For many cycling fans, the 2023 Tour de France Femmes is the highlight of the racing season, bringing the pro women racing to everyone's screens. The eight-stage race, spanning a distance of 956km (594 miles), commenced on July 23, immediately after the conclusion of the men's Tour de France.
It is of course the riders, tactics and drama that make the racing so thrilling to watch - and at three stages into the TdFF, we can still freely speculate on who will be wearing the yellow jersey on Sunday 30 July.
But like in any WorldTour bike racing, beyond the racing action, an aspect that keeps enthusiasts on the edge of their seats is the bikes and the cutting-edge tech each team is relying on.
2023 Tour de France Femmes tech highlights
Among the 22 teams competing in the 2023 Women's Tour de France, familiar bike brands take centre stage. From Bianchi to Trek, Canyon to Giant, the women's peloton boasts an array of top-tier bike manufacturers.
> 2023 Tour de France bikes — your definitive guide to what the top pro cycling teams are riding this year
Many of the women's teams share close ties with the men's teams, riding on similar bikes and equipment, albeit with unique sponsor names.
Here are the top tech highlights from the 2023 Tour de France Femmes:
- The Cofidis Women Team embraces the brand-new Look 795 Blade RS, adding an extra dash of flair to their arsenal.
- Israel Premier Tech Roland are riding the brand new Factor O2 VAM, which debuted at the men’s Tdf and was launched officially last week.
- While the majority of teams ride their brands' top-tier groupsets, Team Coop-Hitec Products opts for Shimano Ultegra.
- Six of the women’s teams are riding with SRAM Red AXS groupset.
- We have been pondering whether an updated Canyon Aeroad CFR that Mathieu van der Poel has been dazzling with this season would make an appearance at the TdFF, but it seems the women are still on the model launched in 2021.
- Last but not least, the prospect of a debut for the new Specialized Tarmac SL8 seems to also loom close… But it doesn’t seem it’s being tried out at the #TDFF
2023 Tour de France Femmes team bikes and equipment
What are the teams for the second edition of the modern Tour de France Femmes, you might ask. 15 Women's WorldTour teams will be at the race, along with the seven invited Women's Continental-level teams. This brings the total number of riders to 154.
If we had to highlight one rider, this year’s brightest spotlight falls on Annemiek van Vleuten, the talented rider from Movistar, who has a chance of etching her name in history. The Dutch rider won the inaugural Tour de France Femmes last year, and this year she has a chance to bag a Vuelta-Giro-Tour treble before hanging up her helmet later on in the year to enjoy retirement.
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Without speculating any more about the winners, let’s delve into this year's Tour de France Femmes teams and see what each team is riding with.
AG Insurance-Soudal-QuickStep (AGS)
The AG Insurance-Soudal-QuickStep is a Continental Team riding with Specialized bikes. The S-Works Tarmac SL7 takes care of most of the stages and the Shiv is taken out for the final TT stage. The bikes are equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace groupsets, and Roval wheels, and the finishing kit consists of Specialized, CeramicSpeed, Tacx and Garmin. The AGS riders are wearing Castelli clothing.
Arkéa Pro Cycling Team (ARK)
Arkéa Pro Cycling Team are also a continental team, racing the TdFF with Bianchi Specialissima, Oltre RC and Aquila (TT) bikes, equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace groupsets. The wheels are also Shimano, wrapped on Continental tyres, and the rest of the components come from Bianchi, Selle Italia, Elite and Wahoo. The ARK women wear Ekoi kit.
Canyon//SRAM Racing (CSR)
Canyon//SRAM Racing’s team name already gives away most of its equipment. The women ride Canyon Aeroad CFR bike for most of the stages and swap onto the Speedmax CF SLX for the TT. Drivetrain is SRAM Red AXS, the wheels Zipp 303 Firecrest wrapped in Schwalbe tyres, and the rest of the kit comes from Canyon, Ergon, Elite, Hammerhead and Time.
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Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team (WTN)
Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team are racing on Orbea Orca Aero bikes, with Ordu being the TT option. The bikes come with Shimano Dura-Ace/FSA chainsets, Vision Metron wheels and a finishing kit from Orbea, Prologo, Wolfpack and Wahoo.
Cofidis Women’s Team (COF)
Cofidis Women’s Team are on the brand new Look 795 Blade RS bikes, and swap to the 796 Monoblade RS for the TT stage. Drivetrains are Shimano Dura-Ace, wheels are Corima and wrapped in Michelin tyres. The rest of the finishing kit comes from Look, Selle Italia, Elite and Wahoo.
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EF Education-Tibco-SVB (TIB)
EF Education-Tibco-SVB is racing on the Cannondale LAB71 SuperSix EVO and SuperSlice bikes, equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace/FSA cranks and chainrings. The wheels are Vision, wrapped in Vittoria tyres, and the rest of the finishing kit comes from FSA, Wahoo Speedplay, 4iiii, Prologo, Tacx and Wahoo.
FDJ-Suez (FST)
Team FDJ-Suez’s women are racing on the Lapierre Xelius LS bikes (with AI-created paintjob) with the Aérostorm DRS being the TT option. The bikes come with Shimano Dura-Ace drivetrains and also Shimano Dura-Ace/PRO wheels. Those wheels are wrapped in Continental rubber, and the rest of the kit is provided by PRO, Prologo, Elite and Garmin.
