Secret Products Pros Use At The Tour De France | GCN Tech Show Ep. 342

There’s a surprising amount of secret tech being used at the Tour de France! From prototypes to non-sponsor products, the pros don't really want to shout about it - but we've spotted it and are here to share!
Plus, Ollie & Alex showcase a load of new hot tech including Cyclowax's chain waxing machine, new Canyon shoes, a Miguel Induráin custom Pinarello, and much more!
00:00 Welcome
00:29 What secret tech are pros using at the Tour de France?
15:56 Hot and Spicy Tech
16:08 Cyclowax’s chain waxing machine
17:35 Custom Miguel Induráin Pinarello
19:25 Dylan Groenewegen’s Scicon Glasses
20:35 New Time Trial Tech
21:43 Mark Cavendish’s Custom-Painted Handlebars
22:02 New Canyon Shoes! Tempr CFR footwear line
23:25 Topeak mini pump
23:52 Comment of the Week
28:37 Bike Vault
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📸 Photos - © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Sprint Cycling Agency
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[@gcntech]

Have you spotted any "secret" tech at the Tour de France? 👀Let us know down in the comments! 💬

[@paljasvonpinguin]

Cavendish is wearing Nike branded shoes :)

[@elizande2548]

ive seen some strange looking peddals.check out the tourelly pedals

[@TheTomatenfisch]

Money! Lots of it!

[@michaelw7438]

Cube bikes - 3 TdF stage wins as at today.

[@PixelVibe42]

Pop over to Cycling Highlights on YT to see the real 'secret' products that they are using 😆 (I have no connection with them!)

[@dundeedideley1773]

please please add in more pictures of the things you are talking about. WvAs handlebar? No pic. The Aerocoach front wheel? no pic.

[@Velo1010]

No joke

[@xlightsxoutx]

They are a secret

[@stephenturkLA]

3:56 for the front wheel

[@benholzwarth2235]

Was thinking this also. Almost clicked away bc I was annoyed

[@Grizzrock]

I assume now that GCN is again independent they now have to pay to use TdF stills or footage. So there'll probably be much fewer Grand Tour clips going forward

[@haggardgrin]

Fun fact, the embossed pattern/wavy profile on the AeroCoach disc wheel is there so you can still use a playing card and a clothes pin to make cool noises with your aero disc wheel!

[@douglasstilgoe1236]

Big French Bike Ride still gets me 😂

[@gcntech]

We'll let you do the maths 😉

[@grantboydell1933]

Terrific idea from Ollie: integrate the chainwaxing (Cyclowax) functionality into a home trainer with an on/off switch.

[@MrIanD1]

Those nose glasses would be good against sunburn.

[@kokonanana1]

Had a skin cancer removed from my nose. Having the nose glasses might have prevented the cancer.

[@RoyHughes-tg9hh]

Having fair skin and the resulting sunburn numerous times, I am reasonably pleased with my Kato's

[@staff0flag]

Enjoy your expert eyes. We learn a lot just by listening to your banter. More please.

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

1966/67 Tom Simpson had frames built by Masi. Eddy Merckx had frames built by De Rosa. Karl-Heinz Kunde had frames built by Bernard Carre. Karl's bikes had Campag gears when all the others were using Simplex. All three rode for Peugeot with Peugeot's decals on the frames. Pug's thoughts were "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday." Going Non-Sponsor IS NOT NEW.

[@littlegoobie]

this is how some guitars are for the big rock stars too. They have guitars custom hand built in small shops. In the end, they resemble the big brand they're endorsing and they'll have the brand logo on the head but they are in fact not made by that company.

[@Chazz4804]

Really enjoyed this episode, very interesting thanks

[@wolfgangbeginners-mind2853]

Back in the 1970's we used to make a special "wax" and "graphite" powder stew and with a fully inoculated/clean chain, cook it for a bit and lay them out on new's papers to cool and drain...

