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, Manon Lloyd got her hands on every team’s bike at the recent Women’s UAE Tour.

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

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

AG Insurance-Soudal

There have been some big changes for AG Insurance-Soudal 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.

Specialized 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 S-Work Tarmac SL8 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 Sarah Gigante won the overall to ensure the team made a winning start to WorldTour life.

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

Canyon-SRAM

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Canyon-SRAM are in contention for the best colourway of the season

You get no points for guessing which bikes and groupsets Canyon-SRAM use. The team has bore the same name since 2016 when Canyon stepped aboard as title sponsors. SRAM’s association with the team goes back either further to 2013.

Both the Aeroad CFR 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 Zipp wheels, which is owned by the American company.

Ceratizit-WNT

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The Orbea Orca Aero

Alongside AG Insurance-Soudal, Ceratizit-WNT were also rewarded with a step up to WorldTour level for 2024. That’s good news for Orbea 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, with aero a mere afterthought.

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

dsm-firmenich PostNL

It’s business as usual for dsm-firmenich and their Scott bikes which carried them to plenty of success in 2023. A major part of that winning equation was Charlotte Kool 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 Syncros steps in.

FDJ-Suez

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The Lapierre Xelius and its unique seatstays

Groupama-FDJ delivered the biggest shock of the off season when they confirmed that they were splitting with Lapierre after 22 years working together. Wilier has since stepped in to fill the void.

That change isn’t reflected in the women’s FDJ-Suez 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 Shimano groupsets and the Japanese brands provide much more of the finishing kit too, such as the Dura-Ace wheels and pedals.

Fenix-Deceuninck

Fenix-Deceuninck 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.

Human Powered Health

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Human Powered Health were using the older version of the Factor Ostro VAM at the UAE Tour

American outfit Human Powered Health are the first team in this list who have switched bike sponsors for 2024, having ended their five-year partnership with Felt.

Factor 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.

• Read more: Factor's new Ostro VAM blurs boundaries with aero and lightweight design

Lidl-Trek

Another team whose name gives away their bike sponsor, Lidl-Trek will choose between the aero Madone SLR and lightweight Émonda SLR.

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.

• Read more: Lidl-Trek pro bike: Quinn Simmons’ Trek Madone SLR

Liv AlUla Jayco

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Liv have created one of the best colourway

Liv AlUla Jayco’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.

Liv’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.

• Read more: Jayco/Liv merger to be named Liv AlUla Jayco, as Giant extend GreenEDGE partnership

Movistar

Spanish team Movistar are among the Canyon 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.

Roland

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The Pinarello Dogma is a new edition to the Women's WorldTour peloton for 2024

Israel Premier Tech stepped down from their role as title sponsors at the end of 2023, leaving Roland to forge on alone. Just as notably, they took bike sponsors Factor with them.

That left a hole which has since been filled by Pinarello, with the Italian brand making the step up to WorldTour level. Like Ineos Grenadiers in the men’s WorldTour peloton, Roland will use the Pinarello Dogma F, 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.

• Read more: Pinarello enter Women's WorldTour for first time with Roland Cycling

SD Worx-ProTime

There were times in 2023 when SD Worx 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 Roval wheels.

• Read more: Specialized extend SD Worx partnership until 2028

UAE Team ADQ

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The Colnago V4Rs racked up plenty of wins in its first full season in professional cycling

Colnago will continue as bike sponsors for UAE Team ADQ 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 ENVE SES wheels.

Uno-X Mobility

One of the lesser-known bike brands at WorldTour level, Dare is a Taiwanese manufacturer that has been supplying bikes for Uno-X 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 Schwalbe tyres and DT Swiss tyres.

Visma-Lease a Bike

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, albeit with a new name. 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.

They have revamped their Cervélo 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.