de rosa tour de france

Not a member? Subscribe here.

Your cart is empty.

Continue browsing

Shipping & taxes calculated at checkout

Tour de France bikes: Simon Geschke's De Rosa Merak 2022

We take a closer look at the current polka dot jersey wearer's super bike

After the explosive stages in the Alps, Cofidis' Simon Geschke is still wearing the polka-dot jersey at the Tour de France

The 36-year-old German, who finished the Alpe d'Huez stage in 85th position (27 minutes down to Tom Pidcock), still leads the KOM classification by four points on Louis Meintjes and seven on Jonas Vingegaard.

-  Tour de France 2022 route: everything you need to know about the 109th edition - Tour de France standings: the latest results from the race - How to watch and live stream the Tour de France 2022

Pogačar is back: can the Tour de France champion make a winning return in Canada?

The Slovenian will return to racing at the GP de Québec and Montréal this weekend ahead of the World Championships

‘I can’t sit still – attacking is too much fun’: Giulio Pellizzari is on the path to emulating his idol Tadej Pogačar

Rouleur speaks to the young Italian seemingly destined for great things

Vuelta a España 2024 team ratings: how did each squad perform in this year's race?

Analysing the winners and losers from the season's final Grand Tour

Roglified: The Vuelta is back in the hands of a familiar winner

Despite a tactical misstep in the opening week, Primož Roglič did what he does so well: win the Vuelta a España

A missed opportunity? Roglič on the brink of Vuelta glory after final mountains stalemate

Despite the perfect parcours for a spectacular showdown and illness ripping through the race leader's team, the overall fight remains relatively unchanged at the Vuelta...

Bianco Blue Silver

Rely on an expert form De Rosa's Team

Need more info?

Get 10% off on your first order.

Join our family! Share your email today and receive a heartfelt 10% discount on your first order. Become part of the De Rosa Family, where every journey is an adventure shared together.

• MAGAZINE OFFERS
• BIKE INSURANCE
• Best Products
• Maintenance
• Accessories
• Long-Term Reviews
• First Look Friday
• Bike of the Week
• Tech Features
• Routes and Rides
• Bike Galleries
• BikeRadar Bargains
• Buyer's Guides
• Fitness & Training
• Sizing & Fit
• Mountain Biking UK
• Cycling Plus
• BikeRadar Podcast

New De Rosa 70 is the brand's most aero bike to date

Lightweight/aero road bike designed in collaboration with Pininfarina

Paul Norman

De Rosa has launched its latest bike, the De Rosa 70, with a frameset claimed to weigh 730g, a 280g fork and aero design features.

De Rosa says the new bike took 22 months from idea to development with “maniacal attention to every single detail”, resulting in “the most evolved De Rosa ever”.

The heart of the new bike is 12k high-modulus carbon fibre for stiffness, which is then wrapped in 1k unidirectional carbon.

There’s full cable integration into the head tube with an FSA Vision single-piece bar-stem designed specifically for the bike.

A hexagonal seat tube sits close to the rear wheel.

De Rosa says its CFD modelling shows the new bike to be its most aero yet.

Name celebrates the life of Ugo de Rosa

The 70 name celebrates the 70th anniversary of the founding of the De Rosa brand by Ugo De Rosa, who died in March this year.

Like Colnago (whose C68 the new bike has upstaged by a couple of years), De Rosa’s history goes back to the golden age of racing on steel-framed machines, with De Rosa a favoured framemaker of Eddy Merckx among others.

De Rosa claims that of 100 riders who started the 1974 Giro d’Italia, 80 were on frames it made, although it was customary for frames to be badged with the team bike sponsor's name.

The brand's association with the Pininfarina design house has a slightly shorter history, going back to the De Rosa SK Pininfarina , which was launched in 2016.

Pininfarina is another Italian brand with a long history, stretching back to the 1930s. It originally built custom bodies for cars and is associated with some of the classic designs of the 1950s and 1960s, although it’s now expanded to provide design services across a wide range of industries.

High-spec builds

As you’d expect from an Italian premium frame builder, the De Rosa 70 is offered with an array of top-spec components. For the groupset, you can choose between Campagnolo Super Record , Shimano Dura-Ace and SRAM Red AXS .

You can choose Campagnolo Hyperon Ultra 37mm mid-profile wheels, as well as Campagnolo Bora Ultra WTO , Fulcrum Speed and Vision SL, with Vittoria Corsa N.EXT tyres. De Rosa offers a choice of saddles from Selle Italia and Fizik.

There's no word on price, but you know what they say: if you have to ask…

Share this article

• Terms & Conditions
• Subscribe to our magazines
• Manage preferences

• Tour de France
• Giro d'Italia
• La Vuelta ciclista a España
• World Championships
• Milano-Sanremo
• Amstel Gold Race
• Tirreno-Adriatico
• Liège-Bastogne-Liège
• Il Lombardia
• La Flèche Wallonne
• Paris - Nice
• Paris-Roubaix
• Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
• Critérium du Dauphiné
• Tour des Flandres
• Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields
• Clásica Ciclista San Sebastián
• Arkéa - B&B Hotels
• Team Jayco AlUla
• Astana Qazaqstan Team
• Bahrain - Victorious
• Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
• Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team
• EF Education-EasyPost
• Groupama - FDJ
• INEOS Grenadiers
• Intermarché - Wanty
• Lidl - Trek
• Movistar Team
• Soudal - Quick Step
• Team dsm-firmenich PostNL
• Alpecin-Deceuninck
• Team Visma | Lease a Bike
• UAE Team Emirates
• Grand tours
• Countdown to 4 billion pageviews
• Favorite500
• Profile Score
• Terminology list

Related teams this season

Number of related teams per year.

• Related teams

Grand Tours

• Vuelta a España

Major Tours

• Volta a Catalunya
• Tour de Romandie
• Tour de Suisse
• Itzulia Basque Country
• Milano-SanRemo
• Ronde van Vlaanderen

Championships

• European championships

Top classics

• Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
• Strade Bianche
• Gent-Wevelgem
• Dwars door Vlaanderen
• Eschborn-Frankfurt
• San Sebastian
• Bretagne Classic
• GP Montréal

Popular riders

• Tadej Pogačar
• Wout van Aert
• Remco Evenepoel
• Jonas Vingegaard
• Mathieu van der Poel
• Mads Pedersen
• Primoz Roglic
• Demi Vollering
• Lotte Kopecky
• Katarzyna Niewiadoma
• PCS ranking
• UCI World Ranking
• Points per age
• Latest injuries
• Youngest riders
• Grand tour statistics
• Monument classics
• Latest transfers
• Favorite 500
• Points scales
• Profile scores
• Reset password
• Cookie consent

About ProCyclingStats

• Cookie policy
• Contributions
• Pageload 0.0146s

Tour de France bikes: Who's riding what in 2020?

The bikes of the pro peloton

• Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

The embattled 2020 Tour de France kicks off tomorrow (Saturday August 29) and features the best riders in the world and the best bikes that money can buy.

While there's minimal change in terms of sponsor swaps (those shady room dealings tend to take place before the season begins) there have been new bike launches over the summer.

Expect to see more "do-it-all" bikes, with this summer's launches focusing on the blending of aerodynamics and lightweight.

With that in mind, here's the complete, updated list of the 2020 Tour de France bikes.