[@mistermoore5784]

30:03 "A shrubbery!" "Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni- One that looks nice. And not too expensive."

[@BreakawayB]

Van Rysel TT bike is 🔥🔥🔥

[@eduardoschneider2010]

Amazing video guys. More of this please

[@Toastybear1]

There’s some really nice merch for the big French bike ride this year, hats off to whoever designed it all! There’s some nice subtle designs that cyclists recognise, but non cyclists don’t, which is perfect.

[@bengt_axle]

Should definitely ask Topeak for one of those pumps to give away here.

[@federicomurero]

So interesting tech 🤩

[@gcntech]

Fancy trying any of these out?

[@hendriksiering9077]

Love that rusty disc brake rotor on a canyon commercial picture 22:04 !! It´s all about the details!

[@jeffreyb.1657]

Shoes matter....get ones that fit your feet period. Please do a review on the new Trek bottles on other than the madone 8 frame...old madones, etc. I happen to use elite tt bottles on my madone 7 slr and feel it is peak aero..../???

[@jonkepko9217]

The super-light Dogma is the F10X Lite. My friend has one. It is very hard to find, but available. Still lighter than the F12, not sure about the new one.

[@wuzihuzi]

Bastion! Melbourne brand FTW!

[@urbangardan1]

Wout and Jonas using Dash saddle/seatpost combos on their TT bikes

[@CoffeeAddictLee]

video quality looks stellar! Stop fiddling with it! You've nailed it!

[@reinholdachleitner2069]

Awesome show,the bike vault was great,the Kobus and the Bastion's frames were huge,the riders must be at least 6'5.💯👌🏻✌🏻🚴‍♂️

[@Grizzrock]

07:40 "If you have a look, Van der Poel's stem definitely points down" 😂 (childish, I know)

[@Jeromin]

Pog is also on handlebars that are not released yet by ENVE you cant find the integrated ones he has anywhere.

[@velocafe]

I love the show and look forward to all your new content. Come back to Arizona and ride with us again soon

[@Kenyonascending]

They should do a 24hr of lemons version of the tour de france. Where bikes are capped at £500

[@tomg.542]

What about reverting to the very early rules with no team cars, all self-supported. Fix yer own bike, wash your own kit in the kitchen sink. No radios either. That would be a lot cheaper to run and more relatable to the average person. The fans would no doubt lend a hand with repairs resulting in all sorts of chaos.

[@mihaelverk9507]

always a treat to have alex on the show, because his way of ringing the super nice is extremely satisfying althogh the first one today was a bit of a disappointment :P

[@jeffstuart1466]

Never before have these two looked more like Beavis and Butt-Head than during the "big Mig" segment

[@ZenoIV]

Does Alex paint his hair?

[@DG-tf9rp]

#askgcntech What would it take, or what bike would it be , for Dr. Ollie to ring the bell? Viewers want to know.

[@vandal_ross]

Love you guys.... You are always making me want to spend money on something I want but can't afford!... hahaha

[@bikeanddogtripsvirtualcycling]

26:27 The name Appolonius - as in Appolonius or Rhodes is famous for having written the Argonautica (from where we get the Ray Harryhausen classic movie with the skeletons and Talos the bronze god from Jason and the Argonauts)

[@davidlilja9180]

Great episode guys. I didn't see it during the 1st TT but Cervelo did release a new P5, seems you missed it too?

[@russellmoore1533]

Back in 1980 when I was a club road racer in Australia, I was an aero weeny for the time, and I had an aero bidon that was a flat dishwashing liquid bottle, it took ages to wash out the detergent taste... The bottle cage was a squashed alloy one. Then there was the tiny bits of tape I added to the spoke nipples to make them 'aero'. I got lost in a race once when I made a long distance break away, I came in last, and when I got back to the finish there was a notice that aero road maps were for sale at the canteen!

