In a press release that is heavy on symbolism and poetic language, but sadly a little light on details, Lotto Dstny have revealed what are belived to be their new team bikes for the 2024 season, in partnership with Orbea, the storied Basque brand who can also boast long-term sponsorship of the Basque Euskatel-Euskadi cycling team.
The release is keen to highlight the collective racing history of the brands, 38 years in the Peloton for Lotto, and 183 years of making bicycles for Orbea.
"Lotto Dstny finds in Orbea an ideal ally to continue improving the performance of our entire structure. The adaptation to the new bikes has been quick and the willingness to continue working on their development is always there. Together, I am certain we can achieve great things," says Stéphane Heulot, CEO of Lotto Dstny.
While the official photographs provided only included one vague teaser of the team bikes, there was also a link to a launch video which shows Lotto's rising star Arnaud De Lie riding the bike amongst others, from which we have been able to piece together some of what the team will be running for the 2024 season.
The only bike featured under multiple riders, across both men's and women's teams, is an all-black Orbea Orca Aero. Cyclingnews understands, thanks to leaked photos on social media, that the finished bikes will also feature a splash of red and blue, to match the team kit.
Given this is an aero frame, and therefore heavier, it's expected that the team will also use the standard (lighter) Orbea Orca which received an update back in July, as we've seen from the Ceratizit-WNT team, but for now, all we have is this monochrome aero machine.
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(Image credit: Lotto Dstny)
The wheels shown in the video are from Oquo, the subsidiary brand borne out of the Orbea name. No official announcement has come, but thanks again to the photos shared from the team's recent training camp, Cyclingnews understands the team will be sponsored by Zipp in 2024.
Tyres are from Vittoria, likely the Corsa Pro, both in black and tan sidewalls, and the drivetrain is predominantly a Shimano Dura-Ace affair, save for the crankset, which is an FSA situation. This means no Shimano Power Meter, instead the FSA Powerbox (made by Power2Max) is being utilised.
The cockpit, a mix of one-piece and two-piece setups, is supplied by Vision, while saddles are from Selle Italia.
Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.
