Just one detail, but a remarkable one for us: time trial specialist Victor Campenaerts (Belgium/Lotto-Dstny) is probably pedalling the thickest gears in the peloton. On his Ridley Noah Fast with Shimano Dura-Ace equipment, he has fitted chainrings with the fabulous 58/44 format - and that in the mountains on the first stages! In the Tour de France peloton, however, there are even more riders who pedal with thicker gears than the component manufacturers actually intended. The SRAM-equipped professional cyclists in particular do not seem to be satisfied with the 50/37 combination that is officially offered as the largest option for the drivetrain. Chainring combinations with 53/39, which are not available in the shops, are widespread here. With Mattias Skjelmose from Team Lidl-Trek, we even discovered SRAM Red chainrings with 55/41.
Tour de France 2023: Old cranks at AG2R
Campagnolo also recently reduced the size of the sprockets and chainrings; the largest compatible combination here is actually 50/34, but the riders who ride with the new groupset at AG2R fit old cranks with classic 53/39.
But Shimano riders also sometimes need more speed; cranks or chainrings with more teeth than the official 54/40 can be found on many teams. Alberto Bettiol from EF Education EasyPost, for example, drills his drivetrain to 56/41 teeth with FSA chainrings.
