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The Tour de France 2024 is not just the highlight of the year from a sporting perspective. For the cycling industry, the tour is also a date to focus on. After all, no other event promises so much global attention. For the manufacturers, the mere participation guarantees a media presence that could never be achieved with conventional advertising measures. A stage or even overall victory: priceless from a marketing perspective.
Manufacturers invest a lot of money
The manufacturers pay a lot for this. In addition to the racing bikes themselves, the material sponsors add a considerable amount of money on top so that the riders can ride their bikes and components. Exact figures are of course a secret, but depending on the quality of the team, it can run into millions. Naturally, the manufacturers endeavour to provide the athletes with the best possible equipment in order to increase their chances of success. They also often take care to optimise the riders' bikes: Wind tunnel appointments, bike fitting, customisation - all of this is often organised by the outfitter.
Which bike on which stage of the Tour de France 2024?
One of the most important decisions is made depending on the stage in question: Which bike is ridden in which set-up depends on the route and strategy for many teams. Superstar Tadej Pogacar doesn't have to worry about this - the Slovenian always uses the same bike, a Colnago V4Rs. Team Visma | Lease a Bike uses a more elaborate strategy. Jonas Vingegaard & Co. can choose between lightweight and aero racers, between single or double drivetrains and different wheels. No other team burdens its mechanics with so much tinkering before a stage - but the majority use the multiple-wheel strategy, fuelled by the desire to provide the athlete with a perfect bike that promises advantages in the seconds poker.
Aerodynamics and lightweight construction are the opposing forces. The best aerodynamic bikes are well above the minimum weight of 6.8 kilograms prescribed by the UCI, on average around 500 grams. Lightweight bikes, which aerodynamically require between seven and 30 watts more power than the aero specialists (at 45 km/h), sometimes manage the weight limit in race trim. TOUR has tested all of the professionals' racing bikes in the wind tunnel and in the laboratory. This makes it possible to determine, at least theoretically, how great the advantage of an aero or lightweight machine is. We also tried to work out whether and when the constant switching between different racing bikes pays off. But the bikes are just one piece of the puzzle among many in the competition for the podium. An outstanding rider like Pogacar can compensate for a mediocre bike with his physicality, as he proves time and time again. Depending on technique, team and talent, we present eight bikes in detail that we believe represent the best material basis for the Tour de France 2024.
The eight racing bikes in detail
Colnago V4Rs - Noble Slicer (UAE Team Emirates)
Tadej Pogacar is the best proof that equipment alone does not win races. Basically, the entire UAE Emirates team is at a constant disadvantage - and has neither faster nor lighter alternatives to fall back on. The V4Rs team bike from sponsor Colnago is aerodynamically one of the weaker machines in the peloton, yet it is heavier than most of the mountain specialists. Expressed in figures: 221 watts in TOUR's wind tunnel test means around ten watts more required pedalling power at 45 km/h compared to typical all-rounders from the competition, or up to 20 watts compared to specialised aero machines such as the Cervélo S5.
In contrast to the official equipment of the team bike (pictured), Pogacar adds a little extra weight to his machine: With a custom-made Darimo carbon seat post, carbon chainrings, tuning brake discs and thru-axles from Carbon-Ti, lightweight time trial tyres from Continental and a handlebar unit from Enve, he pushes the weight of his racer down to a competitive 7.4 kilograms including pedals and computer, as we weighed it. Lightweight bikes like the Giant TCR easily undercut this and come close to the seven-kilo mark. Nevertheless, the Slovenian rode the competition to the ground at the Giro d'Italia and is also considered the top favourite to win the Tour.
Equipment
- Drive/gear shift: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Impellers: Enve SES
- Tyres: Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT TR
Valuation
- Aerodynamics: 2/5 stars
- Weight: 3/5 stars
- Comfort: 4/5 stars
Cervélo S5 - Escape helper (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Following last year's winner Jonas Vingegaard's serious crash in the spring, the chances of a Cervélo rider standing at the top of the podium at the end of the Tour de France have diminished, but the defending champions should not be written off. The team is also always good for stage wins. Our bet is on the S5 aero bike, which at around eight kilograms with accessories is one of the heaviest bikes in the peloton, but also one of the fastest in terms of aerodynamics. Of the current bikes, only the Canyon Aeroad comes close to the 202 watts in the TOUR test. This means that the bike really comes into its own on solo rides on flat and undulating terrain. Because small mountain gears are then unnecessary, the S5 will probably be seen frequently this year with only one chainring and without a front derailleur.
