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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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Formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech Roland, this team 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 underwent 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, though that partnership has ended for 2024.

The most well-known name on their roster is Olympic champion Anna Kiesenhofer, who signed for the squad in 2023 to race a wider road programme. Their most successful rider is Tamara Dronova, the Russian rider who has enjoyed impressive consistency in the biggest races over the last two seasons. Among their new signings for 2024 was Antri Christoforous, the Cypriot champion, who will be hoping for more leadership opportunities, especially with Roland's former leader Claire Steels off to Movistar for 2024. 

They formerly had a development team, but this closed after just one season at the end of 2023.

Tamara Dronova

Elena Hartmann

Maggie Coles-Lyster

Thi That Nguyen

Anna Kiesenhofer

Antri Christoforou

Elena Pirrone

Giorgia Vettorello

Sylvie Swinkels

Natalie Grinczer

Sofia Collinelli

Nathalie Eklund

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

News

Tech News

Tubeless might be the future but tubular is still relevant inside the peloton

, more than one team were using tubular tyres, bucking the trend for tubeless systems.

 have been around in cycling for almost a decade with mountain bikes and gravel bikes leading the way. As with a lot of technological advancements in cycling, road bikes lagged behind with tubeless only appearing on road bikes in the past few years.

Tubeless systems use a clincher-style tyre and rim but instead of using a 

, they use a latex sealant that coats the inside surface of the tyre. In the event of a puncture, this sealant plugs the hole and dries, creating an air-tight seal.

Tubed vs tubeless tyres: when is an inner tube better?

They have also been shown to be faster than any other tyre/tube type with the lowest levels of rolling resistance for any given size. This is in part due to the absence of the inner tube which adds some resistance to the system as it also has to deform to the imperfections of the road. When this is removed and replaced with sealant, there is simply less material that takes energy to deform.

With their ability to seal punctures and roll more efficiently than other tyre systems, tubeless has become the widespread go-to choice for the professional peloton. Even though this might be the case, if you look closely enough, the faithful tubular tyre has not been condemned to the history books just yet.

Why tyre pressure and tyre width matter so much for cycling

Before the start of the Women’s Brugge-De Panne, both 

 were spotted using tubular tyres on some of their pro bikes. The reason behind this is largely due to rider preference as it allows them to ride on a punctured tyre without the fear of the tyre coming off the rim. Although tubeless should prevent a flat in the first place, the system is not bulletproof and a puncture at a crucial point of the race could see a rider's hopes lost.

Tubular systems are also lighter than the equivalent tubeless setup. This is because a tubular wheel does away with the need for a mounting surface on the wall of the rim. Instead, the tyre is glued directly to the rim bed, saving crucial rotational mass that has a bigger effect on the feel and responsiveness of a bike than static weight on the frame.

What tyre pressure should I be using and why?

In the case of Roland Cycling, the team were using a tubular version of 

’s P Zero Race tyre in what is now a rather narrow looking 25mm width. Tubular tyres are typically narrower than tubeless tyres for any given size. Interestingly, the team also decided to run what is now considered incredibly high tyre pressures, using between 6.5-7.5 bar (94-109psi), depending on the individual rider. This is far higher than current tyre pressure trends elsewhere in the peloton, which are seeing riders commonly use pressures close to half of this.

Liv AlUla Jayco had a far more mixed approach with the majority of the team using clincher wheels and tyres. However, two of the riders, 

, opted to use the tubular version of the 

 50 Ultra wheelset, running 28mm tyres whilst the rest of the team were running 30mm tyres. 

This difference can largely be attributed to the Cadex 50 Ultra tubeless wheelset featuring a hookless design that means riders are restricted to a tyre pressure less than the 

. A wider tyre can naturally be run at a lower pressure due to the increase in volume.

finding the right tyre pressure and width for you

to keep up to date with the latest from the world of bike tech.

Hottest bikes in the Women's WorldTour: New brands and colourways in action at UAE Tour

Contrary to its name, the off-season is anything but quiet for the Women’s WorldTour peloton. Sure, there are no races over the winter, but that void is filled by a world of transfer sagas and sponsor changes. By the time the peloton kicks into action in mid January, the peloton can often barely resemble the one that ended the previous season.

