Jonas Vingegaard rode a Cervélo bike to his second Tour de France overall win in 2023 with SRAM Red eTap AXS electronic groupset and Reserve Wheels.
Depending on the stage profile, Jonas Vingegaard’s bike can be a Cervelo R5, S5, or P3.
- Cervélo R5 is an all-rounder, lightweight road race bike for the mountains.
- Cervélo S5 is an aero bike for the flat stages.
- Cervélo P5 is a time trial bike that Jonas rode to win the Stage 16 ITT.
Throughout 110 editions (up to 2023), the Tour de France has been won by 36 different bike brands. Many of these brands are unknown to cycling fans today. Few bike brands, such as Colnago, Pinarello, Specialized, and Trek, are synonymous with cycling fans today.
The road bike industry has undergone massive change and innovation in the past 20 years by introducing new technologies such as electronic shifting, carbon fiber frames, disc brakes, and tubeless tires.
This article will go back in history and explore all the Tour de France winning bikes.
Pinarello – 15 wins
Pinarello has a long history in cycling, dating back to 19534, when it was founded by Giovanni Pinarello in Treviso, Italy. With 15 Tour de France wins, Pinarello is the most successful bike brand at the Tour de France.
Pinarello’s dominance at the Tour de France can be summed up in two eras.
- Mid-1990s. Miguel Indurain won four consecutive Tour de France from 1992 to 1995, followed by Bjarne Riis (1996) and Jan Ullrich (1997).
- Mid-2010s. Team Sky (Ineos-Grenadiers) won seven Tour de France with Bradley Wiggins (2012), Chris Froome (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017), Geraint Thomas (2018), and Egan Bernal (2019).
Today, Pinarello’s top-of-the-line bike is the Pinarello Dogma F.
More reading : Pinarello Road Bike Line Up Explained
L’Auto – 10 wins
L’Auto (now L’Equipe) is not a bike brand but the French newspaper that started the Tour de France in 1903.
From 1930 to 1939, Henri Desgrange, the newspaper’s owner, required all riders to paint their bikes’ downtube with L’Auto as part of the marketing campaign and publicity stunt to increase the race profile.
During that period, riders competed based on national teams, so there wasn’t any commercial conflict of interest.
Peugeot – 10 wins
Today, most of us know Peugeot as the French automotive brand. Peugeot started making bicycles way back in 1882 and won their first Tour de France with Louis Trousselier in 1905 and their last win came in 1977 with Bernard Thévenet.
In the past 50 years, the bicycle arm of Peugeot has gone through various ownership. Today it’s part of Cycleuope, which owns bike brands such as Bianchi and Gitane.
Here’s an interesting fact; Peugeot has a complete bike lineup from road to mountain, city, kids, and electric bikes.
2023 Tour de France Bikes and Gear
Gitane – 9 wins
Gitane is a French bike brand synonymous with racing from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s. All nine of Gitane’s Tour de France wins occurred during this period with legendary French riders such as Bernard Hinault (4), Jacques Anquetil (2), Laurent Fignon (2), and Belgian Lucien Van Impe (1).
Today, Gitane is part of Cycleuope, which owns the Bianchi and Peugeot bike brands. Gitane produces mostly city and mountain bikes today. They don’t have much presence outside of France.
Trek – 10 wins
Founded in 1976, Trek is one of the leading bike brands today with its men’s and women’s World Tour teams.
Trek’s first Tour de France win was in 1999 by Lance Armstrong. For the next seven years until 2005, Lance Armstrong dominated the Tour de France, helping to raise Trek’s profile in the United States and worldwide. In 2012, all seven of Lance’s Tour de France wins were nulled.
Trek’s other three Tour de France wins were with Alberto Contador in 2007, 2009, and 2010 although the 2010 win was later nulled.
Trek offers the riders three types of road bikes; Trek Emonda (lightweight), Trek Madone (aero) and Trek Domane (endurance), and the Trek Speed Concept (TT).
More reading : Trek Road Bikes Line Up Explained
Alcyon – 7 wins
Alcyon was a French bicycle, motorcycle, and automotive brand active from 1903 to 1954. They sponsored their own cycling team from 1905 to 1959 under different names such as Alcyon-Dunlop, Alcyon-Soly, Alcyon-Armor, and Alcyon-Leroux
Their first Tour de France win was in 1909 with François Faber, a Luxembourgian rider. Their last win was in 1929 with Belgian Maurice De Waele. From 1930 onwards, the Tour de France organizers required the teams to paint their bikes’ downtube with L’Auto, the newspaper that started the Tour de France.