[@elizande2548]

Have you guys seen the new unreleased Tourelly peddals

[@smithandshortdogs]

Dr. Bridgewood, isn't a lithium BOA dial an unnecessary risk? Would it not oxidise rapidly in the rain producing copious clouds of hydrogen and caustic aqueous Lithium Hydroxide? Is this not a possible fire risk?

[@Mike0]

like magnesium in frames?

[@abcxyz6880]

Remco used a Roval front wheel around 60mm looks like a prototype. (like the CLX 2 but deeper)

[@alexseguin5245]

Your French is coming along great Oli! Now, people from the UK can probably answer me, but I was under the impression that anybody that went through the UK school system would get French in the curriculum? Is that not the case?

[@mommamooney]

I did enjoy Alex’s Euro Bike tour, but missed Ollie’s food tour from last year

[@jascollinscork]

Pog has a custom saddle, Visma AND others drinking a 🍒 flavoured post race seemly has the same benefits as beetroot 🤷🏻 Cavs “sponsored” Nike shoes AND mini aero covers are a joke too ALSO Khun’s new TT BIKE😏

[@goansunborn]

New tech: Hidden motors, epo 2.0, hgh 2.0, aging riders gifted stages!

[@MggW]

Not many people will know, but Percy was at Eurobike last week. I'm surprised that he barely mentioned it.

[@wuzihuzi]

How is it legal for MVD to have a custom handlebar? I thought things had to be available for purchase.

[@mommamooney]

Non sponsored gear is used across all sports. My Olympian had to cover up his sunglasses logo. Sometimes team management gets sponsors that they like and not what the team finds useful

[@log_it8282]

AFAIK Pogacar is using a prototype ENVE 100mm front wheel. Aerocoach has the valve cover but no hidden spoke nipples. Hub is differerent too.

[@EditioCastigata]

23:31 Any chance Topeak will make one for Schwalbe’s Clik valve system?

[@superyamagucci]

How many watts at 40kph to wear these? ALL OF THEM

[@David-qx8jm]

Well if they told you then its not secret. Lmao

[@MTBScotland]

the canyon shoes got a roasting on pinkbike

[@grantboydell1933]

The TdF (& World Tour) riders may have custom, perfectly fitting clothing, but the Olympic MTBers definitely don't.

[@jvaraneta]

re: MVDP. Canyon should make available their CP0010 and CP0018 handlebars to the public. I remember their is a UCI rule about that.

[@atonchia]

The blue Robus bike had the GP5000 tyres in the wrong direction at the front wheel

[@jugaloo5873]

Secret tech.....I hear there might be 'special medicine'!

[@RoadBikeCC]

Been Using BananaWax TDF ChainWax For Over Ten Years. I Can Confirm Waxed Chains Definitely Last Longer.

[@Velo1010]

Isn’t the wax-based lubes better in wetter climates?

[@DannyPimienta]

I use waxed chains that a buddy of mines does for me. I am looking to fully convert to waxed chains. Can you do a segment on waxed chain maintenance and cleaning?

[@kalijasin]

Are you suppose to put air in the tires every time before going out on a ride? #AskGCNTech

[@bergerniklas6647]

When Oli says shrubbery and you can only think of Bob Mortimer...

[@gerrymcbride6429]

...or "First you must find... another shrubbery! Then, when you have found the shrubbery, you must place it here, beside this shrubbery, only slightly higher so you get a two layer effect with a little path running down the middle."

[@RHarvz]

Can you guys do a tech video on using Ketones? I’m hearing these very expensive drinks are worth it and would love a video testing them out.

[@XxxxTxTxxxX]

Marketing bullshit.

[@ndennan67]

Worth it if you’re pro or semi pro maybe. Very expensive for your everyday cyclist or someone racing in your local club league

[@Dabelgi]

Hi perfect French 😊, I have a question for ma tt bike , which is the best combo tubeless tyre ok tubetype + latex caa ?

[@psycsy]

No mention of Tadej TT bike saddle and seatpost combo that looks like it has aero vents?

[@AndrewTabbel]

Did Alex say they are a pair of nerds, or paraffin nerds?

