The top male riders at Paris-Roubaix took differing approaches to tech, with some riding their standard race set-ups while others, especially Tadej Pogačar, optimised to the hilt for the cobbles. 

We were at the men's race start in Compiègne to photograph their bikes, and observe and quiz the mechanics doing their final checks. 

In addition to Tadej Pogačar's heavily modded Colnago Y1Rs, we shot the bikes of winner Wout van Aert, third-place Jasper Stuvyen, Mads Pedersen, Kasper Asgreen, and Filippo Ganna. To come, we've also got a full tech gallery featuring all the tricks and trends we spotted.

Wout van Aert – Cervélo S5

Having raced the more forgiving Cervélo Soloist at last year's race, 2026 champion Van Aert was back on the S5 aero bike, like the rest of the Visma-Lease a bike men's team. Covered in a veneer of dust from the dry cobbles, the bike still wears the drama of everything that just happened.

The Belgian mixed a 54-tooth SRAM aero chainring on 172.5mm cranks with a small 10-30t Red cassette and matching derailleur. This combination provides much smaller steps between gears than the XPLR AXS cassette and rear mech some SRAM-sponsored teams used. The gamble is to give up the extra chain security offered by the stronger-clutched gravel derailleur. A closer look at the chain itself indicates it is waxed. 

The S5 officially clears a 34mm-wide tyre and the 700x32c Vittoria Corsa Pro inflated on Reserve 42/49 rims (25.4mm front and 24.8mm rear internal width) looks close to this.

Tadej Pogačar – Colnago Y1RS

Paris-Roubaix is a flat race by Monument standards, but Pogačar is enough of a weight-weenie to opt for the blacked-out and paintless version of Colnago's aero bike. At the Y1Rs' aggressive front end, Pogačar has one spacer to raise the stem up the recessed head tube to be flush with the top tube. 

For the second time we're aware of, Pogačar has switched to single chainring in a road race, after doing so to win Milan-Sanremo in March. He ran a 56-tooth Carbon Ti whopper on 165mm Dura-Ace cranks paired to an 11-30t cassette. He has a chain catcher from K-Edge for security. Carbon Ti also supplies the red direct-mount derailleur hanger, which is claimed to save weight and enable crisper shifting.

The Slovenian's deeper Enve SES 6.7 front wheel was fitted with a 700x35c Continental GP5000 S TR. On the 25mm internal rim, this barely squeezes into the fork. On the shallower rear rim, the SES 4.5, he had the same tyre in a 700x32c width, probably due to clearance constraints. The availability of the GP5000 S TR in the wider sizes, compared against than the faster but more fragile TT TR, his usual favourite, seems to have won out. 

Jasper Stuvyen – Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8

Jasper Stuvyen rode a Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 with a few notable modifications into third place. He had a 56T-tooth single aero chainring from a third-party brand on Shimano Dura-Ace cranks. To increase chain security, he used a K-Edge chain catcher bearing Soudal Quick-Step's 'Wolfpack' nickname.

Instead of the XTR Di2 derailleur some Shimano-supported teams deployed, Stuvyen has the semi-wireless GRX Di2 RX825 rear mech. This is also clutched to reduce the likelihood of chain drops and appears to have worked well for Stuvyen. 

Specialized's in-house brand Roval supplied the wheels which are shod with newly launched Specialized Cotton TLR tyres in a 700x32c size. 

Mathieu van der Poel – Canyon Aeroad CFR

Despite winning the E3 Saxo Classic aboard the recently released Canyon Endurace, van der Poel reverted to his tried-and-trusted Aeroad, the aero bike he has ridden to his three Paris-Roubaix victories. 

As usual, the Dutchman chose a 2x conventional set-up with the pro-sized 55/40 Shimano Dura-Ace chainrings. He was riding unreleased Dura-Ace wheels which appear to have carbon spokes – the current product code is WH-R9270 and you can read WH-R9370 on the hubs, where it also says 'prototype'. These mid-section rims were wrapped in Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS tyres in a 700x32c size. Probably for durability reasons, he picked these instead of the Italian brand's new aero tyre, the P Zero Race TLR SL-R.

Filippo Ganna – Pinarello Dogma F

The Italian isn't usually one for radical tech but made a few tweaks to his Pinarello Dogma F, switching to a single 55-tooth chainring and a Shimano XTR Di2 M9250 mountain bike derailleur.

This fully wireless mech could be less prone to failure than the semi-wireless Dura-Ace Di2 derailleur, whose cables could snag something or loosen. What's more, its clutch should make chain drops less likely. We also saw this on TotalEnergies' Cube Litening aero bikes. Shimano's groupset cross-compatibility means this MTB part works with the 11-34 Dura-Ace cassette. 

Ineos shunned Scope's range topping Artech wheels in favour of the second-rung R-Series wrapped in 700x32c Continental GP5000 S TR tyres. This is possibly due to concerns over the stiffness caused by the carbon spokes of the 'fish-scale' Artech. 

Mads Pedersen – Trek Madone SLR

Former world champion Mads Pedersen received a special edition Trek Madone celebrating the brand's 50th anniversary. 

But the standout detail, which all Lidl-Trek bikes incorporated, is the double-valved Odyssey Optis system, an inflatable TPU tyre liner. First reported by Cyclingnews, this lies inside the tyre and despite being at a high pressure it doesn't expand. It is supposed to help keep the tyre on the rim and make it safer to continue riding after puncturing the tubeless set-up. 

Lidl-Trek said its innovation team had applied the technology, which is used in BMX, to the cobbled classics because the added security compensates for minor increases to weight and rolling resistance. The wheels themselves are Bontrager's A64 gravel wheels rolling on 700c32c Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS tyres.

Pedersen paired a massive 1x SRAM aero chainring with a 10-28t cassette, one of the smallest we saw on the day. Satellite shifters attached to the underside of the handlebar would have allowed him to change gear with his hands on the tops.