Professional editions of the Van Rysel RCR Pro, the most affordable bike on the WorldTour, are being sold by Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale for less than half their full price.
The team, off the back of a highly successful season where they have won 30 races and finished second at the Vuelta a España through Ben O'Connor, are selling off used models from this year from €4,000. Fans can also get their hands on fully made-up bikes of riders like Rasmus Søjberg Pedersen, Andrea Vendrame, Sam Bennett, Felix Gall and O'Connor, these come bike shipped with an engraved plaque and signed jersey, upping the cost to €6,500.
The RCR Pro is sold at £9,000 new in the UK. Clearly, this is still a lot of money for a bike. However, it is thousands of pounds cheaper than equivalent WorldTour machines like the Trek Madone SLR 9 (£14,500 with SRAM Red), or the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 (£12,000 with Dura Ace or SRAM Red).
"Who doesn't dream of riding a pro's bike? From €4,000, it's now possible," the team wrote in promotional material.
"While Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale achieves the best season in the team's history, we're offering the possibility to buy our riders' bikes from the 2024 season. It's the revelation of the year! The RCR Pro by Van Rysel, which every fan wants to have because of its unparalleled price/quality/performance, is now available from the team's performance centre."
In our Race Bike of the Year series, our writer Joe Baker said: "I think Van Rysel has absolutely secured its foothold in the market with the RCR Pro, and this race bike has certainly elevated the brand too, but I still think it is still one or two iterations from upsetting the big players."
The top-of-the-range RCR Pro with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and a power meter is available for €4,900 or €4,000 without a power meter; Swiss Side Hadron 2 wheels can be thrown in for an extra €600.
Meanwhile, the RCR Pro Ultegra Di2 version is €3,500 with a power meter, with the same extra €600 for the wheels. You can also buy a frame for €2,000, which includes the fork and seat post. All prices include tax.
If you get Benoît Cosnefroy or Aurélien Paret-Peintre's steeds, you also get the chance to ride them out from the team's performance centre.
Those interested can find out more on Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale's site, bikes shipped in France incur a fee of €100, with overseas shipping available on request; alternatively, you can go and pick them up from the team's service course.
