The Giant TCR from Simon Yates
The lightest road bike that could be ridden in the 2023 Tour de France weighs 7.0 kilograms. We then set off on a search in the paddock at the start of the Tour de France and were finally found at Simon Yates from the Jayco-AlUla team.
According to our tests, the Giant TCR Advanced SL frame is by far the lightest base used on the Tour. However, the mechanics had to pull out all the stops to ensure that the scales we brought with us read 7.00 kilograms: The smallest frame size road bike was fitted with 36 millimetre flat carbon rims and tubular tyres, which weigh around 200 grams less than the tubeless setup with 50 millimetre rims that is usually ridden.
We weighed Simon Yates' Giant TCR Advanced ready to ride, i.e. including pedals, computer and two (empty) bottles. At the UCI inspection, the TCR would be weighed without the computer and bottles, resulting in 6.77 kilograms - just under the minimum weight of 6.80. However, the race number and transponder would be added, so Yates would probably not be at risk of disqualification even without additional weights.
Tour de France 2023: Some racing bikes weigh almost 8 kilos
The Giant TCR should have a comfortable gap to the competition in the weight classification, with most road bikes in the peloton weighing between 7.2 and 7.7 kilograms. Some aero racers from big riders also manage 7.8 kilograms or more.
Ultimately, this is all just grey theory, because as it turned out at the start of stage 6, Yates himself rode the aero model Giant Propel with medium-height rims and tubeless tyres on stage 6 - weight: 7.44 kilograms.