Fenix-Deceuninck (FED)
Fenix-Deceuninck is the second team in the TdFF racing on Canyon bikes. They are going to be swapping between the Aeroad CFR, Ultimate CS and the Speedmax CFR Disc (TT). The bikes run with Shimano Dura-Ace groupsets and Shimano Dura-Ace wheels wrapped in Vittoria tyres. The rest of the kit comes from Canyon (who also does the team’s clothing), Selle Italia, Elite and Wahoo.
Human Powered Health Cycling (HPW)
Human Powered Heatlh’s bright bikes for the Tour are the Felt FR, AR and DA (TT).
They are equipped with SRAM Red AXS, and Vision wheels with Goodyear tyres, and the rest of the kit comes from Vision, Speedplay, Selle Italia, Arundel and Wahoo.
Israel Premier Tech Roland (CGS)
Similarly to the men’s team, the Israel Premier Tech Roland women’s team is also racing on the new O2 VAM and Slick (TT) also in the arsenal. The bikes are running Shimano Dura-Ace/Rotor Aldhu chainsets, and Black Inc wheels in multiple rim depths. The rest of the kit is provided by Shimano, Maxxis, Selle Italia, Elite and Hammerhead.
> Are the bikes the pros ride at the Tour de France the same as you can buy in the bike shop?
Lifeplus-Wahoo (DRP)
Lifeplus-Wahoo’s bikes are supplied by Ribble, with the Endurance SL R being the one for all but one stage when the team swaps for the Ultra TT bike. Drivetrains are Shimano Dura-Ace, wheels Mavic Cosmic SLR wrapped in Continental tyres and the finishing kit comes from PRO, Selle Italia, Elite and Hammerhead.
Lidl-Trek (LTK)
Lidl-Trek’s bikes are perhaps the most eye-catching bunch in the peloton. The team has got some very cool-looking Project 1 paint jobs on their Trek Madone SLR race machines, and they also have the option to swap on the Émonda SLR for the hillier stages, and the Speed Concept for the TT. The drivetrains are SRAM Red AXS, and the wheels are Bontrager Aeolus with Pirelli tyres. The rest of the kit comes from Bontrager, Time and Wahoo.
Liv Racing TeqFind (LIV)
Liv Racing TeqFind are, as one might guess, racing on the Liv Langma Advanced SL and Enviliv Advanced Pro bikes. The TT option is Avow Advanced Pro. The bikes are equipped with SRAM Red AXS, Cadex wheels and everything else is made by Giant.
Movistar Team (MOV)
The Movistar team is racing on Canyon Aeroad CFR and swapping that to the Speedmax CF SLX for the TT. The drivetrains are SRAM Red AXS, wheels Zipp 303 Firecrest with Continental tyres, and the rest of the kit by Canyon, Look, Fizik, Elite and Garmin.
St Michel-Mavic-Auber93 (CTW)
The Continental CTW team is riding with Cannondale SuperSix EVO and SuperSlice bikes, equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace groupsets. The wheels are Mavic Cosmic SLR with Michelin tyres, and the finishing kit comes from Cannondale, Stages, Look and Prologo. The clothing is provided by Ekoi.
Team Coop-Hitec Products (HPU)
The Norwegian Coop-Hitec team is partners with Liv Bikes, which means that their bike choices would be the Langma Advanced SL and Avow Advanced Pro (TT). However, it seems the team is opting for Liv’s sibling brand, Giant TCR at the TdFF. The groupset is something no other team has: Shimano Ultegra, the wheels are Hunt 44 Aerodynamicist wrapped in Schwalbe tyres and the rest of the kit comes from Wahoo and Speedplay - and the saddles seem to be from Specialized.
Team DSM-Firmenich (DSM)
Team DSM-Firmenich is on Scott Foil RC for most of the stages, swapping onto Plasma RC for the TT. Again, the drivetrain is Shimano Dura-Ace, as are the wheels, wrapped in Vittoria tyres, and the rest of the kit comes from Syncros, Elite and Wahoo.
Team Jayco AlUla (JAY)
Jayco AlUla races on Liv Enviliv and Langma Advanced SL bikes, with Avow Advanced Pro being the TT option. Drivetrain is Shimano Dura-Ace and the wheels Cadex, wrapped in Vittoria tyres. The rest of the kit comes from Cadex, Shimano and Giant.
Team Jumbo-Visma (TJV)
Team Jumbo-Visma is racing the Cervélo R5 Disc at the TdFF, and swap onto the P5 for the TT. The groupsets are SRAM Red eTap, wheels are Reserve 52/63 wheels with Vittoria tyres. The rest of the kit comes from FSA, Fizik, Tacx and Garmin.
Jumbo-Visma men's team triumphed at the now-finished Tour de France, and we had a closer look at the winner Jonas Vingegaard's Cervelos here.
Team SD Worx (SDW)
Team SD Worx is racing on the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7 - while we patiently wait for the SL8 to make an appearance, and swap onto the Shiv for the TT. Drivetrains are SRAM Red AXS, wheels Roval Rapide CLX II with Specialized tyres, and finishing kit from Roval, Time, Tacx and Garmin.
UAE Team ADQ (UAD)
UAE Team ADQ is racing on the Colnago V4Rs and swapping to the K.one for the TT stage. Groupsets are Shimano Dura-Ace, wheels from ENVE, tyres from Continental, and the finishing kit from Favero, Prologo, Elite and Wahoo.
Uno-X Pro Cycling (UXT)
Uno-X Pro Cycling race on the Taiwanese Dare VSRu and TSRf (TT) bikes. The groupsets are the top-tier Shimano Dura-Ace, wheels from DT Swiss and tyres from Schwalbe. The rest of the kit comes from Pro, CeramicSpeed, Elite and Garmin.
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