This makes the bike around 100 grams lighter and slightly faster in the wind. The rider doesn't just pay for the aero advantage with the high weight. The unyielding hardness of the aero seat post and weaknesses in stiffness are also deficits of the model, which is consistently trimmed for aerodynamics. This is one of the reasons why at least classification riders like Vingegaard will switch to the lighter R5 on mountainous stages. At 231 watts, it is a long way down the aero rankings, but saves around 500 grams compared to the S5 and can be controlled more precisely on fast descents.
Equipment
- Drive/gear shift: SRAM Red AXS
- Brakes: SRAM Red
- Impellers: Reserve
- Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Pro
Valuation
- Aerodynamics: 5/5 stars
- Weight: 1/5 stars
- Comfort: 1/5 stars
Pinarello Dogma F - almost all-rounder (Ineos Grenadiers)
Historically, Pinarello is the most successful brand still in existence at the Tour de France: the manufacturer from Treviso, Italy, has already claimed 15 overall victories, a good proportion of which were also in the more recent past with the former Team Sky. The Ineos Grenadiers team that emerged from this may no longer be as dominant in sporting terms, but there are still some strong riders in the squad. With the comeback of Egan Bernal, the team is once again aiming for a good position in the overall standings. The current dogma F (see photo) was replaced by a new model shortly before the Grand Depart. TOUR has already been able to subject the high-end racer to its first driving test.
However, the outfitter is sticking to the very successful basic concept of the striking racer. Pinarello's early strategy was to build just one bike for all racing situations, which the Dogma F does very well. With 208 watts of aero power, it is on a par with many aero specialists, while the frame weight of less than 1000 grams still allows for lightweight builds - our test bikes weighed around seven kilograms without pedals in comparable configurations. In our tests, the balancing act was mostly at the expense of stiffness, which was slightly below the average of the competition. But perhaps the Italians will be able to eliminate this weakness with a new model.
Equipment
- Drive/gear shift: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Impellers: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Tyres: Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT TR
Valuation
- Aerodynamics: 4/5 stars
- Weight: 4/5 stars
- Comfort: 4/5 stars
Specialised S-Works Tarmac SL8 - Complete package (Soudal - Quick Step, Bora-Hansgrohe)
If cycling were just a matter of numbers and probabilities, then the S-Works Tarmac SL8 from Specialized would have to be the most successful. The bike is used by two high-calibre professional teams. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal - Quick Step) is an extremely promising contender for the overall classification; Bora-Hansgrohe even wants to win it with Primoz Roglic. But the top model from the US manufacturer also provides convincing arguments from a technical point of view, as it does not really have any significant weaknesses in any race situation. It is one of the few bikes in the peloton that can easily be brought down to the minimum weight of 6.8 kilograms; without pedals, we weighed 6.6 kilos with Shimano's Dura-Ace groupset.
With the new SRAM groupset, which will be fitted by Bora-Hansgrohe this year, the bike should be another 150 to 200 grams lighter. It also has good aerodynamics (209 watts), which is on a par with some aero racers. The bike is also very comfortable and torsionally stiff. The fact that only one model is available to the sponsored professionals is not a disadvantage, as it can hold its own in all racing situations. This almost perfect symbiosis is reflected not least in our test: The S-Works Tarmac SL8 is currently the best competition road bike according to the TOUR test procedure.
Equipment
- Drive/gear shift: Shimano Dura-Ace/SRAM Red AXS
- Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace/SRAM Red AXS
- Tyres: Specialised Turbo
- Impellers: Roval
Valuation
- Aerodynamics: 4/5 stars
- Weight: 5/5 stars
- Comfort: 4/5 stars
Canyon Aeroad CFR - Speed machine (Alpecin-Deceuninck, Movistar)
After the fourth generation of the Aeroad had already celebrated its race premiere at the Criterium du DauphineThe new racing machine from Koblenz (see photo below) will of course also be used at the season highlight in France. The Aeroad will not be piloted to a top place in the overall standings, as the Alpecin-Deceuninck team simply does not have the right riders for that. However, sprinter Jasper Philipsen, winner of the 2023 green jersey, and superstar Mathieu van der Poel are almost guaranteed to play a leading role in the battle for stage wins. The Aeroad, which is ridden by Alpecin-Deceuninck on all stages, seems tailor-made for these types of riders. Above all, it is a fast-as-an-arrow base that leaves most competitors behind in terms of aerodynamics. The frame stiffness is also reassuringly high for the powerful professionals.
In terms of weight, the current Aeroad (see photo) offers potential, but at 7.2 kilograms (without pedals and accessories) it is several hundred grams lighter than the only slightly faster Cervélo S5 and at least remains competitive on the climbs. This is probably one reason why Team Movistar, the second Canyon team, is also using the Aeroad more and more. One thing is certain: the Canyon will once again be one of the fastest bikes in the peloton.
