Israel-Premier Tech Roland

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Originally starting as a project between ex-pro cyclist Baden Cooke, and carbon frame manufacturer Rob Gitelis, Factor has now grown to be one of the foremost high-end bike brands in the world, and even sponsors the World Tour team AG2R La Mondiale. 

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Isreal-Premier Tech Roland has been around since 2018, but rose to prominence in 2022 when they swapped their Russian licence to a Swiss one and became a surprising new addition to the Women’s WorldTour. 

They’ve undergone a further transformation for 2023, joining forces with Israel Cycling and Premier Tech to become a sister team to the Israel-Premier Tech men’s squad. They lost their long-standing rider Olga Zabelinskaya for 2023, but have recruited a big crop of new riders to revamp the team going into their second season in the WorldTour.

Most notably, they signed Olympic champion Anna Kiesenhofer, who will race a full season on the road for the first time in several years. Their most successful rider of 2022, Tamara Dronova, also continues to head up their efforts in sprints and Classics, whilst Clare Steels has become their main GC rider and climber.

As well as the elite team, part of their partnership with Israel Premier Tech has also been the creation of a development team, who race at Continental level.

Tamara Dronova

Elena Hartmann

Maggie Coles-Lyster

Claire Steels

Thi That Nguyen

Anna Kiesenhofer

Elena Pirrone

Mia Griffin

Elizabeth Stannard

Sofia Collinelli

Nathalie Eklund

Alice Sharpe

Lara Vieceli

Hannah Buch

Silvia Magri

Caroline Baur

Fien Delbaere

Tech

Features

Tech Features

2024 Women’s WorldTour bikes, wheels and groupsets: A complete guide

With 28 events spread across 82 days of racing, the 

 is set to deliver another blockbuster year of racing in 2024. 

As is usual when a new season begins, there will be a period of acclimatisation as fans get used to the changes in kits, riders and, in some instances, bikes too. While most teams are tied into long-term partnerships with their brands and will be sticking with the same bikes for 2024, there are a few who will be sporting new equipment.

To help, we've pulled together this complete guide to the bikes, groupsets, wheels and tyres every Women’s WorldTour team will be using during the 2024 season. 

2024 Men's WorldTour bikes: A guide to the bikes, groupsets, and tech of the top-tier teams

Factor on the move, Specialized here to stay

The start of a new season can be a confusing time for fans. There are new names and kits to get used to, not to mention all of the rider transfers to remember. There will also be new teams on the WorldTour roster in 2024, with 

 being awarded the two free WorldTour licences. Those spots became free following the closure of the EF Education-TIBCO-SVB team and the merger between Jayco-AlUla and Liv Racing TeqFind to form 

Things are much simpler in the world of bike tech where, barring the odd change, most things stay the same season-to-season. 2024 is no different and the majority of teams will be using the same bikes and equipment as they did in 2023.

 whose all-conquering exploits in 2023 bagged them an incredible 40 WorldTour wins. At the end of the season they topped the UCI rankings, finishing over 10,000 points clear of second-placed Lidl-Trek. Those victories and points were delivered atop 

 bikes and they’ll be linking up for plenty more wins over the coming season, having extended their partnership with the American brand until the end of 2028.

Only two team has swapped bike brands for the 2024 season, with 

Human Powered Health agreeing a three-year deal with Factor

, bringing to an end their five-year partnership with Felt. Roland Cycling, meanwhile, will step off their 

, which marks a historic moment as the Italian brand is used by a Women's WorldTeam 

Elsewhere, Liv will only sponsor one team after Jayco-AlUla and Liv Racing TeqFind - both of whom it sponsored in 2023 - merged to form Liv AlUla Jayco.

 is the most popular brand in the Women’s WorldTour, used by three different teams: Canyon-SRAM, Fenix-Deceuninck and Movistar. Specialized follows closely behind with two teams, along with the aforementioned Factor. 

 is a new addition to the list for 2024 following Ceratizit-WNT's step up to the highest tier.

Which bikes won the most races in the 2023 Women’s WorldTour?

Shimano edges SRAM, Campagnolo absent from Women’s WorldTour

 dominates the men’s WorldTour, but in the women’s peloton there’s a slightly more even split with 

, although the Japanese brand still enjoys the slight upper hand.

It currently sponsors nine of the 15 Women's WorldTour teams, while SRAM lays claim to the remaining six. 

 will once again be absent from the Women’s WorldTour in 2024. That’s indicative of its wider woes in elite cycling and the historic Italian brand will also be absent from the men's WorldTour peloton after 

While it loses out on the numbers stake, SRAM currently sponsors SD Worx who won virtually everything in 2023. That’s a slight exaggeration as Movistar halted that progress at two of the three Grand Tours, but the Spanish outfit also uses SRAM components, as do Lidl-Trek who finished second in the UCI rankings in 2023.

