The biggest bike race in the world isn’t just the ideal stage for riders to shine. It’s also the place where bikes, components and gear receive plenty of attention. A three-week long shop window, manufacturers are prone to release a slew of kit just ahead of the race. But the bikes are more than just items for sale. They too become players in the unfolding drama, supporting the contenders in their quest for glory.
So what’s new for ‘24? Leaks point to at least two new models likely being ridden in France, while this year will also see ENVE and Van Rysel compete in the Tour for the first time, with the Melee and RCR Pro models respectively. There's also a new colourway for Team Visma Lease A Bike, who'll be riding Renaissance inspired blue Cervelos in their pursuit of the yellow jersey treble.
But much remains the same. Shimano is once again the groupset of choice with 18 teams riding its range-topping Dura-Ace Di2. The rest of the race’s gear changing will come courtesy of SRAM, with Campagnolo no longer present. Another prevalent brand is Prologo, with the Italian saddle not just the preferred perch of race favourite Tadej Pogačar but supplier to six other teams.
Here's a list of the bikes we're expecting to be at the start line in Florence...
Alpecin - Deceuninck
Bikes: Canyon Aeroad CFR, Speedmax CFR Disc (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
Wheels: Shimano
Given that the Belgian team will have both Mathieu van Der Poel and Jasper Philipsen in its TdF line up, it's safe to assume that the team bikes will get plenty of exposure. Van der Poel, hot off the back of a Classics campaign for the ages that saw him win De Ronde, Paris-Roubaix and the ES Saxo Classic, will surely light up the race at some point. Philipsen was the dominant sprinter in France a year ago and will be looking to both defend his green jersey and add to his six stage wins.
When it comes to the road stages, both men will be riding the Canyon Aeroad CFR (quite probably a new model that was leaked at the Dauphiné), equipped with Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2 groupset and its wheels. The latter will be shod in Vittoria tires, likely the Corsa Pro in the 28mm width. Other components include Sella Italia saddles. Canyon's CFR Disc time trial bike will also get an airing, most crucially during the last stage of the Tour, a 34km race against the clock from Monaco to Nice.
Arkéa - B&B Hotels
Bikes: Bianchi Specialissima RC / Oltre RC / Aquila (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
Wheels: Vision
The French squad will head to the Grand Depart in Italy on a largely unchanged set-up. For the road stages that means choosing between Bianchi's two offerings, the lightweight Specialissima RC and the aero-enhanced Oltre RC. For the race's two time trials, the Italian brand's Aquila TT bike will come into play. Shimano again provides the groupset in the shape of 12-speed Dura-Ace Di2, with Vision wheels now paired with Vittoria tires. Elsewhere Selle Italia are the team's saddle of choice.
We should get a good look at the bikes throughout the Tour, with the homegrown team surely obligated to get into plenty of breakaways to give their sponsors some air time. However, whether new recruit Arnaud Démare can recapture the form that saw him win three stages at the 2022 Giro on his way to the points jersey remains to be seen.
Astana Qazaqstan Team
Bikes: Wilier Triestina Filante SLR / 0 SLR / Turbine (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
Wheels: Vision
Sir Mark Cavendish is scheduled to be back at the Tour, with a new title to his name and an opportunity to add to his record-tying 34 stage wins. Surpassing Eddie Merckx at the age of 39 would be the stuff of dreams for Sir Cav but regardless the team's Wilier bikes should get some exposure with both Alexey Lutsenko and Davide Ballerini also penciled in to start.
Like last year, the team from Kazakhstan will be riding Wilier's trio of race-ready bikes (what potentially looks like a new climbing bike has also been spotted at the Dauphiné) all decked out in one of the peloton's most eye-catching paint jobs. Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2 remains the chosen groupset while Vision wheels and Vittoria tires are both new additions for 2024.
Bahrain - Victorious
Bikes: Merida Scultura / Reacto / Time Warp (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
Wheels: Vision
With Pello Bilbao, Phil Bauhaus, Matej Mohorič and Fred Wright all due to start the race, the Bahrain - Victorious team should make plenty of noise in France (and Italy of course!). Once again, they'll be doing so aboard Merida's race bike duo of the Scultura and the Reacto, with the Time Warp TT bike used against the clock.
