight specialist is said to have become significantly more aerodynamic; in terms of its shape, too, the new model now bears more resemblance to an all-rounder suitable for all stages. The Bahrain Victorious team could therefore rely more heavily on this new development than on the Oltre aero model during the Tour de France.

Cannondale SuperSix Evo: EF Education EasyPost

Cannondale’s new SuperSix Evo has been competing in races ever since the Tour Down Under among the professionals at the EF Education-EasyPos teamst. The model was officially launched in February and is now set to make its debut at the Tour de France. The professionals have no alternative to this all-rounder, but riders ranging from mountain jersey contender Richard Carapaz to stage specialist Kasper Asgreen can rely on absolutely top-class equipment: The SuperSix Evo LAB71 is lightweight, delivers top aerodynamic performance and offers outstanding riding comfort – In our test, the bike earned top marks and is one of the finest racing cars in the peloton.

​Cube Litening Aero: TotalEnergies

Not much is known yet about Cube’s new Aero model, with which the Team TotalEnergies will be competing in the Tour de France: the official unveiling of the bike had not yet taken place at the time of the start. In all likelihood, it will take place during the Tour itself; after all, the bike will be prominently on display. Even at the team presentation, the riders rode it onto the stage. The Previous Litening Aero was introduced back in 2019, so an update is on the cards. The German manufacturer is kitting out the French team for the first time, having had to end its successful sponsorship of the Intermarché-Wanty team following its merger with the Belgian Lotto team. Last year, TotalEnergies was still riding on wheels from the US manufacturer Enve.

​Giant Propel Advanced: Team Jayco-AlUla

​​Over the years, the Giant Propel has evolved from a heavy, rigid aero machine into a versatile all-round racing bike. The latest version, developed in collaboration with the pros from the Jayco-AlUla teams Developed and unveiled this spring, it continues to live up to this claim: The bike didn’t get any faster – but it did become incredibly light. Without any special tuning, the team bikes should meet the 6.8 kilogramme minimum weight. Riding comfort and stiffness are also top-notch. As a result, the Giant Propel (alongside the Specialized Tarmac SL9) currently tops the TOUR test rankings for competition bikes. Riders such as GC contender Simon Yates, German sprinter Pascal Ackermann and the newly crowned German champion Felix Engelhardt therefore need not worry about choosing between several models. However, they cannot blame a lack of success on their equipment either.

​Look 795 Blade RS 3: Cofidis

​It has already proven itself in races: Alex Aranburu secured a stage victory at the Itzulia Tour of the Basque Country back in April on the new LOOK, before following that up with another victory at the Tour of Belgium in June. The Team Cofidis was involved in the development of the bike from the very beginning and tested it under race conditions. A few weeks before the tour, it officially went on sale. The fact that the new model nevertheless attracted little attention is probably down to its very understated exterior facelift. The French manufacturer claims to have reduced the weight, and improvements in aerodynamics are also promised.

Orbea Orca Aero: Lotto-Intermarché

​Just two days before the start of the Tour de France The Basque manufacturer Orbea unveiled a new Orca Aero in Barcelona, which serves as a tool for the Lotto-Intermarché Teams will be used in the stage race. The new design is expected to offer aerodynamic advantages, particularly because the rider sits very low on the bike. Among the line-up, the Frenchman Arnaud de Lie is likely to benefit most, as he is regarded as a promising contender for sprint finishes. Germany’s Georg Zimmermann will also be riding the new Orca Aero through France.

Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9: Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe & Soudal Quick-Step

The launch of the new Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9 probably attracted the most attention in the run-up to the Tour. There are several reasons for this; one is the US manufacturer’s sophisticated marketing strategy, which, like no other, manages to create a sense of anticipation and put new products in the spotlight. Another is the list of prominent general classification and stage favourites who will be lining up on the new Tarmac for two teams equipped by Specialized: Remco Evenepoel, Florian Lipowitz and Jay Hindlay for Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe; Ilan van Wilder and Valentin Paret-Peintre at Soudal Quick-Step. Last but not least, the bike’s technical quality is also exceptional: as an extremely lightweight and competitively fast all-rounder, riders can rely on top-quality components, alongside the Giant Propel The Tarmac SL9 also achieved the highest mark ever awarded in the TOUR test.

Van Rysel RCR-R Pro: Decathlon CMA CGM

All eyes will be on rising star Paul Seixas this year. The fact that the young Frenchman from the team Decathlon CMA CGM The fact that he might be riding a new model from his equipment supplier almost becomes a side issue: in the spring, he was seen in a few races on a black-painted prototype from Decathlon’s own brand, Van Rysel. By all accounts, it is a successor to the all-rounder RCR Pro. Aerodynamic optimisations are evident, but the model looks too delicate to be an update of the fast RCR-F aero bike. There is no official information about the bike as yet, and it is also unknown whether we will find out more about it during the Tour. One thing seems certain: Seixas will certainly not be undermining his chances as a challenger with this bike: Even the current RCR-R Pro proved itself in our test to be a well-balanced racing machine capable of meeting the most demanding requirements.

​Wilier Filante ID2: Groupama-FDJ United

​The Filante, a versatile racing bike, is Wilier’s flagship model: it serves as the workhorse of the Groupama FDJ United-Professionals in the spotlight of the World Tour, the long-established Italian brand is also showcasing its bikes at the Tour de France. The flagship model, revamped at the start of the year, has received an aerodynamic update that also includes the distinctive water bottles and their holders. With new carbon-spoke wheelsets from Miche, the bike remains competitively light. In our TOUR test, the bike performed correspondingly well and proved itself to be a competitive racing car.