The 2023 Tour de France has brought us some brilliant new road bikes to admire. We have a range of new unreleased models, to custom paint jobs to bikes we know and love. What's your favourite road bike at the 2023 Tour de France?
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00:00 For some, it's better than Christmas. The Tour de France is finally underway.
00:04 One of my favourite parts about the start of a new tour are all of the new bikes we inevitably
00:09 start to see. This year we seem to have some secretive new models, fan favourites and,
00:15 despite not being in Paris just yet, we have a whole host of fancy custom paint jobs to ogle at.
00:21 So let's get into some of our favourites.
00:24 First up, we have what looks to be a brand new, unreleased bike from Ridley. This one appears
00:36 to belong to sprint hopeful Caleb Ewan. It looks to be the same bike that was spotted at the
00:41 Criterium de Dauphine, so the bike is bound to be released by the Belgian brand pretty soon.
00:47 Currently, we have no idea what the bike is called, but it does look like it's going to be
00:52 a brand new model, since it looks so different to Caleb's usual choice of the Ridley Noah Fast,
00:58 the brand's aero bike. The unreleased bike features less aggressive tube profiles,
01:04 suggesting it's lighter than the Noah Fast and is more of an all-round road bike.
01:09 When we look towards the cockpit, the bike is fitted with an integrated bar and stem,
01:14 with the Deda logo on. However, this setup looks remarkably similar to the Ridley Kanso handlebar.
01:21 Most of the time, pros will have 2-3 of the same bike for the Tour de France, but in this case,
01:27 this is the only version of the bike Caleb has for the Tour, which suggests that on the days
01:32 that he wants to contest wins, he'll be back on his Ridley Noah Fast. Another indication that this
01:38 bike will be safe for the mountain stages are the spacers found under the stem. Caleb gets famously
01:44 low when he's sprinting, so it's fair to assume that this bike with its lighter weight will be
01:49 safe for the days when he just needs to survive the mountains.
01:52 Factor also appears to be bringing a fresh steed to the peloton, with a new version of the O2 van.
02:05 The rider who this particular bike belongs to is Israel Premier Tech's Simon Clark. It looks like
02:12 the bike has been on a crash diet, but while still trying to improve aerodynamics. Key differences
02:18 from the previous model include drop seat stays, great for increasing compliance, reducing weight
02:23 and aerodynamic drag. The top tube has slim right down and the frame also features an integrated
02:29 seat mast, meaning it must be cut down to height. The front end also looks like it's been redesigned
02:36 to improve aerodynamic performance with a fully integrated cockpit and the seat tube is now
02:42 D-shaped compared to the circular post as seen on the outgoing model. The bike appears to be
02:49 wearing some new black ink wheels, that being the in-house component brand of Factor. The front wheel
02:55 is 28mm deep and the rear 33mm, so ideal for those days in the mountains. The wheels are wrapped in
03:03 28mm Continental GP5000 STR tyres, but they have been blacked out since the tyre sponsor of the
03:11 team is Maxxis. Simon has opted for a 150mm long stem with 38cm wide bars, with the hoods turned in,
03:20 so he should be pretty aero when powering along all of those French roads.
03:25 There was much speculation that Specialized would be releasing the highly anticipated Tarmac SL8
03:36 at the Tour de France, but it seems as though we're going to have to wait a little while longer.
03:42 This year, the UCI imposed a new rule requiring all teams to pre-register all new equipment prior
03:48 to racing. It means that it's certain that the SL8 will not be coming to the Tour, so instead,
03:55 Fabio Jakobsen's Tarmac is still the same SL7 that we all know and love.
04:00 Aside from his European Championship stars on the forks, the bike is pretty similar to that of his
04:05 teammates. A full Dura-Ace groupset with tax bottle cages and Dura-Ace pedals are the only
04:11 components that haven't come from team sponsors Specialized, with the bike featuring Roval wheels,
04:16 a brand new Roval integrated cockpit and a Specialized saddle. A great build and
04:21 one which we're sure Fabio is hoping will allow him to nab some sprint victories.
04:32 Reigning champion Jonas Vingaard will be starting the Tour on a Cervelo S5, but not just any S5.
04:39 His bike has been painted to match that of Jumbo's Special Tour de France kit,
04:44 which features a constellation pattern. The words "Ride Your Dreams" are painted on the top tube of
04:49 the bike, and I'm sure that's something Jonas very much intends on doing as he looks to defend
04:55 his title. Aside from the Special paint job, the bike features a full SRAM Red groupset with
05:01 reserve wheels, which have been fitted with the Vittoria Corsa Speed tyres in a 28C size.
05:07 The front chainrings are 52/39 in size and have been paired with a 10/33 cassette.
