The 2026 Tour de France kicks off with an uncommon tackle the staff time trial, by which instances are taken individually for every rider. The yellow jersey is on the road for the quickest rider over the 19.6km course, and meaning riders are right here in Barcelona with their time trial bikes optimised to the Nth diploma.
We have already seen that Remco Evenepoel has a model new Specialised Shiv TT time trial bike, and no time trial is full with out a point out of his title within the operating, however what of the 2 scorching favourites for the GC by the point we get to Paris in three weeks, Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard?
The Cyclingnews tech staff are right here in Barcelona for the Grand Départ, and in our tour of the staff lodge automotive parks over the previous two days, we have been capable of spend time with each of their ‚primary‘ time trial bikes; i.e. the bike they may respectively roll down the beginning ramp aboard.
So right here on this article, we’ll pit the duo head-to-head. Who has the most important chainring? Are they operating one-by or two-by groupsets? Who has the deepest entrance wheel? And who’s bike is coolest?
The bikes themselves
First up, we’ll take a look at the bikes themselves. Pogačar is utilizing a Colnago TT2 time trial machine, the newly launched time trial bike that Colnago introduced out lately. The headline for this bike is that it saves round 500 grams over the earlier TT1 bike he used final 12 months, while nonetheless being nearly as aero.
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Vingegaard is using the Cervelo P5, which, so far as we all know, has remained the identical for some time. This bike has a uncooked carbon end, while lots of the opposite staff bikes had full, shiny black and yellow staff paint.
The machines above have been the riders‘ #1 time trial bikes, and we consider the bikes they may trip on Saturday and later within the race.
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Handlebars
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Each bikes have been fitted with carbon fibre, customized time trial bars, and while we did not have time to measure each dimension, we received a very good take a look at them.
Each riders use grip tape on the bottom bars, and we have been struck by simply how low Vingegaard’s base bar was; it felt excessive.
It additionally had a weight sticker beneath, which you’ll see beneath.
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Each riders had Shimano and SRAM shifters on the ends of the extensions, and each riders had shifters glued onto the insides of their base bars.
That they had their computer systems tucked neatly in between the extensions, however one key distinction is the Visma ‚mono‘ extension riser versus the twin risers on Pogačar’s machine.
Curiously Vingegaard is opting to make use of an older Garmin pc, possible because of the smaller dimension.
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Drivetrain and gearing
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Regardless of operating completely different groupset manufacturers, Vingegaard and Pogačar will likely be utilizing comparable drivetrain configurations. This consists of the identical dimension entrance chainring of 64 enamel, and each are on 160mm cranks.
Vingegaard had 160mm carbon fibre SRAM Crimson cranks, with a 64-tooth aero chainring. I wasn’t capable of get a max tooth depend on the cassette, however it appears like a 10-36.
His bike was additionally fitted with a sequence catcher from Wolf Tooth, and I do know from lately talking to Jenco Drost, the staff’s head of efficiency, that the staff recurrently scorching waxes its chains.
I perceive every bike has a freshly waxed chain for each race; they’ve additionally experimented with the optimum quantity of run-in kilometres for a race chain so it’s as quick as attainable.
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Pogačar is utilizing Shimano tools with some aftermarket components, and Vingegaard is utilizing SRAM.
The Colnago TT2 had Dura-Ace cranks in a 160mm size, paired with a monster 64-tooth Carbon-Ti 1x chainring, while an 11-30 Dura-Ace cassette was fitted on the rear, although after all this might change come Saturday.
Pogačar’s bike had a Ok-Edge chain catcher fitted, and an ‚aero‘ Bikone backside bracket with a easy threaded left-hand cup.
Wax- or lube-wise, Pogačar has been stated to make use of Absolute Black chain lube, however I additionally noticed a mechanic making use of Silca Synergetic to a distinct staff bike. It seemed like a wax-based product had been utilized, however the chain did not look recent out of an immersive wax.
Wheels and tyres
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Wheels-wise, each riders are utilizing disc wheels and deep part entrance wheels; no less than we assume they may on race day.
Vingegaard is utilizing a Reserve Infinity disc, with an internal width of 24.5mm, paired with a Reserve 77mm deep entrance wheel.
The most important distinction is in tyre sizes; Vingegaard’s bike was fitted with 30mm Vittoria Corsa Professional Pace, which have been arrange tubeless.
Pogačar’s wheels have been fitted with 25mm Continental GP5000 TT tyres; a 25mm tyre is one thing we haven’t seen in fairly some time. The tyres might dimension up slightly bigger on the brand new Enve wheels, however the staff might have determined the narrower, and sure aerodynamically quicker, 25mm.
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Saddles, seatposts and extras
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Each riders are utilizing time trial or triathlon-specific saddles from their staff sponsors.
Pogačar is utilizing the Fizik Transiro Aeris 3D-printed mannequin, which weighs in at a claimed 190 grams.
Vingegaard is utilizing a extra extreme-looking Prologo TGale TT mannequin, which weighs a claimed 252 grams for the carbon-railed mannequin.
When it comes to extras, each bikes had minimal paint; Vingegaard’s body seemed fairly uncooked, Pogačar’s had a barely extra regular end.
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Each bikes seemed quick standing nonetheless, and in just a few days we’ll see which considered one of biking’s Grand Tour titans attracts first blood.
