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The 2016 WorldTour season is now upon us and it’s the first time we’ve seen all of the new ProTeam bikes lining up against one another. Here’s what’s new and interesting in 2016.
Bikes
There aren’t any huge shake-ups this season with teams changing bike sponsors. Specialized still has the most teams riding its bikes: three with Astana, Etixx-QuickStep, and Tinkoff. With two Grand tour teams and one Classics team we’ll surely see Specialized on the podium again this season. Two teams — Movistar and Katusha — ride Canyon while Scott also supplies two teams (IAM and Orica-GreenEdge).
Cervelo is now back in the WorldTour with Dimension Data (not that it hurt them last season). There’s no change for Merida, Trek and Cannondale who all have joint title sponsorship of teams, and for BMC who has a title sponsorship. Rounding out the WorldTour teams, like last year, are Giant, Bianchi, Lapierre, Ridley and Pinarello, all with one team.
Groupsets
Back in 2011 SRAM sponsored eight teams; last year they sponsored one (Ag2r La Mondiale). In 2016 they’re back up to two teams with Katusha switching to SRAM eTAP from Campagnolo.
Shimano still supplies the most teams with seven sponsorships in 2016 while Campagnolo supplies three.
We’ve seen prototypes of Rotor’s hydraulic groupset and FSA’s electronic groupset, but there’s no sign on any of the team bikes at the Tour Down Under. When these groupsets do show up at the races, we’ll likely see FSA on Etixx-Quickstep (as we did last year) and Rotor on Lampre-Merida or Dimension Data.
There’s very little or no mechanical shifting to speak of in WorldTour peloton now. A few of the top climbers such as Alberto Contador and Vincenzo Nibali were seen using the mechanical versions of their sponsored groupsets — Dura Ace for Contador and Super Record for Nibali — but we will have to wait to see if they’ll stick to that for this season.
Wheels
Katusha has switched from Mavic to Zipp wheels this season and Tinkoff has switched from Roval (Specialized) to HED, but only for the time trials. HED seems to be the go-to wheel brand for teams that are able to pick and choose their own components.
Other than that there are no differences in 2016. Shimano still tops the charts with six teams using its range of carbon wheels, everything from the C35s through to C50s and the C80s for fast, flat days. Shimano’s sub-brand Pro also supplies these teams with its range of Disk and tri-spoke wheels.
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- There’s no change at Team Sky in 2016. Pinarello supplies the frames with a full Shimano Dura Ace Di2 groupset. The team also uses the Japanese company’s range of wheels. Shimano’s partnership doesn’t end there as the team uses Pro bars and stems. Fizik is still the saddle brand of choice.
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- IAM riders are again on Scott in 2016, in this instance the new Addict. Keeping the bikes and the team as Swiss as possible are wheels from DT-Swiss. Groupsets are the ever-popular Dura Ace Di2 with the exception of the rear calliper on the Addict. Scott’s in-house brand Syncros supplies the contact points: bars, stem, seatpost and saddle. The only major change here is that they’ve moved from Schwable to Continental as their tyre sponsor.
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- Team Trek had a fleet of custom painted bikes on show for many of the riders on the team at the TDU. But the rest of the team will be using this red colourway. Trek’s Bontrager saddles, bars and stems are the contact points of choice. The in-house brand also supplies its range of carbon wheels. Shimano Dura Ace Di2 is the running kit.
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- Lampre-Merida has no major changes in equipment sponsors for 2016. Campagnolo’s sister brand Fulcrum has Lampre as its only WorldTour pro team. Rotor chainset are the only mix-up in the full Dura Ace Di2 groupset.
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- Scott has two teams in the WorldTour. The Orica-GreenEdge guys were racing on last year’s bikes in the People’s Choice Classic criterium. The only major change in sponsorship from last year are the saddles which are now from Fizik (instead of Prologo). You can see that the old logo has been painted over on the seatstay. Shimano is the wheel and groupset supplier with bars and stem coming from Pro. Tyres are from the popular Continental brand.