[@wuzihuzi]

😂

[@jonathanzappala]

Enve didn’t make a disc wheel for the longest time. They even had Simon smart saying it wasn’t faster if you’re not going 50kph. And you knew it was bogus because the enve sponsored dimension data always had a disc wheel in TT’s. And I remember trek used to put Bontrager stickers on the disc wheels they were using.

[@RutagerWest]

The Cyclowax machine at first seems to be a solution searching for a problem when it is real easy and fast to remove your quick link and then immersive wax the chain... but, then I thought, maybe the pros that can put down serious power aren't using quick links as they might be weaker than standard rivets. Do you know if pros use quick links or not?

[@Eirikkinserdal]

im sure they are using quicklinks. Chances are a regular joined link is more likely to snap than a quicklink, by being too tight. I have experienced this 😅

[@insafhakim5113]

Ollie and Alex, take a look Mark Cav is wearing a Richard Mille watch, matches his kit and expensive. Richard Mille part of Team UAE group of sponsors.

[@jeffandersen6233]

That sucked almost all the air out of me. You made your point. What a giantic place.The antithesis of biking outside, getting away, and clearing ones head. Apparently no light weight single speeds or rear hub geared bikes that can customized for low or higher end gears. I'm old and just trying to accommodate all the battery powered machines. cant wait for your interviews

[@glennnicholls8510]

Ollie is arguably the biggest aesthete on GCN. What, in the name of Coppi, is he doing with 101 stickers plastered on his laptop?

[@lux-wattage]

Tom Pidcock uses a slightly different Pidcock.

[@aloniumbonium]

Do teams have access to aero tunnels to test which equipment is faster?

[@rob-c.]

Yes

[@isds6310]

This is basically a straight-up copy of Cade Media. Come on guys.. I see a lot of content appear on this channel that Cade Media has covered already. Even asking the same question about watts savings on the weird sunglasses. Word for word copy.

[@1972malberto]

Alex the crank dealer

[@wuzihuzi]

How does Cavandish find the Arione comfortable?!! It's like sitting on a plank of wood 😖

[@philstarling2827]

because he’s a huge @rse?

[@petedannatt]

OK Ollie, why are you promoting the UCI on the back of your laptop? Thought you were a "no jurisdiction here" man.

[@cmcockshoot]

look closely at the sticker… 😜

[@cmcockshoot]

@petedannatt Look closely at the sticker… 😜

[@oliverbridgewood3929]

look closer!

[@petedannatt]

@@oliverbridgewood3929 Lol. I stand corrected! Couldn't get enough detail in this episode, but managed to zoom in on one of the GCN Tech video shorts. Might need a close up in the next episode to dispell any doubts on your intentions. Also, maybe sell them in GCN shop!

[@f.kieranfinney457]

In the steel frame era the bikes were completely custom made to a rider. Even regular people could have that service. I’d have thought the top riders would have custom carbon Who knew!

[@adadinthelifeofacyclist]

So basically, the team truck that Ollie had been in happened to smell like his aftershave?

[@lesflynn4455]

I thought Ollie would be getting a stiffy over the "active nasal aero" sunglasses.

[@robertgreiner4703]

@GCN Tech: TDF TT Tech coming up?

[@luisrosoccer]

Ollie didn’t even recognize the “feelings” part of the comment. Is there a GCN romance in the mix? Where’s the HOT tech about that?

[@iffy_too4289]

I feel dirty... I'm watching GCN Tech all the time and I only ride MTB.

[@BooklessT]

A few things.....Firstly I can't be the first to comment on Ollie's halo. Doesn't Alex qualify for one yet? Secondly, yes the tdf riders are using the "same" frames as we can buy, but I'd be willing to bet that whilst dimensionally similar, the ones supplied to the teams are the result of different manufacture, materials and a great deal of QC, and not quite the same as the Joe Public offerings.