Eddy Merckx – 5 wins
Eddy Merckx is no stranger to cycling fans. He’s widely known as the most successful cyclist of all time, winning the Tour de France (5 times), Giro d’ Italia (5 times), and 34 Tour de France stages.
The Eddy Merckx bike brand was only started in 1980 after he retired. Eddy Merckx was riding bikes built by Masi and Kessels with his name painted on the downtube for his five Tour de France wins.
In 2008, Eddy Merckx sold all his shares in the company to Sobradis, a Belgian holding company. In 2017, another Belgian company, Race Productions, which owns Ridley Bikes, took over Eddy Merckx after struggling with sales for the past decade.
Automoto – 4 wins
Automoto was a French bicycle and motorcycle manufacturer that started in 1902. It was the dominant bike brand in the mid-1920s, with four consecutive Tour de France wins from 1923 to 1923 with three different riders.
In 1930, it was bought by Peugeot and sadly discontinued in 1962.
Bianchi – 3 wins
Bianchi is the oldest bicycle manufacturing company today. It was founded in Italy back in 1885 by Edoardo Bianchi who was a 21-year-old medical instrument maker.
All of Bianchi’s three Tour de France wins were achieved by Italian riders. Fausto Coppi won in 1949 and 1952 and Marco Pantini won in 1998. Bianchi was present at the World Tour with Team Jumbo-Visma (2014 to 2020) and Team BikeExchange (2021.
Team Arkea-Samsic will ride the Bianchi Oltre (aero) and Bianchi Specialissima (lightweight) at the 2023 Tour de France.
Today, Bianchi bikes are known for their Celeste color, also known as Bianchi Green.
Colnago – 3 wins
Colnago has a long history, dating back to 1952. It was founded by Ernesto Colnago near Milan, Italy. In May 2020, Chimera Investments LLC, based in the UAE, acquired a majority stake in Colnago.
Colnago’s first Tour de France win was in 1960 by Italian rider, Gastone Nencini. It was a long 60-year wait for their second win until Tadej Pogačar won two consecutive Tour de France in 2020 and 2021. He also won the Best Young Rider and Climber Classification in these two years riding the Colnago V3Rs.
In 2023, Tadej Pogačar will be riding the Colnago V4Rs in an attempt to win his third Tour de France General Classification.
Helyett – 3 wins
Helyett is a little-known French bicycle manufacturer started by the Picard brothers in 1926. It took its name from a lead character from a late 19th-century play, Miss Helyett, which is why the Helyett logo has a young women’s face on it.
Frenchman, Jacques Anquetil won three of his five Tour de France onboard a Helyett bike in 1957, 1961, and 1962.
La Sportive – 3 wins
La Sportive’s three Tour de France wins occurred right after World War 1, from 1919 to 1921. Right after the war, Europe was in bad shape and many bicycle manufacturers were either out of business or didn’t have the manufacturing capabilities.
The remaining brands include Alcyon, Armor, Automoto, Clément, La Française, Gladiator, Griffon, Hurtu, Labor, Liberator, Peugeot, and Thomann came together. They provided more than half the peloton with various bicycles and components so that the Tour de France can take place.
Once each brand recovered from the aftermath of World War 1, La Sportive disbanded in 1922.
