In a race like the Ronde van Vlaanderen it is essential to have good equipment. Take a look at the bikes ridden by the nine teams represented in the top 10 of the men’s race in 2023… on the presentation stage and in competition.

Classics gallery. Photos by Stefano Sirotti

Team: UAE Team Emirates

Best-placed rider in #RVV2023: Tadej Pogacar (SLO) – 1st 

Shimano replaces Campagnolo for the team bikes of 2023. ENVE also joins UAE Team Emirates, supplying wheels and other components (ie. stem and handlebars). Note: Richard Mille gets branding on the stem but the watchmaker is a sponsor of the team (and Pogacar)…

The winner of ‘de Ronde’ raced with tubeless tyres by Continental – the GP5000s TR, which are also available in a tan sidewall.

  • Bike: Colnago V4Rs
  • Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 (12-speed)
  • Wheels: ENVE 4.5 (Internal width: 25mm. Rim depth: 49mm front, 55mm rear)
  • Tyres: Continental GP5000s TR (tubeless)
  • Pedals: Shimano
  • Power meter: Shimano
  • Computer: Wahoo

Other team equipment

  • Clothing: Pissei
  • Helmets: MET
  • Shoes: DMT

Related link: Jay Vine’s 2023 UAE team-issue Colnago (gallery + video)

Team: Alpecin-Deceuninck

Best-placed rider in #RVV2023: Mathieu van der Poel (NED) – 2nd

The leader of the team, last year’s Ronde van Vlaanderen winner Mathieu van der Poel, gets a special-edition red Canyon frame (while other riders have purple team-issue Aeroad bikes).

MVDP has a custom, 3D printed computer mount to save a bit of weight on the standard issue.

  • Bike: Canyon Aeroad
  • Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 (12-speed)
  • Wheels: Shimano Dura-Ace C50 (internal width: 21mm. Rim depth: 50mm)
  • Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Pro (tubeless)
  • Pedals: Shimano
  • Power meter: Shimano
  • Computer: Wahoo

Other team equipment

  • Clothing: Kalas
  • Helmets: Abus
  • Shoes: Shimano

Related link: Alpecin-Deceunink Canyon bikes (video)

Team: Trek-Segafredo

Best-placed rider in #RVV2023: Mads Pedersen (DEN) – 3rd

The ever-aggressive Mads Pedersen certainly did all he could to overcome the might of Pogacar and MVDP, with constant attacking throughout the race… while still keeping enough in reserve to beat Wout van Aert in the sprint for third place.

The Dane signed on at RVV while atop a custom-coloured dark Trek Madone but raced on a standard team-issue red bike.

  • Bike: Trek Madone
  • Groupset: SRAM Red AXS
  • Wheels: Bontrager Aeolus RSL62 (internal width: 23mm. Rim depth: 62mm)
  • Tyres: Pirelli (tubulars)
  • Pedals: Time
  • Power meter: SRAM 
  • Computer: Wahoo

Other team equipment

  • Clothing: Santini
  • Helmets: Bontrager 
  • Shoes: Bontrager

Team: Jumbo-Visma

Best-placed rider in #RVV2023: Wout van Aert (BEL) – 4th 

One team that made a switch of groupsets at the beginning of the season (from Shimano to SRAM). While some on the team (such as Christophe Laporte) used a 10-33 cassette, Wout van Aert (pictured) had a 10-26.

Jumbo-Visma is running tubeless tyres fitted to the team’s new wheel brand, Reserve: rim depth, 40mm at the front and 44mm at the rear.

  • Bike: Cervélo S5
  • Groupset: SRAM Red AXS
  • Wheels: Reserve 40|44 (internal width: 25.5mm front, 25mm rear. Rim depth: 40mm front, 44mm rear)
  • Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Pro (tubeless)
  • Pedals: Wahoo / Speedplay Aero
  • Power meter: SRAM 
  • Computer: Garmin

Other team equipment

  • Clothing: AGU
  • Helmets: Lazer
  • Shoes: Nimbl Ultimate

Team: EF Education-EasyPost

Best-placed rider in #RVV2023: Neilson Powless (USA) – 5th

With no cycle computer fitted (but the bracket still there), Powless didn’t need any data to manage his efforts in another impressive ride this spring.