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- Though it’s had a name change, Team Dimension Data hasn’t changed too much when it comes to equipment suppliers. Cervelo again supplies the team with a range of frames (being used here was the S5, perfect for the People’s Choice criterium). Last year the team was using 3T components but for 2016 high-end carbon manufacturer Enve has bumped them out of the cockpit and will be supplying bars and stems on top of their wheels. Spanish brand Rotor is back supplying the chainsets. KMC chains and Shimano Dura Ace Di2 make the rest of the drive setup. Fizik replace Selle Italia in keeping the riders comfy.
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- Ritchie Porte is the only change at the BMC team this year as the team has stuck with the same equipment suppliers as last year. The BMC SLR01 frameset is decked out in a full Dura- ce Di2 groupset, 3T bars and stem, Shimano C50 wheels while Fizik provides the perch.
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- Tinkoff for 2015 has a whole new paint scheme. The black is out and the light blue/grey is in. In the flesh it looks stunning. The team has announced it is using HED wheels in the time trials for 2016 but will stick with Specialized’s Roval range for the road. A full Dura Ace Di2 groupset is a slight change to last year where they used an FSA chainset instead. FSA do still supply the bars, stem and seatpost. Tyres are the Specialized Turbo. Prologo is back again as saddle and bartape sponsor.
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- This bike was worth a post on it’s own. While most of the Tinkoff riders are on the Tarmac, new guy to the squad Adam Blythe was on the latest Venge VIAS. The setup and equipment is exactly the same as the rest of the team.
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- Lotto Soudal has a new paint job on its bikes for 2016, or at least the Helium SL models do. The only major change from last year is that the team has moved from Selle San Marco to Selle Italia saddles. Groupset is Campagnolo’s Super Record EPS. Bars, stem and saddle come from Italian supplier Deda. Bars are wrapped in a very neat looking Lizard Skin mottled tape. Wheels are also from Campagnolo in conjunction with Continental tubulars.
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- There’s been a huge change-up at Katusha this year, and not just in jersey design. The team has switched from Shimano as groupset supplier to SRAM. They are now the American brand’s second WorldTour team on the new Etap electronic wireless groupset. Mavic is out as wheel sponsor and Zipp is in. Continental replaces Mavic as tyre sponsor too. Selle Italia is saddle sponsor and the Canyons feature their own proprietary bar and stem.
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- Bianchi stays on as LottoNL-Jumbo’s frame supplier. The Oltre is the frame of choice for many on the team. Dura Ace is the groupset with Shimano’s matching wheelset. FSA bars and stem are in use and the team has stuck with Pioneer as power meter supplier.
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- Ag2r La Mondiale is back on Focus frames for 2016. The prototype stickers have been removed on the SRAM groupsets that several of the riders have been testing over the past few seasons and all the team now run the Etap electronic wireless set up from SRAM. Bars, stem and an interesting seatpost come from Zipp. Wheels are aso from Zipp and keeping them comfy in the saddle is Fizik.
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- Astana and Specialized are again in partnership. And like many teams it’s a bike that’s pretty much unchanged from 2015. Our guess is all the efforts in development at the bike manufactures are going into the disc brake versions that we will see later on in the year. French company Corima supply the wheels shod and rolling on Specialized rubber. Campagnolo Super Record EPS takes care of the shifting. FSA is the bar, stem and seatpost sponsor with saddles from Specialized.
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- It’s no change at Giant-Alpecin. Riders will be using the Taiwanese firm’s TCR, Propel and Defy models through this season as well as some expected disc brake bikes. A full Shimano running kit is used including wheels, and the company’s component brand Pro is bar and stem of choice.
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- Cannondale riders are on the same bikes as 2015. They won’t get their new ones till they return to Europe. As we write this they are arriving in Girona waiting to be built. It’s a standard Shimano Dura Ace Di2 setup with the slight alteration on a Cannondale SISL chainset. Fizik supplies the saddle and Mavic supplies the wheels and tyres.
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- FDJ riders are on their long-standing sponsor bikes from Lapierre. Shimano Dura Ace Di2 groupsets and Shimano wheels are in use with Pro as bar, stem and seatpost sponsor.
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- Along with Katusha, Canyon sponsors Movistar with framesets. Campagnolo Super Record EPS is the running groupset of choice with a Power2max powermeter chainset. Wheels also come from Campagnolo too. Tyres are the trusty Continental.
