We braved the rain and roamed the team paddocks for a closer look at the bikes and tech used on stage 1
Tour de France time trial tech on show at the 2022 Grand Départ in Copenhagen(Image credit: Future)
Finally, it's here. After weeks of build-up, and countless launches of new bikes, the Tour de France has officially begun, and it did so with a bang.
Or at least, a crash-bang for some riders, such as Christophe Laporte and Stefan Bissegger, whose months of preparation were thrown literally sideways by the slick wet roads of Copenhagen after the rain arrived sooner than forecast.
Elsewhere, a puncture for Ganna in the latter stages on his new Tour de France edition Continental Grand Prix TT tyres, which sealed but not quickly enough, combined with the wet corners meant that he too was out of the running. In the end, it was nobody's-favourite Yves Lampaert (QuickStep AlphaVinyl), who stormed to a shock victory.
In doing so, he inadvertently threw something else sideways, albeit more metaphorically; Specialized's marketing campaign for its wild-new TT5 time trial helmet. After making a huge splash on Thursday with a trio of launches – the Evade 3 and Prevail 3 alongside it – it was nearly a perfect end to the week for the American brand as their sponsored man pulled off the biggest ride of his life. Awkwardly, he was wearing the old one instead.
There were other wild helmets on show too, but that's not all, the paddock at a time trial is a natural hotbed of tech so we had a wander through the buses to see what we could find.
EF's '90s rave Palace bikes
The big tech story leading into the Tour de France was that of EF Education EasyPost's second collaboration with Palace Skateboards. Their bright pink kit turned into a home for cartoon dragons, their POC helmets getting the same dragon face on the front, an their bikes getting sticker-bombed. For the time trial, Vision has joined the party, painting a pair of brand new wheels in '90s rave neon colours. Check out the various wheel-bike combinations below.
Stickers adorn the rear of the EF bike (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Colourful French-flag fades on the Cannondale (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Different coloured wheels throughout the squad (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
(Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Another look at the front end (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Another look at the front end (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
(Image credit: Peter Stuart)
(Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Helmets (some weird, some less so)
Anyone else think Roglič looks like a bee in this Lazer Volante helmet? (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Nonetheless, the lens on this helmet wraps well beyond the rider's field of vision. He's also wearing a gilet, ahead of the race, something that Geraint Thomas will regret. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Here's Specialized's entry to the most unusual product innovation of the year award. It takes the prize in our roundup of the weird helmets of stage 1. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
It's called the S-Works TT5, and it comes with this strange-looking 'head sock' balaclava. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
It looks like it was a step too far for Michael Mørkøv. Notably, the head sock is not actually removable, so it's either stuffed inside or, more likely, Mørkøv got the scissors out. Not sure Specialized would be too happy to see that. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
We're not sure if Jack Bauer is trolling the Specialized wearers, or just trying to keep warm. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Let's play a game of spot the difference. Here's Trek-Segafredo's time trial helmet, branded as Trek with a Koo lens... (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
And here's the Giro Aerohead MIPS worn by Groupama FDJ 🤔. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Wellens' Ekoi TT helmet was a little more like we're used to. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
What's new?
The Wilier Turbine SLR launched a few months ago is something of a 'mullet' TT bike. It's aero up front, but the back half is more akin to a lightweight road bike. The supposed benefit is a time trial bike that is faster uphill or accelerating out of corners. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Vision's new TFW rear disc wheel is impressively light at 930g, but it has a pretty hefty pricetag of $4,410. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
It's tubeless, so Bahrain Victorious had paired it with the new TDF-edition Continental GP5000 TT tyres. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
EF Education-EasyPost were using it on their bikes too, albeit this is a spare bike. They had it wrapped in Vittoria Corsa Speed tyres, as per their sponsor agreements. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
That's a Muc Off LOPS (Lightweight Oversized Pulley System) you can see there, too. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
The Colnago TT1 is also new, launched at the Giro d'Italia this year. We've got a separate gallery of the Colnago TT1, showing all its details. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
One of its novel designs is the bottle cage and odd-shaped bottle. The construction of which is most obvious when that bottle is removed. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
This particular bike is the spare belonging to Tadej Pogačar. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
It was fitted with a Campagnolo Ghibli disc rear wheel, Pirelli P Zero Race tyres and Campagnolo Super Record EPS. An all-Italian affair. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Scott's new time trial bike was first spotted by us at the Giro d'Italia. Based on the UCI approved frames and forks list, we believe it will be called the Plasma 7. It also appears to be fitted with the latest Dura-Ace disc wheel from Shimano. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
What's old?
