We are loving watching the Tour de France peleton race it’s way around some of the most spectacular cycling regions in France, and it’s even sweeter to see the race unfold against the odds. We take a look at the bikes making the headlines in stage wins or in breakaways at the Tour de France. […]
We are loving watching the Tour de France peleton race it’s way around some of the most spectacular cycling regions in France, and it’s even sweeter to see the race unfold against the odds. We take a look at the bikes making the headlines in stage wins or in breakaways at the Tour de France.
Colnago V3Rs – Tadej Pogacar (Stage 9) & Alexander Kristoff (Stage 1), UAE Team Emirates
The V3Rs is Colnago’s version of the modern do-it-all racer, merging low weight and aerodynamic design. The V3R is the most popular bike selected by Pro Tour riders from the Colnago range. It is an all-round bike which excells on all terrain – up long climbs, on windy flats, in a breakaway. It’s no wonder this bike has clocked up two victories after 9 stages of racing.
Campagnolo still supplies its Super Record EPS 12-speed groupsets and tubular Bora wheels. Deda supplies the cockpits, Prologo handles the perches, and Vittoria looks afer the rubber.
Kristoff won Stage 1 on the disc brake version (which offers nicer cable instegration options), whilst Pogacar opted for the slightly lighter weight rim brake version when he took victory on Stage 9 after a mountain stage.
Want this bike without the pricetag? The Colnago V3 is a great shout!
Ridley Noah Fast – Caleb Ewan, Lotto Soudal, Stage 3 & Stage 11 Win
Ok, so it’s not a breakaway but a double stage win at the Tour de France from a bunch sprint is HUGE! In Stage 3 Caleb Ewan took the win with some seriously impressive bunch navigation, squeezing through a gap on the right which nobody else could see & putting on a super-human turn of speed to power past sprint powerhouse Sam Bennett to take the win on the line. The bike that got him there? The Ridley Noah Fast. Ewan doubled up taking the Stage 11 win in a similar fashion.
The Noah Fast has been a part of our rental fleet in 2020 & it is a head-turner. The cables are completely integrated & the Lotto Soudal team bikes are finished with a Campagnolo Super Record EPS Groupset.
Cervélo S5 Disc – Marc Hirschi, Team Sunweb, Stage 9
The Cervélo S5 Disc is the aero superbike which carried Marc Hirschi to 3rd place after a long solo breakaway in the Pyrenees on the breathtaking Stage 9. Hirschi was caught with just a couple of kms to go by GC contenders Roglic, Pogacar & Bernal. Instead of giving up Hircschi licked his lips, tighted his shoes & focused on the sprint to the line.
Cervélo is a company with fast bikes in its blood – their first ever bike was a time trial bike, built for an Italian Pro in 1995. The S5 is Cervélo’s aero bike – it’s super stiff, aerodynamic & does not forget about comfort (pretty important for racing it 3,000 km around France!)
Full internal cable routing, a custom bar and stem, riding position, and special frame shapes work together to reduce drag and improve aerodynamics. The result: you go extremely fast. Frame lay-ups and tube shapes, along with clearance for tires up to 28mm wide, soak up road vibrations for a smoother ride.
Team Sunweb’s Cervélos are all fitted with Dura-Ace Di2 groupsets, Dura-Ace powermeters, and Shimano tubular wheels. Cervelo provides its own cockpits to the S5 bikes.
After a huge 80 km solo breakaway Hirschi lost the stage by inches to GC superstars Pogacar & Roglic, but gave his awesome machine some serious air time. We all share in Hirsche’s heartbreak at missing out of 1st place, but have a feeling he’ll be back at it at the earliest opportunity.
Love Cervélo but prefer an all-round road bike? Check out the new Cérvelo Caledonia-5, designed in response to the tough conditions of the Classics.
Ridley Helium SLX / Eddy Mercx Sotckeu69 – Stage 8
The Ridley Helium SLX is an understated favourite of the Eat Sleep Cycle team. The Helium SLX is a do-it-all race bike with aero elements. The frame has a classic, elegant geometry & the cables are all internally routed through the cockpit.
The bikes are finished with a Campagnolo Super Record EPS hydraulic disc groupsets, matching Campagnolo Bora tubular wheels, and a new 12-speed Campagnolo crankset with an SRM power meter spider.
The Ridley Helium SLX has a double in the Eddy Mercx Sotckeu69, a bike which Nan Peters of AG2R rode to a solo victory in Stage 8. Eddy Mercx & Ridley are both owned by Belgian Cycling Factory and are effectively the same bikes.
Factor Ostro Aero Road Bike – Dan Martin & Andre Griepel, Israel Start Up Nation
The Factor Ostro made headlines on the first rest day of the 2020 Tour. It’s a bike which is the result of a quest for one bike which can fulfill many roles, without compromising any discipline. This is a bike that can fly up climbs, float over pavé & compete with the very best aero bikes in the world.
The Ostro follows the trend to allow wider tyres – meaning riders can benefit from lower rolling resistiance, superior handling, more secure braking & greater all-day riding comfort
Ostro riders benefit from the lower rolling resistance, superior handling, more secure braking and greater all-day riding comfort offered by higher-volume tyres. The bike is capable of rolling 32mm width tubeless tyres, seated on 21mm internal diameter rims. (Check out our blog on tyre pressures for more info!)
After yesterday’s release of the Ostro, we’re waiting with baited breath to see if Dan Martin can make it into a breakaway on his brand new Ostro.
Want to go to the Tour de France?
Every year we take a group to see the world’s greatest bike race hit the key stages in the Pyrenees. You can reserve your 2021 place now – check out our Tour de França tour page for more info..
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