When it comes to components it's a case of 'if it ain't broke', with Shimano once again supplying the Dura-Ace Di2 groupsets alongside Vision wheels, Continental tires and Prologo saddles.
Bora-Hansgrohe
Bikes: Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 / Shiv (TT)
Groupset: SRAM Red AXS
Wheels: Roval
The Bora team enter this year's Tour with its suppliers unchanged. This means they'll be doing battle on CW's Race Bike of the Year, the remarkable S-Works SL8, with the Shiv used for the time trial stages. SRAM provides the groupset in the shape of its 12-speed wireless Red AXS, which has seen an upgrade in recent times. Elsewhere it's Specialized's in-house brand Roval that completes the bike with its wheels and cockpit both in play.
Bora's lineup does have a significant addition though, in the shape of multiple Grand Tour winner Primož Roglič. If his performance at the recent Dauphiné, which he won while taking two stage victories along the way, is anything to go by he should be a prominent figure in the race for the yellow jersey. With Jai Hindley and Aleksandr Vlasov also set to ride, it should equate to plenty of exposure for both team and equipment.
Cofidis
Bikes: Look 795 Blade RS / 796 Monoblade RS (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels: Corima
Cofidis will be hoping they can emulate last year's Tour, where the French outfit won its first stage in 15 years thanks to Victor Lafay's victory in stage 2, before proving it was no fluke with a second stage courtesy of the Basque rider Ion Izagirre.
Their pursuit of further stage wins will take place aboard Look's 795 Blade RS, which was recently named as CW's best aero bike in the Race Bike of the Year awards. Elsewhere it's a similar-looking set-up as last year with Shimano groupsets, Corima wheels, Michelin tires and Prologo saddles.
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team
Bikes: Van Rysel RCR Pro / XCR (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
Wheels: Swiss Side Hadron2 Ultimate
The newly-minted Decathlon team are flying in 2024. They have already racked up 24 victories, with sprinter Sam Bennett dominating the Four Days of Dunkirk race and the French duo of Benoît Cosnefroy and Aurélien Paret-Peintre accounting for nine other wins, including Paret-Peintre's stage at the Giro.
They'll head to the start line in Florence aboard one the year's most talked about bikes, Van Rysel's RCR Pro, alongside its TT offering, the XCR. Once again the groupset is Shimano's Dura Ace Di2, while the wheels are Swiss Side's Hadron2 Ultimate model, shod with Continnetal tires. Elsewhere the team will be riding the Italian combo of Deda bars and Fizik saddles.
EF Education - EasyPost
Bikes: Cannondale SuperSix EVO LAB71 / SuperSlice (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
Wheels: Vision
EF-Education are typically hard to miss at the tour, thanks to a combination of its distinctive kit and attacking riding. Producing the latter will likely fall to the trio of Richard Carapaz, Ben Healy and Neilson Powless, while the former is down the tried-and-tested combination of Cannondale's SuperSix Evo race bike decked out in colours that match the team's Rapha jersey.
Like last year, the SuperSix Evo is the LAB71 model, which uses the US brand's lightest grade of carbon, while the SuperSlice will be used for the TTs. Both bikes are decked out in Shimano Dura-Ace with FSA chainsets, Vision wheels, Vittoria rubber and Prologo saddles.
Groupama - FDJ
Bikes: Wilier Filante SLR / 0 SLR / Supersonica (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
Wheels: Shimano
For the 2024 season, Groupama - FDJ has replaced Lapierre bikes with those made by Wilier. This means the French team will have the choice of the Filante SLR, the 0 SLR and the new TT bike, the Supersonica, developed in conjunction with team rider Stefan Küng, in France.
Küng will be hoping to make an impression in the stage 7 time trial from Nuits-Saint-Georges to Gevrey-Chambertin, as will David Gaudu in the race for the GC top-10. They'll be doing so supported by tech from Shimano, in the shape of groupsets and wheels, alongside Continental tires and Prologo saddles.