Tour de France bikes

AG2r La Mondiale

Manufacturer: Eddy Merckx

Standard model: Stockeu69

Aero model: EM25

Endurance model: N/A

Time trial model: TBC

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2

Wheels: Mavic

Finishing Kit: Deda, Fizik, Vredestein tyres, Rotor, Mavic, KMC

Arkéa-Samsic

Bikes: Canyon Ultimate CF SLX, Canyon Aeroad CF SLX

Time trial model: Canyon Speedmax

Wheels: Shimano

Finishing kit: Canyon, Selle Italia, Elite, Continental

Manufacturer: Wilier

Standard model: Wilier 0 SLR

Aero model: Wilier Cento1air

Endurance model: Cento10NDR

Time trial model: Wilier Turbine

Groupset: Shimano Dura Ace Di2

Wheels: Corima

Finishing Kit: Garmin, Tacx, CermaicSpeed, Prologo, Look, Corima

Bahrain-McLaren

Bikes: Scultura Disc, Merida Reacto

Time trial model: Warp TT

Wheels: Vision

Finishing Kit: Shimano, Continental, Prologo,, Vision, Elite

B&B Hotels -Vital Concept p/b KTM

Bikes: KTM Revelator Alto Sonic, KTM Revelator Lisse Sonic

Time trial model: N/A

Groupset Shimano Dura-Ace Di2

Wheels: DT Swiss

Finishing kit: FSA, Prologo, Elite, FSA, Michelin

Bora-Hansgrohe

Bikes: S-Works Tarmac SL7, ( potentially the S-Works Venge despite being discontinued ).

Time trial model: S-Works Shiv

Wheels: Roval

Finishing Kit: Shimano, Specialized, Roval, Wahoo

Bikes: Giant TCR Advanced SL 0, Giant Propel Advanced SL

Time trial model: Trinity Advanced Pro

Wheels: Cadex

Finishing Kit: Giant, Shimano, Cadex

Cofidis, Solutions Credits

Bikes: De Rosa Merak and De Rosa SK Pininfarina

Time trial model: TT-03

Groupset: Campagnolo Super-Record EPS (12 speed)

Wheels: Fulcrum

Finishing Kit: Michelin, Fulcrum, Selle Italia, Elite, Look, SRM, FSA, Vision

EF Education First

Bikes: Cannondale SuperSix EVO and Cannondale SystemSix

Time trial model: Cannondale Slice

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 (with FSA chainset)

Finishing Kit: FSA, Garmin, Tacx, Prologo, Power2Max, Vision, Vittoria, Speedplay

NTT Pro Cycling

Bikes: BMC Teammachine SLR01 and BMC Timemachine

Time trial model: BMC Timemachine 01

Wheels: Enve

Finishing Kit: Rotor, CeramicSpeed, Tacx, KMC, Garmin, Vittoria, ENVE, Selle Italia

Groupama-FDJ

Bikes: Lapierre Xelius SL and Lapierre Aircode SL

Time trial model: Lapierre Aerostorm

Finishing Kit: Shimano, Elite, Garmin, Continental, Prologo, Pro

Israel Start-up Nation

Bikes: Factor 02 V.A.M and Factor One

Time trial model: Factor Slick

Wheels: Black Inc

Finishing Kit: CeramicSpeed, Black Inc

Lotto-Soudal

Bikes: Ridley Helium SLX and Ridley Noah Fast

Time trial model: Ridley Dean Fast

Wheels: Campagnolo

Finishing Kit: Look, SRM Selle Italia, Deda, Lezyne, Vittoria, C-Bear, Lizard Skins

Jumbo-Visma

Bikes: Bianchi Specialissima and Bianchi Oltre XR4

Time trial model: Bianchi Aquila CV

Finishing Kit: FSA, Fizik, Tacx, Shimano, Vittoria

Bikes: Canyon Ultimate CF SLX and Canyon Aeroad CF SLX

Time trial model: Canyon Speedmax CF SLX

Groupset: SRAM Red eTap AXS (12 speed)

Wheels: Zipp

Finishing Kit: Fizik, Quarq, Elite, Continental, Lizard Skins, Look, Garmin

Deceuninck-Quick-Step

Standard model: Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7, potentially S-Works Venge despite being discontinued

Time trial model: Specialized S-Works Shiv

Finishing Kit: FSA, Specialized, Tacx, PRO, Roval, CeramicSpeed, Wahoo, K-Edge, PRO

Mitchelton-Scott

Bieks: Scott Addict RC Pro and Scott Foil RC

Time trial model: Scott Plasma

Finishing Kit: Syncros, Pro, Shimano, Pirelli, Tacx, Garmin, K-Edge

Ineos Grenadiers

Bikes: Pinarello Dogma F12

Time trial model: Pinarello Bolide

Finishing Kit: Shimano, Most, Garmin, Wahoo, Elite, Continental, Fizik

Team Sunweb

Bikes: Cervélo R5 and Cervélo S5

Time trial model: Cervélo P5

Finishing Kit: Elite, Shimano, Continental, Sigma, Pro

Total Direct Energie

Bikes: Wilier Zero SLR and Wilier Cento10

Timetrial model: Wilier Turbine

Wheels: Ursus

Finishing kit: Wilier, Prologo, Tacx, Hutchinson

Trek-Segafredo

Bikes: Trek Emonda SLR and Trek Madone SLR

Time trial model: Trek Speed Concept

Groupset: SRAM Red eTap (12 speed)

Wheels: Bontrager

Finishing Kit: Bontrager, Quarq, SwissStop, Pirelli, Swisstop, Saris, Garmin

UAE Team Emirates

Bikes: Colnago C64 and Colnago Concept

Time trial: Colnago M.Zero

Groupset: Campagnolo Super-Record EPS

Finishing Kit: Prologo, Campagnolo, Look, Vittoria, Deda, Elite, Look, Stages

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Get The Leadout Newsletter

The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

British Cycling and UK Sport supporting bid to bring race back

By Tom Davidson Published 11 September 24

WorldTour team mechanics have been spotted sanding tyres before races. Pro mechanic Glen Whittington looks more closely at the practice, and judges whether we should all be doing the same

By Glen Whittington Published 10 September 24

Useful links

• Tour de France
• Giro d'Italia
• Vuelta a España

buyers-guides

• Best road bikes
• Best gravel bikes
• Best smart turbo trainers
• Best cycling computers
• Editor's Choice
• Bike Reviews
• Component Reviews
• Clothing Reviews
• Contact Future's experts
• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Cookies policy
• Advertise with us

Cycling Weekly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site . © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

The Tour de France bikes, ranked

• The 107th Tour de France got rolling in Nice on August 29 and finished in Paris on Sunday. 176 riders started and 146 finished.
• The 21-year-old Slovenian Tadej Pogačar won the three-week race after dramatically snatching the leader's yellow jersey from compatriot Primož Roglič on Saturday's penultimate stage, an hourlong time trial with a demanding summit finish.
• With the racing done, we again   ranked each of the 22 teams' bikes, based on design, build, and, most important, looks. Many weigh just 15 pounds, but will put you back $10,000 or more.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

The 21-year-old Slovenian Tadej Pogačar won a dramatic Tour de France in Paris on Sunday, beating compatriot Primož Roglič by nearly a minute, with the Tasmanian Richie Porte in third a further 2 1/2 minutes back.

While it was one of the finest, and hardest, Tours in the race's 107-year history — with a record 190,000 feet of vertical gain — all along the 22 teams were building, servicing, and washing hundreds of bikes to keep the riders going to Paris.

And some bikes they are.

As in the past two Tours, we checked in on who was riding what.

At this level of the sport, each rider has at least three bikes in his quiver: a superfast aero bike for the flatter stages, an ultralight climber for the mountains, and a slippery whip for the time trial . We omitted TT bikes and looked at either the aero or climbing bike, depending on which we thought more list-worthy.

These carbon-fiber machines weigh 15 pounds and cost $10,000.