Equipment
- Drive/gear shift: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Impellers: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Pro
Valuation
- Aerodynamics: 5/5 stars
- Weight: 3/5 stars
- Comfort: 4/5 stars
Giant Propel Advanced SL - difficult choice (Team Jayco-AlUla)
With the predecessor models, Giant's two-wheeled strategy was more than clear: the Propel was aerodynamically top-notch, but comparatively heavy and tough as nails; the lightweight classic TCR was almost forbiddenly light and extremely comfortable, but about as streamlined as a wardrobe. This changed with the latest generations of both bikes: the Propel, introduced in 2022, became more graceful, more comfortable and lighter, while the TCR, which was only launched this year, was significantly better aerodynamically without neglecting its respective strengths. In Team Jayco-AlUla 2024, which bike a rider chooses is probably only clear for the specialists; all-rounders are faced with a truly difficult decision.
In our eyes, however, the Propel usually offers the better overall package, and we also rate the chances of victory for Dylan Groenewegen and Michael Matthews in the sprint-strong team as higher for this model. In its speciality discipline, the bike only delivers an average value for an aero racer in the TOUR test with 209 watts, but it is probably the lightest dedicated aero model in the field: 6.8 kilograms without accessories is a statement, some lightweight models can't keep up. This is partly due to the wheels with carbon spokes, which are extremely light for their rim height and save up to 300 grams compared to the competition.
Equipment
- Drive/gear shift: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Impellers: Cadex
- Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Pro
Valuation
- Aerodynamics: 4/5 stars
- Weight: 4/5 stars
- Comfort: 5/5 stars
Trek Madone SLR - Heavyweight (Lidl-Trek)
The Lidl Trek pros also took part in the Criterium du Dauphine on an as yet unreleased bike (see photo below)where it is unclear whether it is a Madone or an Émonda. There was a sticker with both model names on the top tube. An update of the Émonda would actually be more logical, as the current model has been on the market since 2020 - the Madone was last updated two years ago.
The current Madone (see photo above) caused quite a stir when it was launched, particularly with its spectacular design. The intricately moulded seat knot is unmistakable and, according to the manufacturer, is intended to improve the comfort and aerodynamics of the bike. In our tests, the US flagship, whose predecessor once set standards in aerodynamics, does not quite match its competitors. Although the bike is reasonably fast in its specialised discipline, with 207 watts in the wind tunnel test, riders have to put up with a relatively high weight compared to the competition, around 7.5 kilograms without pedals.
With all accessories, the weight should reach just under eight kilos, making it a rather heavy bike in the peloton. Nevertheless, the eye-catching Trek will be seen more often in the front row at sprint finishes, as former world champion Mads Pedersen would have the legs for it, and the weight is relatively irrelevant on the flat. The lightweight counterpart Émonda was rarely seen in the team.
Equipment
- Drive/gear shift: SRAM Red AXS
- Brakes: SRAM Red
- Impellers: Bontrager
- Tyres: Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS
Valuation
- Aerodynamics: 4/5 stars
- Weight: 2/5 stars
- Comfort: 4/5 stars
Cannondale Super Six Lab71 - Aero surprise (EF Education EasyPost)
You won't find any really prominent names on the EF Education EasyPost team this year. Almost traditionally, the colourful squad is likely to rely on surprise attacks and breakaway attempts, similar to Georg Steinhauser's coup at the Giro d'Italia. The fact that this always succeeds is probably also due to the equipment, as the outfitter has the right equipment for all types of stages. The current SuperSix Evo from Cannondale - actually the lightweight bike in the portfolio - surprised in the test above all with its aerodynamic qualities. The 207 watts measured in the wind tunnel mean a top speed that otherwise only purebred aero bikes can offer, and that with a mountain bike weight.
The Lab71 version ridden by the pros with exclusive carbon quality should be easy to bring under the seven-kilo mark, even with pedals and accessories. It also has a seatpost that offers excellent suspension. No matter what racing situation presents itself, riders hardly have to worry about unsuitable material. No wonder the SuperSix is almost always the first choice for the pros and the SystemSix aero model is only rarely taken out of the truck and only on very flat stages: At 203 watts, it is only minimally faster, but significantly heavier. In sprint situations, tall and athletic riders like Jonas Rutsch can also rely on a slightly stiffer frame-fork set.
Equipment
- Drive/gear shift: FSA/Shimano Dura-Ace
- Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Impellers: Vision
- Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Pro
Valuation
- Aerodynamics: 4/5 stars
- Weight: 4/5 stars
- Comfort: 5/5 stars
Jens Klötzer
Editor