Tour de France winning bikes by year
| Year | Winner | Nationality | Team | Bike brand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Jonas Vingegaard | Denmark | Team Jumbo-Visma | Cervélo |
| 2022 | Jonas Vingegaard | Denmark | Team Jumbo-Visma | Cervélo |
| 2021 | Tadej Pogačar | Slovenia | UAE Team Emirates | Colnago |
| 2020 | Tadej Pogačar | Slovenia | UAE Team Emirates | Colnago |
| 2019 | Egan Bernal | Colombia | Team Ineos | Pinarello |
| 2018 | Geraint Thomas | Great Britain | Team Sky | Pinarello |
| 2017 | Chris Froome | Great Britain | Team Sky | Pinarello |
| 2016 | Chris Froome | Great Britain | Team Sky | Pinarello |
| 2015 | Chris Froome | Great Britain | Team Sky | Pinarello |
| 2014 | Vincenzo Nibali | Italy | Astana | Specialized |
| 2013 | Chris Froome | Great Britain | Team Sky | Pinarello |
| 2012 | Bradley Wiggins | Great Britain | Team Sky | Pinarello |
| 2011 | Cadel Evans | Australia | BMC Racing Team | BMC |
| 2010 | Andy Schleck | Luxembourg | Team Saxo Bank | Specialized |
| 2009 | Alberto Contador | Spain | Astana | Trek |
| 2008 | Carlos Sastre | Spain | Team CSC | Cervélo |
| 2007 | Alberto Contador | Spain | Discovery Channel | Trek |
| 2006 | Óscar Pereiro | Spain | Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears | Pinarello |
| 2005 | Lance Armstrong | United States | Discovery Channel | Trek |
| 2004 | Lance Armstrong | United States | US Postal Service-Discovery Channel | Trek |
| 2003 | Lance Armstrong | United States | US Postal Service | Trek |
| 2002 | Lance Armstrong | United States | US Postal Service | Trek |
| 2001 | Lance Armstrong | United States | US Postal Service | Trek |
| 2000 | Lance Armstrong | United States | US Postal Service | Trek |
| 1999 | Lance Armstrong | United States | US Postal Service | Trek |
| 1998 | Marco Pantani | Italy | Mercatone Uno-Bianchi | Bianchi |
| 1997 | Jan Ullrich | Germany | Team Telekom | Pinarello |
| 1996 | Bjarne Riis | Denmark | Team Telekom | Pinarello |
| 1995 | Miguel Indurain | Spain | Banesto | Pinarello |
| 1994 | Miguel Indurain | Spain | Banesto | Pinarello |
| 1993 | Miguel Indurain | Spain | Banesto | Pinarello |
| 1992 | Miguel Indurain | Spain | Banesto | Pinarello |
| 1991 | Miguel Indurain | Spain | Banesto | Razesa |
| 1990 | Greg LeMond | United States | Z-Tomasso | Greg LeMond |
| 1989 | Greg LeMond | United States | AD Renting-W-Cup-Bottecchia | Bottecchia |
| 1988 | Pedro Delgado | Spain | Reynolds | Pinarello |
| 1987 | Stephen Roche | Ireland | Carrera Jeans-Vagabond | Battaglin |
| 1986 | Greg LeMond | United States | La Vie Claire | Look |
| 1985 | Bernard Hinault | France | La Vie Claire | Hinault |
| 1984 | Laurent Fignon | France | Renault-Elf | Gitane |
| 1983 | Laurent Fignon | France | Renault-Elf | Gitane |
| 1982 | Bernard Hinault | France | Renault-Elf-Gitane | Gitane |
| 1981 | Bernard Hinault | France | Renault-Elf-Gitane | Gitane |
| 1980 | Joop Zoetemelk | Netherlands | TI-Raleigh-Creda | Raleigh |
| 1979 | Bernard Hinault | France | Renault-Gitane | Gitane |
| 1978 | Bernard Hinault | France | Renault-Gitane-Campagnolo | Gitane |
| 1977 | Bernard Thévenet | France | Peugeot-Esso-Michelin | Peugeot |
| 1976 | Lucien Van Impe | Belgium | Gitane-Campagnolo | Gitane |
| 1975 | Bernard Thévenet | France | Peugeot-BP-Michelin | Peugeot |
| 1974 | Eddy Merckx | Belgium | Molteni | Eddy Merckx |
| 1973 | Luis Ocaña | Spain | Bic | Motobécane |
| 1972 | Eddy Merckx | Belgium | Molteni | Eddy Merckx |
| 1971 | Eddy Merckx | Belgium | Molteni | Eddy Merckx |
| 1970 | Eddy Merckx | Belgium | Faemino-Faema | Eddy Merckx |
| 1969 | Eddy Merckx | Belgium | Faema | Eddy Merckx |