22. CCC/Giant

CCC's Giant TCR Advanced SL may be a lightweight climber, but it isn't visually stimulating. All-black bikes are a trend that started a decade ago but these days feel dated. They don't fare well in this ranking and never have . And though we love gumwall tires, oversized wheel lettering is gaudy. At least the CCC orange pops! Dura-Ace and a Garmin Edge make this a high-end performance machine. It just needs a visual makeover. Surprisingly, the star-studded CCC squad didn't win a single stage this Tour.

21. Groupama-FDJ/Lapierre

Groupama-FDJ's Lapierre Xelius SL is a modern climbing machine with classic good looks that fails to spark the imagination. It has interesting aero shapes and a compact rear triangle for added stiffness, and you can't go wrong with Dura-Ace Di2, disc brakes, and a Garmin Edge computer/power meter. Yet even the bike of Thibaut Pinot "Noir" could do with a little flair. Unfortunately, the team didn't win a stage this Tour or place anyone high up in the final general classification, with Pinot having imploded midrace.

20. Cofidis/De Rosa

Cofidis rides De Rosa bicycles , and while we're sure they ride wonderfully, they look like a lot of the other bikes in the bunch in nearly all-black livery. De Rosa is a classic Italian brand, so it's only fitting the Cofidis Tour bikes roll with electronic Campagnolo components. The lightweight De Rosa Merak might please the minimalists but will leave others wanting. At least its heart is red. Cofidis riders couldn't pull off a stage win this year, though Guillaume Martin, pictured above, did finish 11th overall.

19. Team B&B Hotels/KTM

Team B&B Hotels' KTM Revelator Alto, with a mix of Shimano and FSA components, features a teal fork and pops of white and orange that somehow work visually. The DT Swiss wheels complement without dominating the look. New kid on the block KTM is making its debut appearance at the Tour in style. The team didn't win a stage but was active in several breakaways. It's a start.

18. Bora-Hansgrohe/Specialized

Bora-Hansgrohe's Specialized Tarmac is probably the fastest bike at the Tour — raced by three-time world champ Peter Sagan — but looks-wise, it's lagging a bit behind the pack. Pops of white and green add much-needed color, but if results are all you care about, a shiny Tarmac with deep-profile hoops, disc brakes, and Di2 gets the job done. Bora's Lennard Kämna won a stage this Tour, and Sagan was in the hunt for an eighth green jersey all the way to Paris.

17. Deceuninck-Quick Step/Specialized

Julian Alaphilippe scored a dramatic victory on the second day of the Tour de France, giving Deceuninck-Quick Step one of its three stage wins. He did it on his Specialized Tarmac SL7 , and, famously, he did it on clincher tires. The bike is obviously fast, but it's also underwhelming-looking, so it sits lower down in this ranking.

16. Israel Start-Up Nation/Factor

Israel Start-Up Nation's Factor O2 Vam is a superlight climbing bike built for going uphill as fast as possible. With its brushed blue lettering, even its glossy paint job looks fast. In pursuit of free speed, it's built up with minimalist Black Inc. wheels, electronic Dura-Ace, and oversized Ceramic Speed pulley wheels . Israel Start-Up Nation didn't win a stage this Tour or place anyone high in the overall.

15. Trek-Segafredo

Trek-Segafredo's Émonda SLR is one of the lightest and fastest climbing bikes in the peloton, but it doesn't wow us aesthetically. Yet the aero climber is sleek and race-proven, and the way Tour team leader Richie Porte stormed onto the podium in Paris, it's got legit street cred. P.S. The color of your handlebar tape should always match the color of your saddle. It's just a fact.

14. NTT/BMC

NTT's BMC Teammachine SLR 01 goes full in on speed with its minimalist aero frameset and cockpit. Unlike many of the mostly black bikes, this one stands more with its red top and distinctive white lettering. A gold-plated chain and deep-profile ENVE wheels complement the look nicely. NTT didn't manage to win a stage this year, with its star sprinter, Giacomo Nizzolo, quitting the race mid-way because of injury.

13. Arkea-Samsic/Canyon

While Nairo Quintana didn't pull out a stage win for his Arkea-Samsic team, he put in some gutsy riding and showed glimpses of his previous world-class form. His stiff, lightweight Canyon Ultimate CFR climbing bike popped as the only white frameset in the bunch, and it has a classic look with low-profile Dura-Ace wheels and components that help make it a performance powerhouse in the mountains. We also dig that Canyon type .

12. Movistar/Canyon

Movistar didn't win a stage this Tour but did manage to put Enric Mas in fifth place overall in Paris and win the best team award. On the flatter stages, riders such as Alejandro Valverde, pictured above, opted for the Canyon Aeroad CF SL , a rig made for cheating the wind and going fast. We've always liked the blue paint job too. Movistar was one of two teams in this year's Tour to ride Chicago-based SRAM components (the other team being Trek-Segafredo).

11. Lotto-Soudal/Ridley

Lotto-Soudal had a successful Tour with two stage wins thanks to the rocket sprinter Caleb Ewan , pictured above. In the mountains, he opted for the Belgian brand's lightweight climbing bike, the Ridley Helium SLX , built up with Campagnolo components and wheels. It's a colorful bike, but a little too busy with stickers and lettering. Still, stage wins are stage wins.

10. Team UAE-Emirates/Colnago

The Tour-winning bike this year, Tadej Pogačar's Colnago V3rs , is a special ride. Colnago, the famed Italian bike maker, had never won a Tour till this year, but its history was already filled with stars and victories. The V3rs is a classic-looking lightweight racer that carried Pogačar to stunning victories in the high mountains. And clean up he did, taking the white jersey (best young rider), the polka-dot jersey (best climber), the yellow jersey (overall winner), as well as three individual stage wins. His bike's Italian flair is complemented by a Campagnolo groupset and wheels, naturally.

9. Team Total Direct Energie/Wilier

The glossy admiral blue Wilier Zero SLR ridden by Total Direct Energie was runner-up in last year's ranking and slipped a few spots this time around. It's a fast bike with aero features, but perhaps not everyone will dig the multicolored Ursus wheels . The team couldn't manage a stage win or a high finish in Paris, but it got a lot of TV time thanks to Jérôme Cousin 's solo adventures.

8. AG2R-La Mondiale/Eddy Merckx

Nans Peters, pictured above, saved AG2R-La Mondiale's Tour with a sweet solo breakaway to win stage eight. He did it aboard the understated Eddy Merckx 525 , a good-looking ride with a pleasing mix of colors and handsome lettering honoring the GOAT. The lightweight carbon wheels by Mavic and gumwall tires complement the classic look, not to mention the rim brakes.

7. Sunweb/Cervélo

Sunweb's Cervélo S5 is all about going fast, and it is perhaps the most aerodynamic frameset in the bunch. The multicolored bike features deep oversize tubing, an aero cockpit and seatpost, and prominent curves around the wheels. In this Tour, Sunweb's Søren Kragh Andersen won two stages, and Marc Hirschi, pictured above, won a stage as well as the "supercombativity" prize for the most aggressive rider.

6. Bahrain-McLaren/Merida

Bahrain-McLaren's Merida Scultura is a gorgeous lightweight climber that pops with vibrant oranges, reds, and blues. The Scultura has a classic-looking design we like but is also very aerodynamic with smooth rounded tubes. Dura-Ace and Vision wheels complete the package. The team didn't win a stage this Tour, but Mikel Landa finished fourth overall, and Damiano Caruso, pictured above, finished 10th.

5. Jumbo-Visma/Bianchi

Jumbo-Visma's Bianchi Oltre XR4 won our ranking last year and slipped to fifth this time around. The famed Italian bike maker's celeste frames pop in a sea of black bikes, and there's no shortage of performance features, with its aggressive, deep aero tubes and Dura-Ace carbon wheels. Jumbo-Visma lost the Tour on the penultimate stage but walked away with three stage wins and runner-up on the general classification with Roglič.

