Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin - Deceuninck) has lost the overall lead in the Tour de France 2025. On the seventh stage, however, the Dutchman took the opportunity to once again ride a Canyon Aeroad CFR in the colour of the maillot jaune. But how do the pros actually get hold of the models in yellow, green or white?
Alpecin - Deceuninck: With 57 wheels to the Tour de France 2025
Almost every team receives racing bikes in the colours of the classification jerseys before the Tour de France: yellow for the overall lead, green for the sprint classification, polka dot for the mountain classification and white for the junior classification. The Dutch team around van der Poel, for example, has three Aeroads CFR in yellow livery in its team truck these days.
For top sprinter Jasper Philipsen, who had to leave after an early crash, and Kaden Groves, the team had even packed five green aero bikes, as a mechanic told us. In total, Alpecin - Deceuninck brought 57 bikes with them to France.
Remco Evenepoel's bikes on the tour
Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel (who has since retired) took the "bike swap game" to the extreme. The Quick-Step pro used two Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 bikes in different colours. One in gold as a tribute to his 2024 Olympic victory and one in white as the leader of the junior classification.
There is also a completely black version of the race all-rounder. This is simply coated with a clear varnish to save some more weight. On request, the bike (size 52) is said to weigh 6.89 kilograms when ready to ride, which is almost exactly the UCI minimum weight. The black Specialized was also used in the high mountains until Evenepoel's retirement on stage 14.
Julian Schultz
Editor