While many teams have endless supply of brand new bikes, Arkea Samsic still had the older model Canyon Speedmax CF SLX in use. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
This particular bike belonged to Nairo Quintana. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
It was fitted with PRO's trispoke tubular rim brake wheels. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Dura-Ace brake levers and rubber grips sit at the end of the base bar. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
While unbranded carbon extensions sit up top. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
A clever web of zip ties holds the computer centrally between the skis. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Things that aren't as they should be
Here's hoping that someone at the QuickStep camp covers that valve hole before the riders set off. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Most disc wheels come with a specific cover, but it appears Cofidis lost theirs, so have resorted to some tape. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Why add a satellite shifter, when there's one built into the lever? We're told one is for the rear derailleur and the other is for the front. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
At first glance, things appear normal for Stefan Küng's Lapierre... (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
But when you get closer, you realise that he's running this Revolver Troika TMD (Trispoke Mini Disc) disc tubeless wheel. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Elsewhere, this 'Alpecin Deceuninck, powered-by Canyon' wheel sticker is fitted to a non-sponsor correct wheel, which is actually made by Aerocoach. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Cockpit wars
Ergonomically moulded cockpits are increasingly common nowadays, and any rider who's serious about saving time during the TT stages will be given one.
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Some get off-the-peg carbon fibre extensions, while others are treated to a fully-customised setup that's then 3D printed from titanium – we're looking at you, Filippo Ganna. Elsewhere, basic round extensions remain the provision of those who don't really care about their time trial performance, such as sprinters or domestiques.
Matej Mohoric's bike was given Vision's Metron cockpit; a high end off-the-peg solution. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
We didn't catch whose bike this was, but based on the simple round bar setup, we can be pretty confident they weren't contesting the stage win. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Canyon's base-bar features internal cable routing, but the Shimano cables first need to exit the extensions, so Movistar's mechanics found a tidy way to make it work. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
All bikes are fitted with shifters built onto the end of their extensions. Some are really clean and subtle... (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
...while others are a little more obvious. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
This bike from Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux was fitted with a GoPro beneath the computer mount. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Some bikes had hardly any spacers between their base bar and their extensions, making for very little stack height. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
While others had small highrise buildings holding up their aero bars. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Astana Qazaqstan's Simone Velasco was using an unbranded custom-moulded cockpit, which is not particularly unusual for teams without a sponsorship agreement for this component. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
It looks like mechanics have wrapped some electrical tape around the bottom to smooth the join with the base bar. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
There's a small amount of padding at the elbows. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Other highlights
Movistar's bikes lined up and ready to ride... just before they were taken inside to hide from the rain. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Some of Trek's new Speed Concept bikes were fitted with quite-novel aero extensions that offered adjustable length. This is also found on the as-yet-unreleased Scott time trial bike mentioned above. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
UCI Commissaires checked all of the bikes were within the permitted geometry limits prior to the start. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
There are various rules that restrict where the aero bars can be, including their vertical position relative to the bottom bracket. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Stacking bikes on the team car behind a rider is reportedly beneficial for the aerodynamics of the rider. Here, Bora Hansgrohe had a spare TT bike, and then a heap of road bikes too. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux ride Cube bikes, so their bike for the time trials was the Cube Aerium C:68 TT. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Most were fitted with Newmen wheels - a brand that's intrinsically connected to Cube - but a couple were fitted with Shimano wheels instead. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Some were also painted in this navy and fluoro yellow colourway. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
These Dura-Ace disc brake levers are impressively sleek and minimalist. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Despite the Wilier Turbine SLR being the latest model, the outgoing Turbine was still a regular sight. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
This one was fitted with a Corima trispoke tubular wheel, and Shimano's R9100 disc brakes. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Beneath Primoz Roglict's overshoes, it appears he's wearing a custom-moulded pair of carbon fibre shoes with the Boa dial mounted on the rear for extra aero benefits. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Overshoes were invented to keep a rider's feet warm and dry in wet conditions, and provided the added benefit of improved aerodynamics. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Nowadays, time triallists wear them because of their aerodynamic performance, with the added benefit of protection from the rain. Slightly ironic, really. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
And to round it off, the winner's bike
"I'm just a farmer's son from Belgium," was what Lampaert said when he learned he'd won. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
The Specialized TTS saddle is no longer produced. Interestingly, it's the same grip-covered saddle used by Tony Martin when he tore his shorts open. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Unsurprisingly, he used custom moulded extensions too. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
A CeramicSpeed UFO race chain will have saved him a few extra watts. And interestingly, while everyone else on the team used Turbo Cotton tyres, Lampaert was using. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
It appears they are the new, as-yet-unreleased S-Works tubeless tyres, although notably, he was running latex inner tubes inside. Perhaps they're faster, but more likely is that Lampaert was concerned about punctures and grip. (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
Josh is Associate Editor of Cyclingnews – leading our content on the best bikes, kit and the latest breaking tech stories from the pro peloton. He has been with us since the summer of 2019 and throughout that time he's covered everything from buyer's guides and deals to the latest tech news and reviews.
On the bike, Josh has been riding and racing for over 15 years. He started out racing cross country in his teens back when 26-inch wheels and triple chainsets were still mainstream, but he found favour in road racing in his early 20s, racing at a local and national level for Somerset-based Team Tor 2000. These days he rides indoors for convenience and fitness, and outdoors for fun on road, gravel, 'cross and cross-country bikes, the latter usually with his two dogs in tow.