| 1968 | Jan Janssen | Netherlands | Pelforth-Sauvage-Lejeune | Sauvage-Lejeune |
| 1967 | Roger Pingeon | France | Peugeot-BP-Michelin | Peugeot |
| 1966 | Lucien Aimar | France | Ford France-Hutchinson | Géminiani |
| 1965 | Felice Gimondi | Italy | Salvarani | Magni |
| 1964 | Jacques Anquetil | France | Saint-Raphaël-Gitane-Dunlop | Gitane |
| 1963 | Jacques Anquetil | France | Saint-Raphaël-Gitane-R. Geminiani | Gitane |
| 1962 | Jacques Anquetil | France | Saint-Raphaël-Helyett-Hutchinson | Helyett |
| 1961 | Jacques Anquetil | France | France | Helyett |
| 1960 | Gastone Nencini | Italy | Italy | Colnago |
| 1959 | Federico Bahamontes | Spain | Spain | Coppi |
| 1958 | Charly Gaul | Luxembourg | Luxembourg | Guerra |
| 1957 | Jacques Anquetil | France | France | Helyett |
| 1956 | Roger Walkowiak | France | France | Géminiani |
| 1955 | Louison Bobet | France | France | Mercier |
| 1954 | Louison Bobet | France | France | Stella |
| 1953 | Louison Bobet | France | France | Stella |
| 1952 | Fausto Coppi | Italy | Italy | Bianchi |
| 1951 | Hugo Koblet | Switzerland | Switzerland | La Perle |
| 1950 | Ferdinand Kübler | Switzerland | Switzerland | Fréjus |
| 1949 | Fausto Coppi | Italy | Italy | Bianchi |
| 1948 | Gino Bartali | Italy | Italy | Legnano |
| 1947 | Jean Robic | France | France | Génial-Lucifer |
| 1939 | Sylvère Maes | Belgium | Belgium | L’Auto |
| 1938 | Gino Bartali | Italy | Italy | L’Auto |
| 1937 | Roger Lapébie | France | France | L’Auto |
| 1936 | Sylvère Maes | Belgium | Belgium | L’Auto |
| 1935 | Romain Maes | Belgium | Belgium | L’Auto |
| 1934 | Antonin Magne | France | France | L’Auto |
| 1933 | Georges Speicher | France | France | L’Auto |
| 1932 | André Leducq | France | France | L’Auto |
| 1931 | Antonin Magne | France | France | L’Auto |
| 1930 | André Leducq | France | Alcyon-Dunlop | L’Auto |
| 1929 | Maurice De Waele | Belgium | Alcyon-Dunlop | Alcyon |
| 1928 | Nicolas Frantz | Luxembourg | Alcyon-Dunlop | Alcyon |
| 1927 | Nicolas Frantz | Luxembourg | Alcyon-Dunlop | Alcyon |
| 1926 | Lucien Buysse | Belgium | Automoto-Hutchinson | Automoto |
| 1925 | Ottavio Bottecchia | Italy | Automoto-Hutchinson | Automoto |
| 1924 | Ottavio Bottecchia | Italy | Automoto | Automoto |
| 1923 | Henri Pélissier | France | Automoto-Hutchinson | Automoto |
| 1922 | Firmin Lambot | Belgium | Peugeot-Wolber | Peugeot |
| 1921 | Léon Scieur | Belgium | La Sportive | La Sportive |
| 1920 | Philippe Thys | Belgium | La Sportive | La Sportive |
| 1919 | Firmin Lambot | Belgium | La Sportive | La Sportive |
| 1914 | Philippe Thys | Belgium | Peugeot-Wolber | Peugeot |
| 1913 | Philippe Thys | Belgium | Peugeot-Wolber | Peugeot |
| 1912 | Odile Defraye | Belgium | Alcyon-Dunlop | Alcyon |
| 1911 | Gustave Garrigou | France | Alcyon-Dunlop | Alcyon |
| 1910 | Octave Lapize | France | Alcyon-Dunlop | Alcyon |
| 1909 | François Faber | Luxembourg | Alcyon-Dunlop | Alcyon |
| 1908 | Lucien Petit-Breton | France | Peugeot-Wolber | Peugeot |
| 1907 | Lucien Petit-Breton | France | Peugeot-Wolber | Peugeot |
| 1906 | René Pottier | France | Peugeot-Wolber | Peugeot |
| 1905 | Louis Trousselier | France | Peugeot-Wolber | Peugeot |
| 1904 | Henri Cornet | France | Conte | Conte |
| 1903 | Maurice Garin | France | La Française | La Française |
Tour de France Records and Stats
Alex Lee is the founder and editor-at-large of Mr. Mamil. Coming from a professional engineering background, he breaks down technical cycling nuances into an easy-to-understand and digestible format here.
He has been riding road bikes actively for the past 12 years and started racing competitively in the senior category during the summer recently.