4. Mitchelton-Scott

Team Mitchelton-Scott rides one the most visually interesting bikes in the peloton: the Scott Addict . Its sparkling paint appears to change color in bright sunlight, making it stand out brilliantly in a field of matte-black frames. It's also one of most aero bikes, with slippery tubing, fully integrated cables, minimalist cockpit, and Dura-Ace wheels. The squad didn't win a stage this year, but Adam Yates did lead the race for a few stages.

3. Ineos-Grenadiers/Pinarello

In one of our previous rankings, Team Sky's all-matte-black Pinarello Dogma came in dead last, oozing dullness. But the crew now known as Ineos-Grenadiers is on our podium with a new-look Dogma F12 in blue, red, and white. Its curvy aero tube shapes have always helped it stand out, and with its updated smart looks, the multiple-Tour-winning bike has never been better.

The already fast bike benefits from an electronic Dura-Ace groupset and what appear to be not-sponsor-correct Lightweight wheels. The top team managed only one stage win this year, thanks to Michał Kwiatkowski, and it failed to defend itself overall after the implosion of Egan Bernal and his early exit.

2. EF Pro Cycling/Cannondale

You can't miss EF's pink jerseys, and yet its Cannondale SuperSix EVO s are lookers, too, with their handsome blue-pink aero framesets. We've spent a lot of time riding the EVO , a light, fast, and fun all-around bike that gets better with each iteration. Cannondale says this EVO is the fastest lightweight bike it's ever made, saving 30 watts at 30 mph. It certainly worked well this Tour for stage winner Dani Martínez and eighth-place overall finisher Rigoberto Urán. Vision wheels, electronic Dura-Ace, and a Garmin Edge computer/power meter complete the build.

1. Astana/Wilier

Our favorite bicycle at this year's Tour de France was Astana's elegant Wilier Zero SLR . The Italian maker touts its Zero — which won two stages this Tour thanks to Alexey Lutsenko and Miguel Ángel López — as the first ultralightweight racing bike with disc brakes and fully integrated cables. We just know it's gorgeous. Its beautiful paint job, unusual handmade French Corima carbon wheels, Dura-Ace groupset, and extra-fast Ceramic Speed pulley wheels easily put this bike atop our ranking. Bellissimo.

• Main content

GP de Wallonie

Skoda tour du luxembourg, kampioenschap van vlaanderen, tour of gatineau, uci road world championships, primus classic, uci mtb lake placid usa, tour de l'eurometropole, uci mtb canada, giro dell'emilia - women, giro dell'emilia - men, coppa agostoni - giro delle brianze, paris-tours, coppa bernocchi - gp banco bpm, iconic italian frame-builder ugo de rosa dies, ugo de rosa, died near milan at the age of 69 today. he built bikes for eddy merckx, francesco moser, moreno argentin to race to some of their biggest wins..

A pillar of Italian bicycles, Ugo De Rosa, died near Milan at the age of 89 today. He began De Rosa bicycles and provided the means for Eddy Merckx, Francesco Moser, Moreno Argentin to race to some of their biggest wins.

De Rosa, along with Italy's historic brands Colnago, Pinarello and Bianchi, shaped cycling's landscape from the post-war years through the new millennium. His bikes won the Giro d'Italia, the World Championships and broke the hour record.

"I'm convinced that if you make quality bikes, you are honest, then they'll award you," De Rosa said in a 2014 interview at his factory near Milan.

"If you are a pretender, they'll ignore you. After time, people figure you out."

He was born January 27, 1934.

De Rosa left his heart, just as the famous badge on each frame, in the factory in Cusano Milanino. He moved there from his home just south in Milan to be with his wife and began his empire.

ウーゴ・デローザ氏の訃報が届きました。レーシングサイクル製作に人生を捧げたイタリア自転車界の巨匠。最期まで工房に立ち続けたマエストロよ安らかに。R.I.P, Ciao❤️ Ugo DeRosa pic.twitter.com/E1iIh4Bp5a — Makoto AYANO 綾野 真 (@makotoayano) March 26, 2023

It took off when French cyclist Raphael Geminiani asked him to work as a mechanic for his Giro d'Italia team. That 1958 Saint-Raphael-Geminiani team also went on to race in the Tour de France, where Geminiani placed third. The jet booster kicked in when Merckx knocked on De Rosa's door and asked him to build bikes for his 1973 Molteni team.

De Rosa made 52 bikes a year alone for Merckx. With a welding torch in his hand and a cigarette in his mouth, he crafted all the frames that came out the door. The days were long and he would often sleep with the dog among the tires instead of returning home to his bed.

The 1980s and 1990s brought him more success. He said, "I was busy in those years. It was a double-satisfaction, money and recognition."

Carbon became king, ruling the factory floors that steel tubes once dominated. De Rosa still rolled out nearly 10,000 bikes in recent years and supplied teams and cyclists down the road to their dreams.

In the last few years, Italian team Nippo-Vini Fantini and the top French squad Cofidis raced with De Rosa bikes with their heart badges.

His three sons Danilo, Doriano and Cristiano now keep that De Rosa heart alive.

"I wouldn't change anything," De Rosa said. "For sure, I've made some mistakes but the good has outweighed the bad."

• Team Cofidis

Related Content

May 8, 2024

Jul 13, 2023

Jul 2, 2023

Sep 12, 2024

Sep 10, 2024

• SI SWIMSUIT
• SI SPORTSBOOK
• Mountaineering
• National Parks

Jolt of Confidence Drives Cyclyist to Small Margin Tour de France Femmes Victory

John waechter | aug 19, 2024.

Epic Final Stage on Alpe d'Huez

The Tour de France Femmes concluded with the final 92.6-mile decisive stage up Alpe d’Huez. It is the toughest stage in the history of women’s professional cycling, and a welcome highlight for the sport.

This Grand Tour event ran from August 12-18, and was epic throughout. Alpe d’ Huez, where high altitude and vicious climbs awaited, was a fitting end to this year’s tour.  The stage covered 93-miles (149.9km) between Le Grand-Bornand and Alpe d’Huez, took in the second-category Col du Tamié before the hors-category Col du Glandon (19.9km at 7.2%) and finished on Alpe d’Huez (14km at 7.9%).

Alpe d’Huez is iconic, brutal and historic in the world of elite road bike racing. The final climb during the final stage of this year’s Tour de France Femmes did not disappoint.

Kasia Niewiadoma of Poland battled fatigue and doubt in the final kilometers on the steep mountain in capturing a career-defining overall victory, beating the defending champion Demi Vollering by a mere four seconds – the closest margin of victory in this prestigious race's history.

The two battled throughout the day with the stage going to Vollering, and the Tour de France won by first-time Grand Tour winner Niewiadoma – an epic conclusion to the 2024 race.

The Alpe d’Huez final will be remembered as one the greatest races in history.

A Jolt of Confidence

It was an exhilarating final stage, which consisted of 21 hairpin turns to the ski summit station. Several riders vied for the stage win, with the three top contenders within seconds of one another for the general classification victory toward the end of the day’s race. Vollering gave it her all, pursuing an attack near the top of the Col du Glandon, just 55km from the finish at the Alpine ski station. With only 10km separating the riders from the summit Niewiadoma was dropped, unable to keep pace. At that point, Niewiadoma’s lead of 1:15 at the beginning of the stage had dwindled to 10 seconds. But all was not lost for the struggling rider. “I definitely lost my confidence. I felt terrible at that moment, mentally and physically. It wasn’t easy, yet as I said, on the descent all of the sudden I got my power. It is so weird how sometimes it happens that you crack, but then all you need is a moment of relaxation and you get your power back.” - Kasia Niewiadoma

Elite Racing on the World Stage

However, with 3km to go the defending champion Vollering began to show signs of cracking, opening the door ever so slightly for Niewiadoma. She capitalized in the final 1,000 meters and preserved her precious victory after 950km of tortuous racing.

