The 3 best bikes of the 2022 Tour de France: face to face
In this Article
Published on July 5, 2022
4 countries, 21 stages, the 4 major mountains... the Tour de France is now! It's the most important month of the year for professional road cycling and at The Cyclist House we are lucky, because we have a lot of copies of the bikes we see, or have seen racing on the Tour!
We propose to review three bikes that are quite special because between them they represent half of the stage victories of last year's Tour, and this year, about 7 teams out of 22 will race with them. What you have to realize is that the race has a diversity of terrainIt is incredible that only three bikes are so efficient and prolific in the Tour.
Canyon Aeroad CF SL: the aero with legendary performance
The first bike on our list, which is well suited for flats and sprints, is the Canyon Aeroad CF SL.
The Aeroad is the pure racing bike with seatstays aerodynamic shape, integrated cockpit and rigid rear fork. That's why Mathieu Van der Poel prefers it in its top version CFR, which has won the second stage of the Tour last year. Van der Poel is a versatile and fast rider, and that's why an Aero bike suits him well. What is interesting is that many brands are losing interest in pure aero bikes, but Canyon is still developing them.
By the way, Arkea-Samsic, Movistar and Alpecin will be racing Canyon bikes, so we are sure to see an Aeroad or two in the Tour!
Cervélo R5: fastest to the top
The second bike, the "Johnny Hallyday" of climbing bikes, is the Cervelo R5. A bike in the purest definition of a classic climbing bike and popularized by Wout van Aert - who, let's not forget, has won a mountain stage in the Mont Ventoux last year with this bike.
Its characteristics are its very light carbon frame, its light weight (7.2 kg) and its thin seatpost, which offer a comfortable ride, especially in the twists and turns of the mountain stages.
Specialized S-Works SL7: a bike to dominate everything
Last but not least, the perfect all-rounder is the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7.
Specialized really tried to develop a bike that could handle any challenge, from climbs to sprint stages. The Tarmac is so efficient that it has completely replaced the Venge. With its seatstays aerodynamic shape and handlebars, and an integrated fork, the Tarmac has everything it takes to be the fastest. Note that three teams are racing with this bike in the Tour this year: Total Energies, Quick Step and Bora Hansgrohewho won the Giro Italia with the SL7.
Three very different bikes, but suitable for all types of cyclists and above all offering great performance and versatility. A little game for you readers: try to spot these bikes in the Tour now that you know them better!