UAE Team Emirates and SD Worx top UCI world rankings

Fresh off the back of their most successful season to date, 

 are stepping up to WorldTour level in 2024. The team’s tally of seven wins in 2023, or 10 if you include National Championships, were taken atop the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7 and S-Works Shiv TT bikes. Since they last triumphed in June, the team has moved over to the new Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 which they’ll hope will propel their star riders, including 

Stiffer, lighter, more aerodynamic – Specialized launches new Tarmac SL8

Canyon-SRAM and - no points for guessing this one - their Canyon bikes teamed up to claim three WorldTour wins in 2023. Two of those were stage wins at Grand Tours, but their biggest victory arguably came after the road season when 

 was crowned the gravel world champion atop the then-unreleased 

. Just as unsurprisingly, the team uses the SRAM Red groupset along with 

All-new Canyon Grail gains in-frame storage and seamless bar integration

 wasn’t present in the Women’s WorldTour in 2023 but that will change in 2024 with 

 making the jump from the Continental ranks.

Willing to buck common trends, the Spanish brand 

launched its latest Orca climbing bike in 2023

. Purely built to be lightweight, it wasn’t accompanied by any aero claims - a rarity in modern cycling. It made its racing debut at the Tour de France Femmes where Ceratizit-WNT’s 

 won the best young rider’s white jersey.

Pro bike: Kathrin Schweinberger’s Orbea Orca

 to SD Worx, who claimed the majority of their wins in 2022. If that left question marks over the team’s winning potential, they were quickly answered by 

 Foil to devastating effect. By the end of the season, the flying Dutchwoman had 13 wins and she’ll be hoping to take many more in 2024, once again atop Scott’s bikes.

In the world of cycling tech, the biggest surprise of the off-season came when

 and Groupama-FDJ ended their 22-year collaboration. That doesn’t extend to the 

 who are also supported by FDJ, as they will continue to use the French brand’s bikes in 2024. Their riders will use the Xelius SL, which will be paired with Shimano’s Dura-Ace groupset and wheels.

Lapierre and Groupama-FDJ split after 22 years of collaboration

’s upwards trajectory continued in 2023 as the team made the step up to WorldTour level, along with their Canyon bikes. 

’s stage victory at the Tour de France Femmes was the pinnacle of the team’s year on the road, but it was an equally seismic moment for Canyon who shared a clean sweep of stage wins at the French Grand Tour with Specialized. By the end of the race, both brands had four stage wins apiece, although Specialized also claimed the overall yellow jersey through Demi Vollering.

Fenix-Deceuninck Team Talk: Few wins but promising signs for WorldTour debutants

It’s was a hectic year in 2023 for the 

 umbrella whose men’s team folded. Things are more stable for the women’s team which continues in 2024, although they've done so atop Factor bikes having ended their long five-year partnership with 

. The American outfit will get to choose between the 

released in 2023 with claims that it’s “the world’s lightest climbing bike”

. The team will also make the switch to Black Inc wheels for 2024.

Human Powered Health switch to Factor bikes for 2024

With one of the strongest rosters in the WorldTour, 

 are a powerhouse of women’s cycling, although they struggled to convert that into WorldTour wins in 2023 against the might of SD Worx. Their six WorldTour wins isn’t too shabby, but they’ll hope to take more in 2024 atop their 

 and Madone which have both been around for a while, although they’ve adapted over the years. Most recently the Madone has undergone a makeover, leading to a hole in its seat tube that helps it to stand out from the WorldTour crowd. 

Pro bike: Elisa Longo Borghini’s Trek Émonda SLR

Mergers between teams can be chaotic, especially when there are conflicting brands to accommodate. Of course, a team can only have one bike sponsor, so one brand usually loses out. Things were much simpler in the merger between Jayco AlUla and Liv Racing TeqFind who both rode 

 bikes in 2023, and the Giant-owned brand will continue to serve the newly merged Liv AlUla Jayco outfit.

Liv is the only women-specific bike brand in the pro peloton, with the team choosing between the Langma Advanced and EnviLiv advanced bikes for road stages, and the Avow Advanced for time trials.

 Liv Langma Advanced and EnviLiv Advanced

Racing

News

Race News

Pinarello enter Women's WorldTour for first time with Roland Cycling 

, with the Treviso-based brand announced as the official bike partner of Swiss WorldTeam 

It was a move that had been expected since the team's riders had been spotted riding the bikes in training, not to mention 

the addition of the Pinarello logo to the team's kit for 2024

, but Monday's announcement is a landmark moment for the brand.

Fausto Pinarello, the brand's figurehead and son of Cicli Pinarello founder Giovanni Pinarello, spoke of his delight at the news that the Italian bikes would be seen at the top tier of women's cycling for the very first time in history.

“It’s a proud moment for us to be making our debut in the UCI Women’s WorldTour, and an historic milestone as well," he said.

“We’re delighted to be supplying the Roland Cycling Team throughout 2024 as their passion for racing and continuous pursuit of excellence matches our own, and we look forward to seeing them in action on our bikes in the sport’s biggest races."