The 2023-2024 off-season was no different, delivering another hectic period of changes, especially in the world of bike tech, where multiple teams switched things up, either by swapping bike brands or mixing up their colourway. 

To help you keep track of all of these changes, 

 got her hands on every team’s bike at the recent 

Here’s a rundown of every bike in the Women’s WorldTour peloton.

 over the winter months, although not in the realms of tech. After some impressive showing over recent seasons, the team have been rewarded with WorldTour status for 2024.

 bikes will make the step up alongside them, although the American brand was already represented at the top level by SD Worx. The team will choose between the 

 or the S-Works Roubaix, which is usually reserved for rougher terrain like the cobbled Classics, hence the Roubaix name.

Unfortunately the team weren’t racing at the UAE Tour so we didn’t get any close-up pictures of the bikes, although the team have already put the bikes through their paces at the Tour Down Under where 

 won the overall to ensure the team made a winning start to WorldTour life.

‘I knew it was coming’ - Sarah Gigante completes emotional comeback with Tour Down Under victory

You get no points for guessing which bikes and groupsets 

 use. The team has bore the same name since 2016 when 

’s association with the team goes back either further to 2013.

 and Ultimate CFR, which the team’s riders will choose between, are stunning bikes, but they’re made even more eye-catching by one of the best colourways in the WorldTour peloton. Canyon-SRAM usually delivers on this front and they haven’t let us down in 2024.

There are more SRAM-influenced components beyond the Red AXS groupsets in the form of 

 wheels, which is owned by the American company.

 were also rewarded with a step up to WorldTour level for 2024. That’s good news for 

 which is now represented at WorldTour level through its Orca Aero and regular lightweight Orca.

The latter was one of the standout bikes of 2023 as the Spanish brand bucked trends by going all-in for lightweight. A light bike is nothing new but most brands have allowed aero features to filter into their lightweight bikes. Not Orbea. 

The Orca is unapologetically built solely for climbing

Cerazitiz debuted the bike at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in 2023.

 bikes which carried them to plenty of success in 2023. A major part of that winning equation was 

 who emerged as a genuine contender to Lorena Wiebes in the sprints.

Kool’s victories were taken atop the aero Scott Foil RC which remains unchanged from 2023, barring a new colourway to match the team’s updated kit. For climbing days, the riders can also choose the Scott Addict. Both bikes will be paired with Shimano’s Dura-Ace groupset and Shimano wheels, except for time trials where 

Groupama-FDJ delivered the biggest shock of the off season when they confirmed that they were splitting with 

. Wilier has since stepped in to fill the void.

That change isn’t reflected in the women’s 

 team, though, who will continue to use Lapierre bikes. Riders will get to choose between the Aircode DRS or the Xelius SL 8.0.

Like the majority of teams, the French outfit uses 

 groupsets and the Japanese brands provide much more of the finishing kit too, such as the Dura-Ace wheels and pedals.

provide a rare case where virtually nothing has changed since last season. The team has retained its WorldTour status, name and the same look, which is great news for those who struggle to keep track of all the changes.

They’re one of three teams who use Canyon bikes, with the German brand topping the rankings as the most popular bike in the women’s WorldTour - a title it holds in the men’s peloton too.

Alongside the Aeroad CFR and Ultimate CFR bikes, they’re also another team who uses a complete set of Shimano finishing components, including wheels, pedals and the Dura-Ace groupset.

 are the first team in this list who have switched bike sponsors for 2024, 

having ended their five-year partnership with Felt

 has stepped into the void along with its new Ostro VAM. Only released in February, it’s a boundary-blurring aero bike which balances all-round performance. If that wasn’t enough, there’s also the O2 VAM which, upon release, 

Factor claimed is “the world’s fastest climbing bike”

Black Inc, which is owned by Factor, has also stepped in to provide the cockpit and wheels, while SRAM remains as the groupset sponsor.

Factor's new Ostro VAM blurs boundaries with aero and lightweight design

Another team whose name gives away their bike sponsor, 

The Madone is one of the standout bikes in the pro peloton thanks to its IsoFlow technology, which is essentially a large hole in the seat tube. If recent sightings are anything to go by, it could be about to pass over to the Émonda too, as 

Giulio Ciccone of the men’s team was spotted riding a version of the bike with a suspicious hole in the seat tube

Unsurprisingly the team hasn’t mixed up its colourway or kit for 2024, as it only took on its current colours mid-way through last season when Lidl hopped aboard as title sponsors.