INEOS Grenadiers
Bikes: Pinarello Dogma F / Bolide (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
Wheels: Shimano
Ineos have been spotted riding what looks like a new Dogma F and it's likely this will the bike that they ride across the three weeks in France. As usual the Pinarello frameset will be accompanied by MOST bars and Shimano wheels and groupsets, with the Princeton CarbonWorks hoops dropped for the '24 season.
While team lineups have yet to be confirmed, the 'penciled in' combination of Tom Pidcock, Carlos Rodriguez, Egan Bernal and Geraint Thomas should translate to bags of airtime for the Dogma F, whether its an updated model or not.
Intermarché - Wanty
Bikes: Cube Litening C:68X Pro / C:68X Air / Aerium (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
Wheels: Newmen Advanced SL
It's business as usual for the Belgian outfit when it comes to team equipment. Like last year they'll be riding Cube bikes and will again chose between the Litening C:68X Pro and Air depending on the stage profile, while the Aerium will be used for both time trials. The groupset is again Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, with wheels supplied by Newmen, tires by Conti and saddles by Prologo.
Israel - Premier Tech
Bikes: Factor Ostro VAM / 02 VAM / Hanzo (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
Wheels: Black Inc
The IPT outfit will head to France with a similar looking quiver as last year. With Factor remaining as it bike supplier riders such Dylan Teuns and Pascal Ackermann will have the choice of the Ostro VAM and O2 VAM for road stages - the former is the aero bike, the later the climbing model - alongside the Hanzo for those two stages against the clock. Once again it's Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 taking care of the shifting, with Factor's in-house component brand Black Inc supplying the wheels and cockpit.
Lidl - Trek
Bikes: Trek Émonda SLR / Madone SLR / Speed Concept (TT)
Groupset: SRAM Red AXS
Wheels: Bontrager Aeolus
Leaks of a new Trek race bike mean that the Lidl-Trek team could be aboard something other than the Gen 7 Madone SLR that Mads Pedersen rode to victory in Stage 8 of last year's race. As for the time trials things appear to be unchanged with Trek's Speed Concept TT bike in play.
Pedersen and teammates will be supported by the new SRAM Red AXS groupset, Bontrager wheels and finishing kit and Pirelli tires. Could it be a combination that add to the US-based teams already impressive total of 27 victories this season?
Lotto Dstny
Bikes: Orbea Orca Aero, Orca / Ordu (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
Wheels: Oquo
It will be rather odd not to see the Lotto Dstny team on Ridley bikes at this year's race. The Belgium outfit broke from its 12-year partnership at the beginning of the '24 season, moving to a deal with Basque-based Orbea. The switch means the team will have the Orca Aero, the Orca and Ordu at their disposal, equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace groupsets, Orbea-inhouse Oquo wheels, Vittoria tires and Selle Italia saddles.
Movistar Team
Bikes: Canyon Aeroad CFR / Speedmax CF SLX (TT)
Groupset: SRAM Red AXS
Wheels: Zipp
Movistar's equipment remains fairly similar for this year's tour, although they could be another team riding what appears to be a new Aeroad if recent leaks are anything to go by. Outside of Canyon framesets and cockpits, it's once again SRAM Red AXS groupsets, sister-brand Zipp's range of wheels, Continental tires and Fizik saddles. However the eagle-eyed among you might notice a change in pedals, with the Spanish outfit moving from Look to Time.
Soudal Quick-Step
Bikes: Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 / Roubaix / Shiv (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
Wheels: Roval
While Remco Evenepoel's early season crash has disrupted the team's TdF plans they'll at least head to the race on familiar equipment. Once again it's dominated by Specialized and its in-house Roval brand. The Tarmac SL8 will do the lion's share of the work, with the Shiv used against the clock. Spesh and Roval supply the wheels, tires and finishing kit, with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 the groupset of choice.
If Evenepoel fails to ignite the GC race, expect to see the Belgian star turn his attention to stage hunting, with the last day's TT also right up his alley. Either way, expect to see plenty of the SL8 decked out in Soudal Quick-Step colours.
