Tour Down Under tech gallery: WorldTour equipment and accessory changes 2024
Lots has changed in the world of tech since riders disappeared for their winter breaks, with teams swapping to new equipment and accessories
Tom Hallam-Gravells
Online Production Editor
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WorldTour equipment changes for 2024
2024 has arrived and with it the familiar return of the road season. While cycling’s migration back to the tarmac feels like an annual routine, there is always a short period of familiarisation with all of the changes that have occurred in the peloton over the short winter break. Some of those changes have been to personnel, with riders hopping aboard the transfer conveyor belt to arrive at new teams, while others have seen changes to tech.
In the realms of tech, it’s usually bike changes that catch the headlines, but there are always lots of smaller changes that go unnoticed. While at the Santos Tour Down Under, we scoured the peloton to see what equipment changes we could uncover. From pedal and computer switch-ups, to bike and wheel changes, here’s everything we spotted.
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Movistar has new pedals for 2024
Movistar’s Canyon Aeroad is a familiar sight in the pro peloton and the bike cuts a largely unchanged silhouette for 2024, barring one minor difference. Eagle-eye viewers may have noticed that the team is using Time XPRO pedals, having made the move from Look. The change isn’t too surprising considering that Time was acquired by SRAM in 2021, the same year the American brand started providing Movistar with its groupsets. The pedals above were spotted on Iván García Cortina’s bike.
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Vision has two new teams for 2024
2023 proved to be a tumultuous time for Astana Qazaqstan’s wheel sponsors. The team’s bikes started the season accompanied by Corima wheels. Riders were then spotted using HED wheels midway through the season, although there was no official confirmation of a change.
There shouldn’t be confusion in 2024 as the team has officially made the switch to new wheel sponsors, although it’s not HED, but Vision. The American brand’s wheels are already a popular choice in the pro peloton, used by Bahrain Victorious and EF Education-EasyPost, but now its WorldTour tally is up to four (more on the fourth team below). Like the other teams, Astana will have access to Vision’s premium Metron range of wheels.
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Arkéa-B&B Hotels have changed their name and wheels for 2024
Becoming the fourth team to use its wheels, the newly-named Arkéa-B&B Hotels have also jumped aboard the Vision train for 2024. It’s the only equipment change of note for the French team who have made the switch from Shimano, although the Japanese brand will continue to supply the team’s groupsets.
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ENVE has unveiled new Innerdrive hubs for its SES wheels
Sticking to the wheel theme, UAE Team Emirates and their Colnago V4Rs bikes haven’t changed and are still specced with ENVE wheels. Bear with us, though, as there are subtle changes hidden within in the form of new Innerdrive hubs. Said to be more efficient, they were officially unveiled by ENVE at the beginning of 2024 and will be specced on all of the team’s SES wheels, including the 4.5 version adorning Álvaro Hodeg’s Colnago V4Rs at the Tour Down Under, above.
In reality, it may not actually be too much of a change as ENVE says that the hubs were tested by the team, so already experienced plenty of action in 2023.
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Bora-Hansgrohe is one of the rare teams that doesn't use Shimano groupsets
Bora-Hansgrohe caught plenty of headlines over the winter, mostly through their capture of Primož Roglič. The Slovenian’s signing also corresponded to another significant development for the team, with a switch from Shimano to SRAM groupsets following. Whether the move was inspired by Roglič, who has enjoyed plenty of success using the American brand’s components over recent seasons, hasn’t been confirmed. However, Bora now have the ability to run 1x set-ups, something Roglič used frequently last season, although we didn’t spot any riders using the set-up at the Tour Down Under.
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The Hammerhead Karoo computer
While those changes made the most headlines, there’s also been a switch for Bora to the Hammerhead Karoo computer from Wahoo. It’s not too surprising as Hammerhead is owned by SRAM, whose components have featured a lot in this list so far.
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Van Rysel bikes are a new addition to the 2024 WorldTour peloton
If there was a competition for the most off-season changes, the newly-named Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale would be run-away winners. As their name suggests, Decathlon has joined as title sponsors, bringing its range of Van Rysel bikes with it. While Van Rysel is a new brand to the WorldTour peloton, Decathlon bikes were used frequently by French teams at the beginning of the 21st Century. For the 2024 season, the team will use the Van Rysel RCR Pro (pictured above) for road stages and the XCR for time trials.
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Shimano groupsets are by no means new for 2024, but they are new for AG2R
That’s just the beginning of the changes for the team, who have also switched to Shimano groupsets from Campagnolo. It was a sad day for Campagnolo fans when the announcement was made as it officially confirmed that the historic Italian brand wouldn’t be present at WorldTour level in 2024. Meanwhile, Shimano’s dominance at WorldTour level continues with 14 of the 18 teams using its groupsets in 2024.
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Swiss Side's wheels are designed using Formula One know-how
Shimano may be a familiar brand but Swiss Side is a lesser-known name in the pro peloton, but it certainly doesn’t lack credentials. The company is a market-leading aerodynamics company which builds a range of wheels and cockpits. Its wheels are linking up with AG2R’s Van Rysel bikes in 2024 and riders will have access to its HADRON range.
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AG2R will use Van Rysel accessories in 2024
We’re not finished with the French team just yet. Finalising the new look, the team are sporting new Van Rysel helmets and sunglasses in 2024, as modelled by Jaakko Hänninen above. While Van Rysel accessories are new for AG2R, they’ve been used by Cofidis in recent seasons.
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Lapierre has been replaced by Wilier at Groupama-FDJ
Few equipment changes send shockwaves around the sport, but Groupama-FDJ’s split from Lapierre did. It brought to an end a 22-year partnership and left the French team with a bike-brand-shaped hole to fill. Up stepped Wilier which now counts two WorldTour teams among its roster, including Astana Qazaqstan. The Italian brand’s bike offering includes the aero Filante, pictured above, and the lightweight 0.
- Read more: 2024 Men's WorldTour bikes: A guide to the bikes, groupsets, and tech of the top-tier teams
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Are these new Look Keo pedals?
Finally for components, there are what appear to be new Look Keo pedals in the pro peloton. Spotted on bikes at the Tour Down Under, they differ slightly from the existing model, with subtle changes to the footplate and the outer body.
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Filippo Ganna wearing Ineos-Grenadiers' new Gobik kit
Beyond the bikes, equipment and accessories, some teams will sport kit from new suppliers, including Ineos Grenadiers who have elbowed out Bioracer for Gobik. Rumours of a move were circulating prior to the announcement, spurred on when Egan Bernal accidentally leaked the kit in a social media post. The kit closely matches the design on the team’s Pinarello Dogma F, which has undergone some minor changes for 2023, mainly through a shift to orange shades rather than red.
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Far from new, the Pinarello Dogma is one of the most recognisable bikes in the peloton
Bora-Hansgrohe are the other team switching things up with their new Sportful kit, having left Le Col behind after two seasons working together.
For more about the 2024 men's Santos Tour Down Under, including the route, startlist and final standings, visit our dedicated race hub.