For Roland Cycling, the partnership is an important one, with Pinarello replacing 

 as their bike manufacturer following the withdrawal of support from Israel-Premier Tech over the winter. Formerly known as 

, the team enjoyed one season linked to the men's 

 squad and sharing Factor as a bike supplier, before Israel Cycling, Premier Tech and Roland went their separate ways ahead of 2024. 

Despite losing two title sponsors for this season, Roland Cycling have done well to garner the support of one of cycling's most prestigious brands, and the team's general manager Ruben Contreras admitted he was particularly pleased with the announcement, which will see the Swiss side ride on Pinarello Dogma F bikes throughout the season. 

“We’re able to compete in the UCI Women’s WorldTour thanks to our motivated riders, professional staff, and incredible sponsors who have thrown their support behind women’s cycling. We’re delighted to be working with Pinarello in 2024 and it’s a dream come true for me personally, as in my opinion, they are the best bike brand in the world.”

Pinarello to make Women's WorldTour debut at UAE Tour 

Pinarello has never supplied bikes to a Womens WorldTour team before. Until 2023, they supplied bikes to the team currently known as 

, but that was before the team achieved WorldTour status, and when they were known as NXTG by Experza.

Pinarello has supplied bikes for UCI Women's Continental outfit 

 for well over a decade. This partnership will continue in 2024, but in Roland Cycling, Pinarello has found a team which will sport its bikes in all the biggest races on the calendar. 

Backed by the biscuit manufacturer Roland, the Swiss side are about to embark on their third season in the WorldTour and will enjoy automatic invites to all three Grand Tours this season, namely the Giro d'Italia Women, the Vuelta Femenina and the 

Before the longer stage races come around, however, the team will make their 2024 WorldTour bow at this week's 

, which will begin in Dubai on 8 February, include the iconic Jebel Hafeet climb on stage 3 and come to an end following stage 4 on 11 February. 

UAE Tour routes revealed: Jebel Hafeet headlines men's and women's races

No names have yet been announced by Roland for the race, but in their ranks for 2024, the Swiss team can count on Olympic champion 

 page. For news from the women's peleton, see our 

Tech News

Human Powered Health will ride Factor bikes in 2024

 have ended their five-year partnership with Felt to make a switch to 

The American team, who from 2024 onwards will only have a women's squad, have agreed a three-year partnership with the brand.

The team are also making the switch to wheels from Factor’s sister company Black Inc, having previously used Vision products. Nevertheless, it’s not all change, with 

 and Goodyear remaining as the groupset and tyre providers, respectively.

Factor is the fourth different bike brand the team has partnered with since being founded in 2013, having previously also ridden Orbea and Diamondback bikes.

​​“We are delighted to partner with Factor Bikes,” Human Powered Health’s general manager, Ro de Jonckere, said in a press release. “Their bikes are fast, innovative, and sleek. And they are proven at the Women’s WorldTour level. As we grow the team, it’s important to have partners that have the knowledge and experience that can support us all the way.”

The brand is already present in the Women’s WorldTour peloton, providing bikes for 

, while the men’s Israel-Premier Tech team also uses its bikes.

The change comes after a turbulent year for the Human Powered Health umbrella. Its men’s team isn’t one of 17 ProTeams registered for the 2024 season and looks set to fold at the end of the year.

Human Powered Health men's team set to fold

Those issues haven’t extended to the women’s team, who are hoping to take on their third year at WorldTour level in 2024 after first making the step up in 2022. In preparation, the team have been busy in the transfer market, most notably signing 

Ruth Edwards, who returns to the professional peloton after pausing her road racing career in 2021

Edwards and her teammates will get to choose between the Factor Ostro VAM and O2 VAM bikes for road races during 2024, while the Hanzo will be used in time trials.

The Ostro VAM is the brand’s dedicated aero bike, which was launched back in 2020. Its companion, the O2 VAM, is the newest bike in Factor’s line-up.

New Factor O2 VAM is ‘the world’s fastest climbing bike’

Breaking cover in July of this year, it was accompanied by some hefty claims, with Factor saying that it’s the “world’s fastest climbing bike”. Builds for the bike start from as little as 6.2kg, although Human Powered Health won’t be able to take advantage of that due to the UCI’s minimum weight rules.

“Joining forces with Human Powered Health for the 2024 season is a really exciting opportunity to work with a team whose mission so closely aligns with our own,” Rob Gitelis, CEO of Factor Bikes, said.

“Factor and Black Inc seek to harness cutting-edge innovations and the transformative power of technology to drive each individual to reach their health and performance potential through the power of cycling.”

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Name	Age	UCI Career Wins	UCI Points
Tamara Dronova	30	7	1156
Elena Hartmann	33	7	677
Maggie Coles-Lyster	25	2	559
Claire Steels	37	0	558
Thi That Nguyen	31	14	506

Israel-Premier Tech Roland

Israel-Premier Tech Roland

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2024 Women’s WorldTour bikes, wheels and groupsets: A complete guide

Pinarello enter Women's WorldTour for first time with Roland Cycling

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