It’s now customary for the Tour de France jersey winners to ride into Paris on custom-painted machines but, with Tadej Pogačar winning three of the 2020 Tour’s four classifications, that left only two bikes for us to admire on the final stage.
Pogačar celebrated his first Tour triumph aboard a yellow Colnago V3Rs, while Sam Bennett marked his victory in the points classification with a green Specialized Tarmac SL7 (and another stage win).
Pogačar produced a remarkable performance to overturn a 57-second deficit on the stage 20 time trial and displace Primož Roglič as race leader, winning the best young rider and King of the Mountains classifications in the process.
Irishman Bennett started the final stage safe in the knowledge that he had won the green jersey and duly confirmed his status as the Tour’s stand-out fast man by winning the sprint on the Champs-Élysées.
Italian job
Pogačar, the youngest Tour winner since 1904, rode a yellow Colnago for the crowning stage – the first time a bike from the storied Italian brand has officially been ridden to Tour de France glory.
Early frames designed and built by Ernesto Colnago were used by riders (including five-time champion Eddy Merckx) under different brand names, but this is the first time a rider has crossed the Paris finish line in the yellow jersey on a bike adorned with the Colnago logo.
The V3Rs is Colnago’s all-round race bike – and yes, Pogačar’s bike has rim brakes, although a disc-ready V3Rs is also available and was used by the Slovenian's team-mate, Alexander Kristoff, when he won stage one.
The successor to the V2R was launched in 2019 and has a 790g claimed frame weight, semi-aero tube profiles and clearance for 30mm tyres.
Pogačar’s bike was equipped with a Campagnolo Super Record EPS 12-speed groupset throughout the race, making this an all-Italian affair, and was shod with 60mm-deep Campagnolo Bora WTO wheels for the fast run-in to Paris.
Pogačar also received the maillot jaune treatment from head to toe, including his MET Trenta helmet, DMT KR1 shoes and Scicon Aeroshade sunglasses.
Together we win
Bennett, meanwhile, secured overall victory in the points classification on stage 19 after a dogged fight with seven-time green jersey winner Peter Sagan throughout the race.
Sagan eventually finished second behind Bennett on the final stage, with the Irishman securing a comfortable win to double-up on his stage ten victory, and in the final points classification.
Bennett may have won two stages and the green jersey at the Tour but his success was backed by a group effort from the Deceuninck-QuickStep team, shepherding the 29-year-old in bunch sprints and tactically nullifying Sagan’s efforts to hoover up intermediate sprint points.
With that in mind, Bennett’s custom-painted Specialized Tarmac S-Works SL7 reads “Together we win”, although Specialized designer Kayla Clarot says the frame's finish has a far greater meaning.
“We wanted this bike to pull in more than just the single jersey colour to exemplify that it’s never just one colour or one human that makes change or helps a person be victorious,” said Clarot.
“The frame’s intent was to convey a sense of peaceful energy and feel like a breath of fresh air. It’s a moment of celebration and we did it together.”
The Tarmac SL7 was launched ahead of the Tour de France as a replacement for both the existing SL6 and the Venge aero bike.
The flagship S-Works frame has a claimed weight of 800g and incorporates some of the aero features previously found on the now-discontinued Venge, including sculpted tube profiles and sleek, dropped seatstays.
Bennett’s bike has a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset but otherwise Specialized provides the finishing kit and tyres, as well as wheels from sub-brand Roval.