Niewiadoma crossed the finish line, collapsed, and cried tears of joy when she knew the 2024 Tour de France Femmes was hers – an instant classic and huge boost to female racing on the world stage. 

JOHN WAECHTER

John Waechter reached the summit of Mt. Everest (29,029 ft.) on May 25th, 2001. With the ascent of Mt. Everest, he successfully completed climbing the highest peak on each of the world’s seven continents, becoming the 58th person to conquer the Seven Summits. John continues to climb and enjoys other outdoor pursuits including road and gravel biking, running, and hiking. He covers climbing expeditions throughout the world, as well as other extreme adventures. John is the co-author of ‘Conquering The Seven Summits of Sales, published by HarperCollins. This book explores business sales practices and peak performance, while weaving in climbing metaphors and experiences. John graduated from Whitman College and received an MBA from the University of Washington. John serves on the Board of Directors at Seattle Bank, and SHWorldwide, LLC.

• off.road.cc
• Dealclincher
• Fantasy Cycling

Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

• Sportive and endurance bikes
• Gravel and adventure bikes
• Urban and hybrid bikes
• Touring bikes
• Cyclocross bikes
• Electric bikes
• Folding bikes
• Fixed & singlespeed bikes
• Children's bikes
• Time trial bikes
• Accessories - misc
• Computer mounts
• Bike bags & cases
• Bottle cages
• Child seats
• Lights - front
• Lights - rear
• Lights - sets
• Pumps & CO2 inflators
• Puncture kits
• Reflectives
• Smart watches
• Stands and racks
• Arm & leg warmers
• Base layers
• Gloves - full finger
• Gloves - mitts
• Jerseys - casual
• Jerseys - long sleeve
• Jerseys - short sleeve
• Shorts & 3/4s
• Tights & longs
• Bar tape & grips
• Bottom brackets
• Brake & gear cables
• Brake & STI levers
• Brake pads & spares
• Cassettes & freewheels
• Chainsets & chainrings
• Derailleurs - front
• Derailleurs - rear
• Gear levers & shifters
• Handlebars & extensions
• Inner tubes
• Quick releases & skewers
• Energy & recovery bars
• Energy & recovery drinks
• Energy & recovery gels
• Heart rate monitors
• Hydration products
• Hydration systems
• Indoor trainers
• Power measurement
• Skincare & embrocation
• Training - misc
• Cleaning products
• Lubrication
• Tools - multitools
• Tools - Portable
• Tools - workshop
• Books, Maps & DVDs
• Camping and outdoor equipment
• Gifts & misc

2023 Tour de France bikes — your definitive guide to what the top pro cycling teams are riding this year

First Published Jun 28, 2023

Let’s check out the bikes and equipment that the world’s best road cyclists will be riding in the Tour de France.

There are 18 WorldTour men's teams in 2023. All of these will race the Tour de France along with four wildcard teams that have been invited to compete.

Of the WorldTour men's teams, 12 use Shimano groupsets, only one runs Campagnolo and the rest are on SRAM. Perhaps the most unexpected shift (no pun intended) for this season was made by UAE Team Emirates, which dropped Campagnolo as its component sponsor along with other Italian components from its bikes. This might have left quite a few Italians mortified, as the UAE team are now running very Italian Colnago bikes with very much not Italian Shimano groupsets...

In terms of the teams themselves, the men’s WorldTour roster has seen two new teams in 2023: Alpecin-Deceuninck and Arkéa-Samsic. Both Israel-PremierTech and Lotto–Dstny have left the World Tour but they take part in the Tour de France as wildcards alongside TotalEnergies and Uno-X.

Without further ado, let's have a look at the bikes... 

AG2R Citroën Team

We also spotted a new BMC bike being used by team members at the Criterium du Dauphine, and it's likely to see more action in the Tour de France.

> BMC prototype aero superbike spotted at Dauphine

We can also spot something that has become a rarity in the WorldTour: Campagnolo groupsets and wheels.

Yes, AG2R Citroen is the only WorldTour team that is running a Campag groupset in 2023. It'll be interesting to see if all of the riders are on the brand-new version of Super Record.

> Campagnolo ditches iconic thumb shifter and goes wireless with new Super Record Wireless electronic groupset... and it'll cost you £4.5k

The team bikes also feature Italian-quality components, with Pirelli tyres and Fizik saddles.

Alpecin–Deceuninck

Alpecin-Deceuninck were only promoted to the WorldTour level this year, which might come as a surprise given riders like Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen are in its line-up. 

Spec-wise, the team run Shimano’s Dura-Ace Di2 groupset and wheels. The tyres are Vittoria – usually the new Vittoria Corsa Pro – and the team sit on Selle Italia saddles. 

Arkéa–Samsic

French team Arkéa-Samsic have welcomed Bianchi  as their bike sponsor to replace Canyon, having the Oltre RC, Specialissima and Aquilla TT at their disposal.

The bikes come with Shimano groupsets and wheels, except for TTs where the wheels are Vision. The team uses Continental tyres and Selle Italia saddles.

Astana Qazaqstan

Mark Cavendish's Kazakh team is continuing with Wilier Triestina bikes: the Zero SLR and Filante SLR models, equipped with Shimano groupsets and Corima wheels...

...although they've also used wheels from HED, which isn't a sponsor, this year. Those huge blue logos are hardly subtle.

For time trials, the team swaps onto the Wilier Turbine. The fresh “chrome-painted graphite” paintwork of the Wilier frames has impressed art lovers and bike enthusiasts alike. 

Bahrain Victorious

Bahrain Victorious are using the same trusted Merida bikes as last year, with the Reacto, Scultura and Warp TT models forming the line-up – but in a Pearl finish especially for the Tour de France. It's a "homage to Bahrain’s rich pearling history", apparently.

Shimano Dura-Ace remains the groupset, the wheels are Vision, the saddles Prologo and finishing kit is handled by FSA.

Bora-Hansgrohe

Even though they’ve been a World team since 2017, it was only last year we saw Bora-Hansgrohe win their first Grand Tour when Jai Hindley smashed the Giro d’Italia  and became the first Aussie to win the Giro. 

The German team rides Specialized bikes, the US brand being a key sponsor. Specialized supplies it all: the Tarmac SL7 for the road, Shiv TT for the time trials, Roval wheels and Specialized tyres. Groupsets are Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, and the saddles and the finishing kit come from both Specialized and Shimano subsidiary PRO. 

> Look unveils lightened 795 Blade RS road bike and disc brake-equipped 796 Monoblade RS time trial bike

Cofidis has moved from Campagnolo to Shimano this year, which means they had an opportunity to introduce yet another French brand, Corima, as the wheel sponsor. The tyres on those wheels are from Michelin.  

EF Education-Easypost

The American team, well known for their bold kit designs, sticks to the same bunch of sponsors as before: Cannondale bikes with Shimano groups, Vision wheels and Prologo saddles.

The riders are on the Cannondale SuperSix Evo (above) which was updated earlier this year.

> Cannondale launches new aero-optimised SuperSix Evo 4 with threaded bottom bracket — all the details + first ride review

They also have the SystemSix aero road bike which, launched back in 2018, must surely be the next Cannondale bike to get a refresh.

Groupama-FDJ

The French team entering its 28th season is continuing its long-lasting partnership with Lapierre bikes, which come equipped with Shimano groupsets and wheels.