[@izi941]

Sram also has different equipment for sponsored teams

[@gregknipe8772]

well, we have gone from the obsession with (the obvious) Aero, to the old obsession, waxed chains.

[@jamesmedlow]

THE PRICE OF CYCLING SHOES!??!

[@kokonanana1]

711s Huffy bikes were not made by Huffy.

[@boipink]

That bike vault was a bit mean

[@kieranfrend3831]

Hi @gcntech Please can you help? I'm looking to upgrade my 2013 campag sirocco 35mm alloy wheels for a 52mm Hunt aerodynamicist carbon set. I'd be saving around 200g weight but obvs would have some aero gains. What would this equate to aprox in watts saving?. I ride mainly flat roads if this helps. Thanks and love the show!

[@doctorscoot]

_Special custom handlebars_ ??? Wait a minute, UCI article 1.3.006 states: “Equipment shall be of a type that is sold for use by anyone practicing cycling as a sport. Any equipment in development phase and not yet available for sale (prototype) must be subject of an authorization request to the UCI equipment Unit before its use. Authorization will be granted only for equipment which is in the final stage of development and for which commercialization will take place no later than 12 months after the first use in competition. The manufacturer may request a single prolongation of the prototype status if justified by relevant reasons. When assessing a request for use of equipment which is not yet available for sale, the UCI equipment Unit will pay particular attention to safety of the equipment which will be submitted to it for authorization. The use of equipment designed especially for the attainment of a particular performance (record or other) shall be not authorised. Upon expiry of the authorized period of use of a prototype (equipment not yet available for sale), any item of equipment must be commercially available in order to be used in cycling events. The requirement of commercial availability shall be understood as equipment having to be available through a publicly available order system (whether with manufacturer, distributor or retailer). Upon an order being placed, the order shall be confirmed within 30 days and the relevant equipment shall be made available for delivery within a further 90-day deadline. In addition, the retail price of the equipment shall be publicly advertised, shall not render the equipment de facto unavailable to the general public and shall not unreasonably exceed the market value for equipment of a similar standard. Any equipment which is not commercially available and is not authorised (not authorised by UCI equipment Unit or authorised period expired), may not be used in cycling events governed by the UCI Regulations. Any such unauthorised use of equipment may be sanctioned by disqualification of results obtained when using the equipment and/or a fine ranging from CHF 5’000 to 100’000.”

[@jasehoad9397]

You sound fun 🙄🙄🙄

[@brucevelo1]

Somebody please turn the light on.

[@gerrymcbride6429]

That last bike on The Vault was possibly the most horrible bike I've ever seen.

[@alphamrc309]

ManonOllie… eh ManOnOllie… no MOllie…. ? OlOn… ?!

[@rodrigovcosta]

Hello! I reside in Brazil, and unfortunately, we do not have a GCN Channel here. It would be wonderful if we could have a GCN Brazil. Could you kindly send a GCN representative to assist us in this matter? 😅😅😅

[@brendanwheatley]

Calling my domane a emonda 😮 I will submit another upload and try to redeem myself on that one 🤣🤣

[@richardharris8538]

I'd wear the beaky glasses for 0 Watts at 40 kph. I'd just be glad to get the 40 kph.

[@Mrjokerboy_]

I uploaded my bike but you never showed or rate it😢

[@igorkutcher61]

Alex the crank dealer...

[@benspeller8635]

Bzzzzzzz ⚙️

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

Wiggo's bike MUST have been 6.8kg or more. A well fitted bike feels lighter than an ill fitted bike. A really well fitted heavier bike can out-perform an ill fitted light bike. Talking about 0.5 kg difference.

[@whynotride327]

I am amazed that no one ever seems to notice the difference in the helmets that are used in pro races versus what we can buy. Look at how much smaller and closer fitting their helmets are. Ray Charles could see the difference.

[@Mikoaj-ub7pg]

Timestamps are wrong

[@edhickman495]

first comment ever and it is to quote "looks like a knda place people go to commit crimes"