Tour de France 2009 Bikes And Wheels

So this years tour is coming to an end and now is the perfect time to take a look at the bikes and wheels that the teams have been riding this year.

Astana
This year big Lance Armstrong and chums have been riding the Trek Madone 6.9 Pro (on the road stages) and have been rolling on Bontrager wheels. The TT bikes have been stunning this year.

Cervelo TestTeam
Cervelo TestTeam always have bikes that look the business (thanks in part to them riding Cervelo bikes which are a personal favorite of mine). The wheels that they are using this year aren’t the normal Zipp wheels but Shimano Wheels and more specifically the Dura-Ace wheel set.

Columbia-HTC
Scott have come from nowhere to become one of the most ridden frames in the world. They are stiff, lightweight and if they are good enough for Cav (Mark Cavendish) then they are good enough for anyone. The wheels are Shimano and like Cervelo they are opting for the Dura-Ace.

Lampre-NGC
This tour de France Lampre-NGC have been riding on the Wilier frames with what I believe are Fulcrum wheels (although I might be wrong).

Quickstep
One of the oldest teams in the peleton (if not the oldest). Quickstep are riding the Specialized frame this year and I haven’t been able to work out the wheels that they are riding – does anyone have an idea?

Garmin-Slipsteam
Garmin-Slipsteam are riding on the Felt frame with a lightweight Shimano groupset, Ritchey stem, bars and seatpost and Zipp wheels.

Silence-Lotto
I personally had never heard of Canyon frames up until this summer, however I do love the white frame. Interestingly Silence-Lotto are one of the only teams still to use Mavic wheels, it seems that these days they have dropped out of fashion somewhat.

Rabobank
Gone is the Colenago frame of old and in with the Giant frame and Dura-Ace wheels by Shimano.

Saxo Bank
Like Quickstep, Saxo Bank will employ the Specialized but unlike Quickstep they will be rolling along the roads on Zipp wheels.

Liquigas
Liquigas are riding my favourite frame of this years tour the Cannondale SuperSix Hi-Mod, the colour scheme is awesome and it’s already been raced plenty by the team including Franco Pellizotti who finished third in the Giro d’Italia aboard his. The Wheels are Mavic and look awesome.