Making their Tour de France debut this year, Tudor Pro Cycling arrive with stage wins in their sights, and a brand new BMC Teammachine SLR 01 to help get the job done.
With two-time world champion and multiple Tour de France stage winner Julian Alaphilippe dropping down to ProTour level this year with Tudor Pro Cycling, the Swiss team has set its sights on stage victories at Le Tour. Alaphilippe’s last stage win came in 2021, but with a puncheur-friendly first week ahead, could this be the year he returns to the top step? Let’s take a closer look at his BMC Teammachine SLR 01 and the setup he’s racing.
BMC says the Teammachine SLR 01 is “built for the pure climber” and claims its new Teammachine SLR 01 is 16 per cent lighter than before, while maintaining the same stiffness values.
Alaphilippe’s complete build comes in at 7.1kg with bike computer and pedals, putting it 300g over the UCI’s minimum weight limit of 6.8kg.
The team is sponsored by SRAM, and Alaphilippe is running a Red groupset with a 52/39 chainset, integrated power meter, and 170mm crank arms.
Interestingly, Alaphilippe bucks the trend toward shorter crank lengths. For comparison, Visma–Lease a Bike’s Matteo Jorgenson uses 165mm cranks on his unreleased Cervélo R5, despite being 17cm taller than Alaphilippe.
> Should you fit shorter cranks on your bike?
Out back, a perfectly clean 10-36T cassette. The 52×10 combination offers a comparable top-end gear to the 54×11 setup favoured by many Shimano-equipped riders.
As part of Tudor’s SRAM sponsorship, the team also runs Time X-Pro pedals. Alaphilippe uses the top-tier X-Pro 12SLs, identifiable by their gold spring and axle, and weighing a claimed 7 grams less per pedal than the standard X-Pro 12s.
Moving on to the wheels, the Swiss team runs DT Swiss wheels paired with Schwalbe Pro One tyres. Alaphilippe’s bike is pictured with Arc 1100 Dicut wheels, which come in a range of depths: 38mm, 55mm, 65mm, and 85mm.
The updated frame also now allows for tyre clearance up to 32mm, an increase from the previous model’s 30mm.
Alaphilippe’s handlebars are BMC’s ICS Carbon Evo one-piece cockpit, measuring 36cm at the hoods and 42cm at the drops. Although the UCI is considering a new minimum handlebar width rule of 40cm outside-to-outside and 32cm inside-to-inside, this isn’t yet in effect at the Tour de France, and since his setup already complies with existing regulations, it can remain unchanged.
Although SRAM owns the bike computer brand Hammerhead, Tudor Pro Cycling is sponsored by Wahoo.
Moving to the top of the bike, the French rider uses the Selle Italia SLR Boost 3D Kit Carbonio Superflow, a 3D-printed saddle from the Italian brand which claims to offer “differentiated cushioning zones for progressive absorption”.
A small but practical detail is a Tudor-branded sticker on Alaphilippe’s seatpost, used to mark his saddle height for easy setup by the mechanics.
There’s also a neatly integrated number holder in the seatpost.
BMC claims the Teammachine SLR 01 is “almost as fast as the Teammachine R 0,” with clear aerodynamic influences in its design. While Alaphilippe opts for round bottles, the seamless integration between the frame and bottle cage offers a noticeably cleaner profile, likely delivering an aerodynamic advantage over a traditional cage.
And finally, every nice bike needs a furry bodyguard…
2 thoughts on “Impressive integration and bucking the trend towards shorter cranks: Julian Alaphilippe’s 2025 Tour de France BMC Teammachine SLR 01”
That cat is wicked cool!
That cat is wicked cool!
52×10 is equivalent to 57×11,
52×10 is equivalent to 57×11, not 54 – even higher!