Updated – 02/07/2024: This article was originally published on Friday 28 June, ahead of the start of the 2024 Tour de France, but has been updated with new images after three stages of the race.
We’ve spotted a new Van Rysel aero bike, the FCR, at the Tour de France.
Van Rysel, Decathlon’s premium bike brand, entered the WorldTour at the start of 2024, with the European multi-sport retailer also assuming co-sponsorship of the Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale team.
Until now, the team has been riding the Van Rysel RCR Pro, the brand’s all-rounder. Like many of the latest Tour de France race bikes, it attempts to balance aerodynamics and low weight, with the frame weighing a claimed 790g.
While a growing number of brands are simplifying their ranges by offering one do-it-all race bike – Trek is the latest to jump on board with that trend by redesigning the Madone and discontinuing the Émonda – Van Rysel appears to be heading in the other direction.
We spotted the new aero bike at the Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale team hotel ahead of the 2024 Tour de France.
While we were quickly shooed away from the new bike in Florence, we did get an initial look, and a number of the team's riders, including Oliver Naesen, Sam Bennett and Felix Gall have been riding it during the opening three stages.
The new bike appears to be named the FCR (it’s on the top tube).
An FCR was first teased by Van Rysel last year but that looked closer to the RCR in design; this new machine is significantly more aerodynamic in its tube shapes.
Van Rysel’s aero road helmet is also named the FCR, so there’s a theme here.
The head tube is notably deeper and more heavily truncated than the RCR Pro, while the down tube and seat tube also sport a more rectangular design than the team’s current bike.
The aero touches continue at the rear of the bikes, with knife-like, bladed seatstays on the FCR.
Compared to the RCR Pro’s more flowing, rounded design, the fork has a deeper profile, with a squared-off base at the dropouts.
The bike we’ve seen at the Tour de France has a Deda integrated cockpit, with aero spacers at the rear to help the front-end cut through the wind.
That’s all we know for now, but look out for this one over the next three weeks. You can’t miss it, thanks to the distinctive ‘camouflage’ paint job.
We’ll bring you more, when we know more.