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL
Bikes: Scott Foil RC / Plasma 5 (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
Wheels: Shimano
While Team dsm-firmenich PostNL will once again be riding Scott bikes in France, they'll be decked out in an attractive new colourway for the 11th edition of the race. Road stages will see the Foil RC in action, while the Plasma 5 will report for duty for the time trials. Shimano are suppliers of both groupset - Dura-Ace Di2 naturally - and wheels, while Syncros take care of the finishing kit and Vittoria the tires.
In Roman Bardet and Warren Barguil the team has two French favourites as well as riders who'll be looking to get in to plenty of breakaways when the roads start to point up. For sprint stages, expect Fabio Jakobsen to be involved. Combined it should mean a fair amount of coverage for one of the best-looking bikes in the peloton.
Team Jayco AlUla
Bikes: Giant Propel Advanced SL / TCR Advanced SL / Trinity Advanced Pro (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
Wheels: Cadex 36, 42, 65
The three-pronged attack of Simon Yates, Michael Matthews and Dylan Groenewegen should see the Aussie team competitive across a range of stages at the year's race. If so it means plenty of opportunity to enjoy both the Giant Propel and TCR Advanced race bikes - the latter has just won CW's Climbing Bike of the Year award - as well as the brand's Trinity Advanced Pro TT machine. What's more the new team colours have translated to some beautiful looking framesets.
All three will be equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, Cadex wheels and finishing kit and Continental tires.
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
Bikes: Cervélo R5 Disc / S5 / P5 (TT)
Groupset: SRAM Red AXS
Wheels: Reserve 52/63
Defending the yellow jersey won't come easy, especially with Jonas Vingegarrd's preparation derailed with a horrific early season crash. However the Dane will be attempting a hat-trick of TdF wins using tried-and-tested equipment. Again he'll be aboard Cervélo's trio of bikes, the R5, the S5 and the P5 (TT). SRAM again provides the groupset in the shape of its newly-updated Red AXS, with Reserve and Continental supplying the wheels and tires respectively.
What has changed for this year's race is the colour of the bikes. Gone, for now, are the yellow and black models. They've been replaced with striking blue machines that feature graphics inspired by the Renaissance, a nod to the race's start in Florence, a city that was home to Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Donatello. The team will also be wearing a kit that pays homage to this most innovative and inspiring chapters in history.
TotalEnergies
Bikes: ENVE Melee / Specialized Shiv (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
Wheels: ENVE
Despite no longer having the services of Peter Sagan at is disposal TotalEnergies remains an interesting proposition in France. This time around however it's due largely to the bike the French team will be racing - the Enve Melee. It's CW's Most Desirable Bike of the Year, and it's a real head turner. Naturally the frame is decked out with wheels and finishing kit from the Utah-based carbon specialists, while the groupset is supplied by Shimano.
UAE Team Emirates
Bikes: Colnago V4Rs / TT1 (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
Wheels: ENVE
While the Tour de France throws up many compelling storylines each year, this race will likely be dominated by Tadej Pogačar's pursuit of the Giro-Tour double. If he achieves it, he'll be the first man since Marco Pantani in 1998 to win both Grand Tours in the same season, and only the eighth rider in history to do so.
He'll be attempting the remarkable feat aboard Colnago's elegant V4Rs race bike, equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, ENVE bars and wheels, Pirelli tires and a Prologo saddle. But UAE are far from a one-man team, with Adam Yates and João Almeida's impressive showing in the recent Tour de Suisse proof that Pog will have ample support in the mountains.
Uno-X Mobility
Bikes: Dare VSRu / TSRf (TT)
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
Wheels: DT Swiss
Uno-X Mobility's Dare VSRu is likely the most unfamiliar bike in the peloton. The direct-to-consumer brand will again be supplying the team with both its VSRu and TSRf models, for road and TT stages respectively. The bikes will equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupsets, fitted with CeramicSpeed jockey wheels, DT Swiss wheels and Schwalbe tires.
However, any team that features Magnus Cort in the line-up should receive plenty of exposure. The Dane, who recently won a stage at the '24 Dauphiné, will be looking to add to his two Tdf stages, with the last coming in 2022.