05:14 Wahoo Speedplay aero pedals and Fizik saddle complete the build. It would not be a surprise
05:20 if this bike, along with his dedicated climbing R5, assist in this man stepping on that top step
05:26 in Paris. Newly crowned UK National Champion Fred Wright is riding this year's Tour de France for
05:38 Bahrain Victorious. Along with the special one-off custom kit that they'll be sporting for this
05:43 year's race, they also have bikes to match. The paint features a predominantly pearl white frame
05:49 with a large gold Merida logo on the down tube, with a blue geometric print on the fork.
05:55 It's a bold and eye-catching colourway, and it's a setup which is bound to catch your eye.
06:01 The full Dura-Ace groupset is paired with Vision wheels and cockpit, with Pro logo
06:06 providing the saddles and bar tape, along with Elite supplying the bottle cages.
06:10 Trek has been offering a custom paint option to customers for some time now.
06:21 The service, named Project One, allows you to make any colourway a reality,
06:25 and it really has gone all out for Mads Pedersen. The chrome fade of blues, purples and orange is
06:32 also a great reflection of the team's latest partnership with Lidl, its new title sponsor.
06:38 If the paint wasn't bling enough for you, then maybe the gold chain and cassette is,
06:42 which we're told is only available to current or former world champions.
06:47 With a full SRAM Red groupset, Bontrager wheels, Pirelli tyres and Time pedals,
06:52 this build is truly one of a kind. We cannot wait to see this bike out in the sunshine and
06:58 storming to some spectacular finishes. One thing's for sure, you're not going to miss it.
07:03 When it comes to the sprints, all eyes will be on one man, Mark Cavendish. In his quest for
07:16 all-time Tour de France glory, he will be trying to seal that 35th victory, which would make him
07:21 the winner of more stages than anybody else in the history of the race. The bike he will be using to
07:27 pilot him to this goal is the Wilier Philante SLR, but not just any Philante SLR. This is a special,
07:35 custom-painted bike with his very name on the fork. It still features a marble effect in the
07:41 paintwork, but this is a pearl marble, so it's a lot more subtle than that of his team-mates.
07:47 Alongside the marble paint, there are sections of matte black, which create a background for the
07:52 deep yellow gold Wilier logo. Another touch which cannot be missed is the oversized pulley wheel
07:58 system, which he has fitted to his rear derailleur. It has been custom-painted to resemble the UK
08:03 flag, perhaps a nod to his multiple national championship wins. Looking past the custom
08:09 touches, his bike is fitted with a Shimano Dura-Ace groupset, Karima wheels, to which some
08:14 Vittoria Corsa tyres have been fitted. His chain set is a 54/40 tooth in size and his cassette
08:21 is an 11/30. We hope that Marc will make history and bag himself at least one win,
08:27 but the competition is stiff, so he will have his work cut out for him.
08:38 Mathieu van der Poel will be taking to the start line with a custom-painted Canyon Aeroad.
08:43 Not someone who is shy of an all-white paint job, van der Poel has mixed the clean, sleek look of
08:48 the bike with some rather nice special touches, which could actually be pretty easy to miss.
08:54 First off is the custom computer mount, which looks as though it's been created
08:58 to ensure that the head unit sits perfectly parallel to the ground, rather than having
09:04 any sort of angle on it. Also, sponsor stickers denote and celebrate the 50th anniversary of
09:10 Dura-Ace. Rather than a more typical race number holder that straps around the whole of the seat
09:15 post, van der Poel's, much like the rest of the Alpecin-Tucunic team, have their holders
09:20 attached to the seat post, which makes for a very clean looking set-up. A full Dura-Ace
09:26 groupset and wheels, elite bottles, custom Selle Italia saddle and bar tape with Vittoria Corsa
09:32 Pro tyres complete the build. One bike sure to catch the attention of any casual spectator
09:44 will be Ben O'Connor's new bike. This sticker bomb look almost resembles the prototype cars
09:49 that opt for a camo paint job to try and disguise any major features. But in this case,
09:55 I think it's pretty clear that the new BMC is using the paint job to create headlines and
10:00 attract some extra attention. It's also a fantastic way for the brand to show off
10:05 their partnership with Red Bull Advanced Technologies, presumably where each side
10:10 shares its expertise in carbon fibre. Given the bike's aggressive tube profiles,
10:16 it's fair to assume that this is BMC's new dedicated aero bike, leading us to think that
10:21 this is the new Time Machine Road. It's not just the frame that is noteworthy, but the build is
10:27 also something to be admired. Fitted with Campagnolo's new Super Record wireless groupset,
10:33 it is nice to see these components hit the peloton, especially under a rider who could
10:38 be a real protagonist in this year's narrative. The only two components still to linger from the
10:43 previous generation of Super Record is the chain set and cassette. Campagnolo also supply the
10:50 wheels, shod with Pirelli P Zero Race tyres. Look pedals are fitted, along with elite bottles
10:55 and cages. Let me know down below which of these bikes is your favourite from this year's tour.
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