  • Bike: Cannondale Lab71 SuperSix Evo
  • Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 (12-speed) with FSA crankset
  • Wheels: Vision Metron 55 SL (internal width: 21mm. Rim depth: 55mm)
  • Tyres: Vittoria (tubeless)
  • Pedals: Wahoo / Speedplay Aero
  • Power meter: FSA Powerbox
  • Computer: Wahoo (when it’s actually fitted)

Other team equipment

  • Clothing: Rapha
  • Helmets: POC
  • Shoes: Shimano

Team: Groupama-FDJ

Best-placed rider in #RVV2023: Stefan Küng (SUI) – 6th

With a choice of the Aircode or Xelius frames, the Swiss rider who finished sixth opted for the lighter Xelius option.

Küng has added sprint shifter buttons to the inside of the drop on his handlebars but otherwise it is a fairly ‘standard’ set-up for the tall rider.

  • Bike: Lapierre Xelius SL
  • Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 (12-speed)
  • Wheels: Shimano Dura-Ace C50 (internal width: 21mm. Rim depth: 50mm)
  • Tyres: Continental GP5000s TR (tubeless)
  • Pedals: Shimano
  • Power meter: Shimano
  • Computer: Garmin

Other team equipment

  • Clothing: ALÉ
  • Helmets: Julbo
  • Shoes: Shimano

Team: Soudal-Quickstep

Best-placed rider in #RVV2023: Kasper Asgreen (below)

Julien Alaphilippe (above) opted for a lower profile rim than other riders from his team but the rest of the spec is largely the same from one rider to the next.

Asgreen, the former winner of the Ronde (2021), finished in the group that sprinted for the final place on the podium but the Wolfpack would be disappointed with seventh place in a race in which the team has often excelled.

  • Bike: Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7
  • Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 (12-speed)
  • Wheels: Roval Rapide C 38 Boost (above, internal width: 21mm. Rim depth: 38mm)
  • Tyres: Specialized Turbo Cotton ‘Hell of the North’ (tubular)
  • Pedals: Shimano
  • Power meter: Shimano
  • Computer: Garmin

Other team equipment

  • Clothing: Castelli
  • Helmets: Specialized
  • Shoes: Specialized

Team: Bahrain-Victorious

Best-placed rider in #RVV2023: Fred Wright (GBR) – 8th (not pictured)

Merida is a bike that got plenty of exposure in Sunday’s race… but for all the wrong reasons. The massive crash caused by Filip Maciejuk will be talked about for a long time yet and, alas, the efforts of Fred Wright and his eighth place won’t earn nearly as much attention.

The Reacto Pro is the bike of choice for the cobbled Classics.

  • Bike: Merida Reacto Pro
  • Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 (12-speed)
  • Wheels: Vision Metron 55 SL (internal width: 21mm. Rim depth: 60mm)
  • Tyres: Continental GP5000s TR (tubeless)
  • Pedals: Shimano
  • Power meter: Shimano
  • Computer: Garmin

Other team equipment

  • Clothing: ALÉ
  • Helmets: Rudy Project
  • Shoes: Shimano

Related link: Bahrain-Victorious mechanic interview (gallery + video)

Team: Movistar

Best-placed rider in #RVV2023: Matteo Jorgensen (USA) – 9th

Another team with SRAM as a groupset supplier, Movistar also uses Zipp wheel (which are part of the SRAM group of companies). Pedals, however, are from Look rather than Time (also part of the SRAM family).

Matteo Jorgensen continues to build his reputation and a top-10 in the 2023 edition of the Ronde van Vlaanderen is a result the 23-year-old American can be proud of.

  • Bike: Canyon Aeroad 
  • Groupset: SRAM Red AXS
  • Wheels: Zipp 303 Firecrest (internal width: 25mm. Rim depth: 40mm)
  • Tyres: Continental GP5000s TR (tubeless)
  • Pedals: Look
  • Power meter: SRAM Red AXS
  • Computer: Garmin

Other team equipment

  • Clothing: Gobrik
  • Helmets: Abus
  • Shoes: Fizik

 

Team bike gallery #RVV2023 – To be continued…

Matteo Trentin (below) rounded out the top 10 of the men’s race this year. He too raced a Colnago, as featured at the top of this page.

The next part of this series will showcase some of the other bikes raced in the Ronde van Vlaanderen of 2023.