In terms of models, the Xelius and Aircode framesets are the go-to options.

Ineos Grenadiers

Another team with very few changes: Ineos Grenadiers continues to ride the Pinarello Dogma F and the refreshed Bolide TT.

The groupsets are Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and the wheels are usually from Shimano too – although the team has been known to dip into the Lightweight and Princeton ranges in its search for those famous marginal gains. 

The tyres are Continental, the saddles Fizik and the finishing kit is from Pinarello's MOST brand. 

Intermarché–Circus–Wanty

The Belgian team continues to ride Cube bikes equipped with Shimano groupsets, Newmen wheels and Prologo saddles.

Riders can choose either the superlight Cube Litening Air C:68X or the Litening C:68X Aero for lower drag. The Aerium C:68 TT is there for time trials. 

> Cube launches Litening AIR C:68X Series road bikes with a claimed frame weight of 799g

Israel - Premier Tech

Pic © Zac Williams SWpix.com (t-a Photography Hub Ltd)

UCI ProTeam Israel Premier Tech rides bikes from Factor, usually the Ostro VAM (above). However, we know that Factor is releasing a new bike on 10th July 2023, the first Tour de France rest day, which suggests it’s a road race model that’ll play a part in this year’s race. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled.

Israel Premier Tech use wheels from Factor’s Black Inc brand fitted with Maxxis tyres.

Although the riders use FSA chainsets, the shifters and derailleurs are Shimano Dura-Ace Di2.

Jayco Alula

Team BikeExchange-Jayco has had a slight name change to Jayco AluIa but the team’s bikes stay the same with riders on Giant’s Propel Advanced SL, TCR Advanced SL (above) and Trinity TT.

Wheels are from Giant's Cadex brand and Shimano is the main equipment partner. 

Jumbo-Visma

Jumbo-Visma won the Tour de France last year with Jonas Vingegaard and the team roster for this year's race includes huge names like Wout Van Aert and Christophe Laporte, as well as the defending champion.

Cervelo is still the bike supplier to both the men's and women's teams, although the S5 (above), R5 and P5 models are now equipped with SRAM groupsets instead of Shimano. Vingegaard used a 1x (single chainring) setup for some stages of the Criterium du Dauphine. It'll be interesting to see if he takes the same approach in the Tour.

> Is Vingegaard going 1x for the Tour de France?

Wheels are new too, with the teams riding on Reserve hoops. 

Trek-Segafredo has just changed its name to Lidl-Trek. At the time of writing, it remains to be seen whether the riders will be racing immediately on bikes with updated livery.

The Trek Madone and Emonda road bikes are the usual weapons of choice, with the Speed Concept for time trials. 

SRAM supplies the groupsets while Trek's Bontrager brand provides pretty much everything else.

Lotto–Dstny

Lotto–Dstny use bikes from Ridley, usually the lightweight Helium or the aero Noah. However, we spotted a prototype being ridden by Maxim Van Gils in the Criterium du Dauphine, and it doesn’t look like any bike from the existing range.

> New Ridley road bike breaks cover at Critérium du Dauphiné 

We don’t have a name or a launch date yet but it looks like Ridley is combining light weight with aero features – which has been a big trend in the road bike market over the past few years.

Lotto–Dstny uses Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupsets, DT Swiss wheels and Vittoria tyres.

Movistar Team

Movistar continues to ride Canyon bikes – the lightweight Ultimate (above) and the aero-optimised Aeroad (below). 

The team uses SRAM Red eTap groupsets, Zipp wheels and Fizik saddles. 

Soudal Quick-Step

After yet another name change (the eighth, if you’re counting), Soudal Quick-Step races the 2023 season with trusty Specialized bikes and Roval wheels, saddles, tyres and finishing kit. Groupsets are still from Shimano.

Scott returns to provide the DSM men's and women's teams with bikes, the Foil RC being the popular choice for most stages. 

> Check out our review of the Scott Foil RC Pro 2023

The groupsets are Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, the wheels are Shimano and wrapped on them are Vittoria tyres. Scott’s subsidiary Syncros is providing all of the finishing kit, including the saddles. 

TotalEnergies

Although it’s a UCI ProTeam rather than a WorldTeam, TotalEnergies boasts riders of the calibre of Edvard Boasson Hagen and Peter Sagan on the Tour de France start list.

The team is sponsored by Specialized so uses Tarmac SL7 road bikes and Royal wheels.

This is yet another team that uses Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupsets.

UAE Team Emirates

The UAE Team Emirates riders have used the Colnago V4RS road bike this year after Tadej Pogačar raced on the prototype version in 2022.

It's all change regarding the groupset, UAE Team Emirates switching from Campagnolo to Shimano.

Pirelli tyres have been swapped to  Continental , and the wheels are now Enve.

UNO-X Pro Cycling Team

Uno-X has changed little for 2023. Norway's Dare continues to be the bike and finishing kit sponsor – a brand that's little known in the UK. The bikes come equipped with Shimano groupsets and DT Swiss wheels.

What's your favourite bike in this year's Tour de France? Let us know in the comments...

Help us to fund our site

We’ve noticed you’re using an ad blocker. If you like road.cc, but you don’t like ads, please consider subscribing to the site to support us directly. As a subscriber you can read road.cc ad-free, from as little as £1.99. 

If you don’t want to subscribe, please turn your ad blocker off. The revenue from adverts helps to fund our site.

Help us to bring you the best cycling content

If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £1.99. Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. Your subscription will help us to do more.

Suvi joined F-At in 2022, first writing for off-road.cc. She's since joined the tech hub, and contributes to all of the sites covering tech news, features, reviews and women's cycling content. Lover of long-distance cycling, Suvi is easily convinced to join any rides and events that cover over 100km, and ideally, plenty of cake and coffee stops. 

Add new comment

Looks like the Lotto rider has just borrowed a TCR. 

• Log in or register to post comments

Checked on the TV guide last night.

Pleased to see that ITV still get to show it.

I wonder for how much longer?

No Tarmac SL8 this summer then...

Really sad to see Bianchi making such ugly bikes.

Latest Comments

Thank you - that seems to make sense given the other rules. I'm not sure the paragraph I quoted is as clear as it could be then, as I'd naturally...

One more sleep.

Until they can replace it with something with a bold and exciting new design that's much less usable?

I have the Unior sprocket wear indicator tool, around £20 I think, and it takes a bit of the guesswork out of whether to change a cassette or not....

Never got my money back from Birmingham, I'd better get this lot back. No idea what to do for next summer. Closed roads seem to be a luxury that...

_I_ believe that using a bikelane should also be compulsary for drivers when a bikelane is available (forced to use a bike instead of cars, for...

Someone else actually completed a most astonishing lap earlier..     https://escapecollective.com/i-had-so-much-fun-the-story-of-lael-wilcoxs...

Looks like we left behind 'the attitude of the UK police towards cyclists' when the Republic gained its independence!

Oh look! A spesh' SL6

Good point.

Powered by Outside

Tour de France Femmes Stage 4: Puck Pieterse Scoops First Road Win in Style

Off-road specialist makes superb transition back to the road after olympic mtb race..

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Reddit

Don't miss a moment of the 2024 Tour de France! Get recaps, insights, and exclusive takes with Velo's daily newsletter. >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Sign up today! .

Cyclocross and cross-country mountain bike specialist Puck Pieterse landed the first road win of her career with a flourish on Wednesday, taking that debut victory in the biggest event of them all.

The Dutch Fenix-Deceuninck rider beat compatriot Demi Vollering (SD Worx-ProTime) and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) in a three-up sprint to the line in Liège, triumphing in an Ardennes Classics-type stage on stage 4 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift .

The trio went clear on the day’s final climb, the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons, cresting the summit in front with just under 14km remaining. Niewiadoma then tried to take them by surprise when she jumped hard with 700 meters to go, but Vollering calmly dragged her back and sat on her wheel.

Pieterse then launched, with Vollering reacting and drawing alongside her but, as later shown by the photo finish, not actually passing her until after the line.

“It is quite unbelievable, actually,” the 22-year-old said. “The last few days I had super good legs. The first day I had good legs, the second day I had good legs. And today I didn’t feel my legs at all. It has always been good [during the stage], and to take the win here in a sprint against Demi is a dream come true.”

The former U23 cyclocross world champion has taken elite medals in cross and MTB, as well as being European champion in the latter discipline the past two seasons. She was fourth in the recent Olympic XC event two and a half weeks ago and made a very quick switch back to road cycling.

“I live for this. I worked so much to the Olympic Games and when you have good legs there, you have good legs here,” Pieterse said.

She explained how the final sprint played out, saying that she had an advantage over the other two riders due to her own more limited goals in the race.

“I knew they were riding for GC. I am just here for the stage while I am fresh, so I could [play] poker a bit,” she explained.

“I knew Kasia would attack and Demi would have to follow, so I just tried to keep a poker face and take it in the sprint.”

Tightening grip on the maillot jaune

Vollering won a bonus sprint inside 11km to go and took another bonus for second at the finish. Together with the time gained on her rivals, she has moved further ahead in the overall standings.

With four out of the race’s eight stages now completed, she is 22 seconds clear of Pieterse, 34 in front of Niewiadoma and 47 ahead of the rider in fourth, American Kristen Faulkner (EF-Oatly-Cannondale).

That’s a promising situation, particularly with the big mountain stages yet to take place.

She hoped she had done enough to take her second consecutive stage win, but the photo finish showed that she had come up fractionally short.

“I hoped first that Puck would close it, but she didn’t,” she said of Niewiadoma’s attack. “So I did it myself because I didn’t want to give Kasia too much space, because if she is gone she is gone.

“I closed it at my own speed so that I didn’t empty myself there, and also that I knew that Kasia would still believe a little bit towards the last few hundred meters. So that was kind of a lead out for us. I hoped she would keep on going and luckily she did.”

Once Pieterse launched, Vollering responded, although there appeared to be a slight delay.

“I thought for a few seconds I am going to make it still, but then on the line I had already the feeling that it was just not enough,” she said. “Then Puck won, but it is nice to see because Puck is a really talented rider and I think she really deserves this win herself.”

She embraced Pieterse once the finishing order was confirmed, showing respect for her compatriot.

Pieterse had a fine day, taking that first road victory, vaulting up 22 places in the general classification to second overall, as well as moving into the lead in the mountains competition and best young rider ranking.

She triumphed despite not having the same knowledge of the race finale as the other two riders do from Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

“I think I went quite early in the end,” she said. “I have never been here so I didn’t know where the finish line was.

“We had to wait for what felt like ages for the result, but I am so happy to take the win.”

Aggression in the Ardennes

Wednesday’s fourth stage of the Tour de France Femmes was the toughest thus far, with a multitude of undulations along the 122.7km route from Valkenburg to Liège.

There were eight categorized climbs, with the toughest being the Côte de la Redoute (km 88.8) and the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons (km. 109.4), both beloved to fans of Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Sylvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) was in a determined mood and took top points on the first four of the day’s climbs, namely the Bemelerberg (km 6.6), the Cauberg (km 12.8), the Geulhemmerberg (km 17.8) and the second passage of the Bemelerberg (km 23.4).

Sara Martín (Movistar Team) attacked 88km from the finish line and opened a solid lead. Behind, American Chloe Dygert and her Canyon-SRAM teammate Neve Bradbury crashed inside 60km to go. Neither appeared badly hurt but faced a tense chase back to the peloton.

Martín took top sprint points at Pepinster, while behind in the bunch stage one and two winner Charlotte Kool (Team DSM-Firmenich-PostNL) beat Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime), Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) and the rest of the bunch for second.

Very soon afterwards Martín had to stop at a closed level crossing, 51.5km from the end. The peloton also came to a halt, with the Spaniard then handed the same gap when the race resumed. She led onto the lower slopes of Mont-Theux but was caught with 48.4km remaining.

2023 stage winner Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) put in a huge sprint and beat Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) to the summit.

The group raced on to the tougher Côte de la Redoute, where Pieterse led Vollering and Niewiadoma over the summit. The gradients reduced the group to approximately 25 riders, but this increased in number over the following kilometers as the peloton raced nervously on increasingly wet roads.

An increasingly tense finale

The racing intensity ratcheted up from that point. Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) outsprinted Kastelijn to the summit of the day’s second-last climb, the Côte des Forges, and continued on alone to build a lead of 22 seconds with 20km remaining.

However she was reeled on the tough Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons, where Vollering, Nieuwiadoma, Pieterse and her teammate Pauliena Rooijakkers would forge ahead.

Behind, Visma-Lease a Bike’s GC leader Reijanne Markus was dropped, as was teammate Marianne Vos.

Vollering took the bonus sprint just inside 11km to go, padding her lead by crossing the prime line ahead of Niewiadoma and Pietere. Rooijakkers had been dropped and caught by the chasing group behind.

The leading trio collaborated until the final kilometer, with Niewiadoma then surging with 700 meters to go. She was quickly closed down by Vollering, giving Pieterse the opportunity to launch what would be a winning sprint, some 29 seconds over the chasing group.

“It’s a really good day for me and the whole team,” she said.

“My teammates did a really good job with keeping me safe today in the front. It was a really nice day for us.”

One last KM and a first pro victory! Congrats Puck Pieterse! Un dernier kilomètre pour une première victoire professionnelle ! Et quelle première ! Bravo Puck Pieterse ! #TDFF2024 | #WatchTheFemmes | @GoZwift pic.twitter.com/F4tkLpTz8z — Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) August 14, 2024

Popular on Velo

What’s it like to be an American cyclist living in France? Watch to get professional road cyclist Joe Dombrowski’s view.

Related content from the Outside Network

One way south, mountain bikers react to their first taste of non-alcoholic craft beer, video review: bmc urs 01 two gravel bike, kiel reijnen vuelta video diary: the painful decision to abandon.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Tour de France Femmes and a 'one team' perspective - what's next for Visma-Lease a Bike Women?

Big new signing and a new goal at the heart of team’s future plans

Despite being founded in 2021, the Visma-Lease a Bike women’s team went through something of a rebirth in 2024 – most of the managing and directing staff changed and an emphasis was placed on bringing the women’s squad closer to the all-conquering men’s team.

There was no dramatic change in the rider line-up, but that seems to be coming for 2025 as the team’s redevelopment continues. They’re saying goodbye to stalwarts Anna Henderson and Riejanne Markus , and welcoming one of the most talked-about transfers in recent years as Pauline Ferrand-Prévot makes her return to road racing after focusing on mountain biking for the last four years.

With Ferrand-Prévot being clear that her goal is to win the Tour de France Femmes , the ambitions at Visma-Lease a Bike have ramped up dramatically. They have been Grand Tour contenders through Riejanne Markus, but never really in the Tour, where their aims have been more focused on stage success through Marianne Vos .

"It's nice, eh? It's always good,” the team’s general manager Rutger Tijssen told Cyclingnews about the added pressure on the squad’s shoulders for 2025.

"What I really like is when people dare to speak out about what their dream goal is because then at least the worst thing that can happen is that you could get really close to it. But making that journey with an athlete like Pauline is really nice. It's good that she speaks out.

"I have the same goal in mind as well, because as a coach, as a performance coach, I always strive for the highest, the highest possible achievable goal in a sport, and when the Tour de France is the biggest goal in the sport then we should go for that.