Lidl-Trek pro bike: Quinn Simmons’ Trek Madone SLR

’s bike really stands out in 2024. Not because it’s new or sporting any fancy components, but thanks to its snazzy colourway. By our judgement, it’s one of the best-looking bikes across both the women’s and men’s WorldTour pelotons - not that it’s hard to beat the designs in the men’s peloton which are routinely trumped by those in the women’s.

’s bikes - comprising the EnviLiv and the Langma Advanced - were used by two teams in 2023 but that’s gone down to one in 2024. That’s because its two previous teams, Liv Racing TeqFind and Jayco AlUla, merged to form the new Liv AlUla Jayco team, hence the changes to the colourway too.

Jayco/Liv merger to be named Liv AlUla Jayco, as Giant extend GreenEDGE partnership

 contingent. It’s proven to be a successful partnership over recent seasons, mainly because Annemiek van Vleuten called the team home. Up until last year’s Tour de France Femmes, the Dutch great had won six Grand Tours in a row. SD Worx’s Demi Vollering ended that run in France. The team will need to find a new source of wins in 2024 as Van Vleuten has now retired.

Beyond the Aeroad and CFR bikes, the team also uses the SRAM Red groupset, Zipp NSW wheels and Continental tyres.

Israel Premier Tech stepped down from their role as title sponsors at the end of 2023, leaving 

 to forge on alone. Just as notably, they took bike sponsors Factor with them.

That left a hole which has since been filled by 

, with the Italian brand making the step up to WorldTour level. Like Ineos Grenadiers in the men’s WorldTour peloton, Roland will use the 

, one of the most recognisable bikes in cycling.

Shimano groupsets make another appearance on the team’s bikes, except this time with a twist as FSA chainsets are subbed in.

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

 appeared to be genuinely unbeatable. With so many strings to their bow, the team was competitive on virtually every type of terrain and their complete dominance was only halted by Annemiek van Vleuten at two of the three Grand Tours, although it went pretty much unchecked for the rest of the season.

Wins for the team also mean wins for their bike sponsors, Specialized, and it’s no surprise that the American brand extended its partnership with the team at the end of 2023. This wasn’t any regular extension, though, but one that will see the team and bike brand work together until the end of 2028. Partnerships of that length are unheard of in Women’s cycling.

SRAM will provide its Red groupsets while the team will use Specialized’s own-brand 

Specialized extend SD Worx partnership until 2028

 in 2024 for the third season in a row. At the start of the partnership the team used Colnago groupsets but they have since swapped to Shimano in a move that ties in with the 

general demise of Campagnolo at WorldTour level

. The historic Italian brand won’t be used by any teams at either women’s or men’s WorldTour level in 2024.

Colnago is one of the brands that has one superbike rather than dedicated climbing and aero bikes, in the form of the V4Rs. It was released just ahead of the 2023 season. It will be specced with Shimano Dura-Ace groupsets and 

One of the lesser-known bike brands at WorldTour level, 

 is a Taiwanese manufacturer that has been supplying bikes for 

 since the women’s team’s inception in 2022. It will provide the VSRu, which is the most budget-friendly bike in the peloton.

While the team is known for its orange colours, the bike will sport a matt black design in 2024, accented by orange bottles. It’s another team that Shimano counts in its roster, while they also use 

After some confusion over the team’s future during the off-season, Lease a Bike stepped into the void left by market chain Jumbo to ensure the team will continue in its current guide, 

. Many expected the team to change colours for 2024 too, as yellow is associated with Jumbo, but the team has kept its same yellow and black theme.

 S5 and R5 bikes for 2024 though with a new design that’s definitely more eye-catching than before. We caught an up-close glimpse of these at the recent Tour Down Under. Check out that out here.

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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
Thi That Nguyen	31	14	506
Anna Kiesenhofer	33	9	490

Roland

Roland

The Team

Top Roland Stories

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

Tubeless might be the future but tubular is still relevant inside the peloton

Hottest bikes in the Women's WorldTour: New brands and colourways in action at UAE Tour

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