In the wake of showing that each Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert have made the group’s Tour de France roster, the Visma-Lease a Bike information continues apace, because the group has at present revealed the custom-painted bikes on which they will be racing.
The information of the group was teased on Monday, with a ‘postcard from Tignes’ posted on social media. Days later, amid confirming the choice, the group additionally revealed a particular blue ‘Renaissance’ design package, created to keep away from a conflict with the Tour de France’s maillot jaune, the yellow jersey worn by the race’s normal classification chief.
Today, detailed photos of the group’s Cervélo bikes, in matching blue designs, have been shared.
Complete with a posh patterned darkish blue base coat, remnants of yellow nonetheless shine by means of through the sizeable Cervélo emblem on the down tube and the ‘C’ emblem on the pinnacle tube, however in a extra luminous hue, reasonably than the group’s common darker palette.
A Renaissance design sits atop the highest tube simply behind the stem, which is overlaid with the phrase “In the spirit of limitless considering.” The group says the design was “impressed by the spirit of this outstanding interval of growth.”
The 2024 Tour de France is exclusive in ending exterior Paris for the primary time since 1975. Due to the conflict with the Paris Olympics, the Tour de France route as an alternative finishes with a time trial in Nice on the south coast.
To honour the change, the group highlights the race’s journey from the Grand Départ in Florence, which it describes as “a metropolis of artistic thinkers, revolutionary innovators, and versatile artists comparable to Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Donatello,” to the end in “the land the place it bloomed like by no means earlier than.”
The newest race content material, interviews, options, opinions and skilled shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
The group’s CEO, Richard Plugge, says that with the design, “we not solely honour this historic interval and exquisite metropolis and area, however it additionally symbolises our dedication to innovation and renewal.”
The bikes beneath the paint would be the light-weight Cervélo R5; the aero-first Cervélo S5, full with its uncommon Y-shaped stem; and the P5 time trial bike. As proven within the photos shared, the group will likely be utilizing SRAM’s Red AXS groupset, a 12-speed wi-fi groupset launched earlier this yr. It’s proven right here with a 2x chainset, however each Vingegaard and Van Aert switched to 1x chainsets on common events, and we count on to see the identical once more this yr.
Primož Roglič, the Slovenian GC contender previously of the Visma group, however now with Bora-Hansgrohe, has even used SRAM’s Red XPLR gravel groupset on the steepest slopes previously, profiting from the bigger cassette for simpler gearing. An as-yet-unreleased 13-speed SRAM Red XPLR gravel groupset was leaked at Unbound Gravel earlier this month, however it’s unclear whether or not any of the SRAM-sponsored groups can have entry – or a want – to make use of it on the Tour.
Elsewhere on the Visma group’s Renaissance bikes, the spec stays largely unchanged from the remainder of the season thus far. Cervélo’s sister-company Reserve will provide the wheels. Italian model Vittoria will provide the Corsa Pro tyres, that are extremely regarded by our check group and have prominently in our information to the most effective street bike tyres.
Fizik’s saddles will likely be used, although the precise mannequin will differ from rider to rider.
It’s unclear whether or not the choice to change package away from yellow was purely a group alternative or one initially mandated by the Tour’s organisers, the ASO.
Each yr, the organisers of the Giro d’Italia – RCS Sport – forbid the EF Education EasyPost group from carrying their common pink package to keep away from a conflict with the maglia rosa, the pink jersey worn by its chief. The EF group have taken this of their stride, asserting repeated collaborations with streetwear model Palace to nice outcomes.
However, lately, Visma Lease-A-Bike have been free to put on their common black and yellow livery for the French race.
In 2023, regardless of getting a custom-painted Cervélo at first of the race, the group’s GC chief and eventual race winner, Jonas Vingegaard, completed on an identical bike with a extra Tour-specific palette, matching the race chief’s jersey with a celebratory yellow Cervélo.
However, on the planet of maximum optimisation and marginal good points, paint is usually seen as pointless weight, and riders would favor to go with out the 100 grams of powder coat. It’s because of this that many groups will use predominantly black bikes, the place the black of the carbon fibre can merely be lined with a light-weight clear coat. It’ll be fascinating to see whether or not Vingegaard makes like Amy Winehouse and goes again to black on days with steeper slopes.
Interestingly, regardless of being simply eight days away from the race on the time of publication, that is the primary {custom} design we have seen thus far. We know that Bora-Hansgrohe is about to announce a partnership with Red Bull, although, so we count on to see new custom-painted Specialized Tarmac frames subsequent week.
We’re additionally within the midst of ‘nationwide championships’ season, so we count on to see the respective newly topped champions given a particular paint job in the end. We additionally count on the assorted manufacturers’ paint outlets will likely be busy for the following week.