"Yes, [it’s] definitely achievable,” Tijssen continued. "Because it starts with having a dream, and then we see how we can create an environment to make that dream come true. We believe in the concept that we have with the Visma-Lease a Bike team, I believe in the athletes that I have around the team.

Get The Leadout Newsletter

The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

"Of course, there will be changes, that always happens, as we started with the staff as well, that's quite normal, but when the organisation is there and the structure is there then it's quite easy to fit new people in there.”

The concept and structure within the team are some of the things that have changed in the last year. After the departure of general manager Esra Tromp and DS Carmen Small, Visma-Lease a Bike brought in personnel from the men’s side of the organisation in DS Jos van Emden , and worked on closing the gap between the two squads.

"They started the team four years ago, and they started it more or less as a standalone unit,” Tijssen explained. "And along the way the management saw that there were some things missing in the communication towards our high-performance centre, the communication towards other coaches, and they slowly tried to change that. Now we are more in an integration phase.

"I have access to all the resources that are there, and we don't talk about the men's team or the women's team, we talk about Visma-Lease a Bike as one team. Yes, we are more cycling with women and the others are more cycling with men, but it's not that we have a women's team and a men's team, it's more that we have a big organisation and every rider in the organisation has access to the resources that we have.”

Tijssen hopes that these changes will not only help their top riders succeed but elevate the whole team and widen their chances of meeting their ambitions.

"It's not mainly about building around Pauline, but it's building around that goal,” he said of the team’s recruitment and planning for 2025. "It's creating an environment, mentally and physically, where we can really get close to achieving that goal.

"Yes, of course, Pauline will probably be our main character in that, but we never know how Fem van Empel is going to develop, maybe she's going to be alongside her, who knew that Jonas Vingegaard was going to win the Tour de France [in 2022], that was a big surprise, so it's not that we aim for it with one person, but we aim for it as a team.

"Of course, Pauline is the one who says 'I want to do that' which is normal, you should say 'I want to win this, I want to win that' but as a team, we take a broader perspective and we started building a team that can be really, really good.”

How exactly that team looks for 2025 is not yet clear – they only have 10 confirmed riders at the time of writing [The signing of Martina Fidanza was confirmed shortly after publication – Ed.] – but Tijssen confirmed that they’re looking at mixing experience and youth, after mainly picking up young talents in recent years.

Despite being the younger riders on the team, Tijssen picked out Maud Oudeman and Rosita Reijnhout as key climbing talents, and more signings and renewals are expected to be on the way after their first new additions, neo-pro Imogen Wolff and Viktória Chladoňová.

The piece of the puzzle that can’t be forgotten is that amongst all the changes, the team still have their original star rider, Marianne Vos. The Dutchwoman has had one of her best seasons in recent memory in 2024 and is showing no signs of slowing, giving the team two big-name riders for next year.

"With Marianne, is it a surprise to me that she's performing? Not really,” Tijssen said. "We made some choices, some different choices than she did in the past. We completely embedded her in the team, so everything is from inside the team – training coach, performance plan - so that's good for her, that gives a bit of a rest.

"But you never know how long she can stand in this. I think if we add another season to it like this she will be performing the same as this year because she is still eager and hungry for more results. Why should you stop? Age is a number and if you're physically good and mentally good and you're tactically as good as Marianne, then she can do what she's doing right now.”

Though Visma-Lease a Bike are in a self-described transition phase and have some gaps to fill in their roster for 2025, the team seems to be on the clearest path we have seen since its inception, with the foundations to support the talent coming their way this winter. 

Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*

Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets

After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Matilda Price is a freelance cycling journalist and digital producer based in the UK. She is a graduate of modern languages, and recently completed an MA in sports journalism, during which she wrote her dissertation on the lives of young cyclists. Matilda began covering cycling in 2016 whilst still at university, working mainly in the British domestic scene at first. Since then, she has covered everything from the Tour Series to the Tour de France. These days, Matilda focuses most of her attention on the women’s sport, writing for Cyclingnews and working on women’s cycling show The Bunnyhop . As well as the Women’s WorldTour, Matilda loves following cyclo-cross and is a recent convert to downhill mountain biking.

Lael Wilcox hits Chicago to finish record beating around the world effort

White and Mani headline GO Cross in Virginia to open US Cyclocross series - North American Roundup

Five key storylines to follow at the 2024 GP Québec and GP Montréal

Most Popular

• Vuelta a España
• Live/Ergebnisse
• Gesamtstand
• Siegerliste
• Live-Ergebnisse
• Fußball Home
• Champions League
• Premier League
• UEFA Nations League
• Transfer-News
• Alle Wettbewerbe
• Tennis Home
• Australian Open
• French Open
• Kalender ATP
• Kalender WTA
• Weltranglisten
• Radsport Home
• Rennkalender
• Tour de France
• Giro d'Italia
• Mountainbike
• Dare to Dream
• Snooker Home
• German Masters
• The Masters
• UK Championship
• Alle Turniere
• Motorsport Home
• 24 Stunden von Le Mans
• Alle Sportarten
• Olympische Spiele Home
• Olympic Channel
• e-Sports Home
• Esports World Cup
• Bahnradsport Home
• UCI Track Champions League
• Basketball Home
• 3x3-Basketball
• Biathlon Home
• Biathlon-WM
• Weltcupstand Herren
• Weltcupstand Damen
• Olympia Tokio 2020
• Cyclocross Home
• Etappenplan
• Gesamtstände
• Eishockey Home
• Weltmeisterschaft
• Eiskunstlauf Home
• Eiskunstlauf-WM
• Formel 1 Home
• World Ranking
• DP World Tour
• Handball Home
• Frauen-Bundesliga - HBF
• Leichtathletik Home
• Diamond League
• Nordische Kombination Home
• PTO Tour Home
• Reitsport Home
• Rodeln Home
• Segeln Home
• The Ocean Race
• Ski Alpin Home
• Weltcupstände Herren
• Weltcupstände Damen
• Alpine Ski-WM
• Skilanglauf Home
• Skispringen Home
• Speedway Home
• Triathlon Home
• Wintersport Home
• Skispringen

Primoz Roglic hat die Vuelta durchgespielt: Rosa beim Giro, Rot in Spanien - und nun Gelb bei der Tour de France?

Update 09/09/2024 um 11:53 GMT+2 Uhr

Primoz Roglic zeigt bei der Vuelta a Espana 2024 seine Klasse. Reicht diese, um im kommenden Jahr den Tour-Sieg anzugreifen? Verfrühte Glückwünsche zum Sieg der Spanien-Rundfahrt wehrte der Slowene zwar ab, doch das Rote Trikot war ihm im abschließenden Zeitfahren erwartungsgemäß nicht mehr zu nehmen. Das große Ziel für Bora-hansgrohe bleibt indes der Gesamtsieg bei der Grande Boucle.

Highlights: Küng feiert Sieg im Zeitfahren - Roglic jubelt

Wichtiger als die Vuelta? Roglic-Trainer nennt unerwartetes Ziel

Update Gestern um 16:20 Uhr

• Alle Sieger der Vuelta

Roglic nach Vuelta-Sieg glücklich: "Es war taff"

Tour-de-France-Sieg das Ziel

Das Ende der Vuelta 2024: Roglic feiert - Küng auch

Zeit läuft gegen roglic.

Milans Antritt kommt zu spät - Kooij gewinnt Cyclassics

Red Bull holt starken Spanier: "Diese Power können wir gebrauchen"

Update Gestern um 15:53 Uhr

Heimgeradelt: Maté beendet Karriere mit Statement zum Klimaschutz

Update Gestern um 15:50 Uhr