The World Tour teams Soudal-Quick Step (still Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl in 2022) and Bora-Hansgrohe will also be riding Specialized racing bikes in 2023. The bike manufacturer from California also equips TotalEnergies with Peter Sagan and is involved in women's cycling with SD Worx and AG Insurance - Soudal Quick-Step.
Teams receive Specialised S-Works Tarmac SL7
At the heart of all these teams' equipment is the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7, which was also made available last year. From a purely technical point of view, there are no major upgrades - although rumours are already circulating about a possible Tarmac SL8 as the successor to the SL7. At the start of the season, however, the teams equipped by Specialized are still riding the SL7, the look of which has changed little compared to 2022. However, one bike does stand out: the working bike of world champion Remco Evenepoel.
This racing bike has a very special look with numerous embellishments to honour the road world championship title that the Belgian won in Australia in 2022. The design is very similar to that of Julian Alaphilippe's world champion bike from recent years. In contrast to the dark Tarmac models of his team colleagues from Soudal - Quick Step, the basic colour of Evenepoel's Specialized model is white.
The seat tube with the lettering of the Tarmac SL7 model is painted in the rainbow colours of the world champion, just like the mount for the Evenepoel bike computer. The top tube of Evenepoel's racing bike features a two-part globe, the lower part of which shines in rainbow colours. Below this, the words "World Champ" in capital letters, three stars and the year 2022 are engraved in Roman numerals above his name to symbolise his world championship title.
Specialised also provides helmets
Like all racing bikes provided by Specialized, the bike is equipped with Roval wheels and components. The helmets for the professional cycling teams mentioned above are also provided by Specialized: the S-Works Evade and the S-Works Prevail.
The other models of the Soudal - Quick Step riders also have some special features. For example, part of the carbon fork on Fabio Jakobsen's Tarmac SL7 is painted in the European champion colours.
In the time trials, Evenepoel and Co. are riding a Specialized S-Works Shiv TT.
With the team Bora-Hansgrohe everything remains the same when it comes to professional bikes. The Tarmac SL7 is still the workhorse of choice for the German World Tour racing team.
At TotalEnergies, red and black continue to dominate the livery of the Tarmac SL7 by Daniel Oss, Pierre Latour and Anthony Turgis.
Peter Sagan, on the other hand, has a racing bike that is predominantly painted in blue, just like in 2022.
The Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7 from Peter Sagan
In women's cycling, Specialized equips the SD Worx team, which rides in the Women's World Tour, and, for the first time, AG Insurance - Soudal Quick-Step with the Tarmac SL7. "Working with these teams helps us to develop the most innovative and high-performance bikes and equipment for all female riders," says Specialized.
Among the women's racing bikes provided, the one of Niamh Fisher-Black, who rides for the SD Worx team, stands out in particular.
The New Zealander became world champion in Australia in the U23 road race category, which was held for the first time. However, the race also attracted critics due to its format (more here). To honour her achievement, Specialized has provided Fisher-Black with a racing machine that has a similar look to Evenepoel's.
The decoration on Niamh Fisher-Black's top tube follows the same pattern as that on Evenepoel's bike. The frame is also white, like that of the Belgian. The other racing bikes of the SD Worx riders have a darker look, like Lorena Wiebes'.
The AG Insurance - Soudal Quick-Step women's team is closely linked to Patrick Lefevere's men's team and has great ambitions. For example, the German rider Romy Kasper and Ashleigh Moolman have been signed.
The team can also rely on the Tarmac SL7 and will be equipped by Specialized for the first time in 2023.
