Specialized bikes have always carried a reputation of reliability, performance and build quality. That is why the best teams in cycling choose Specialized components to race and train on and why those teams include some of the best riders in the world. That’s not just us saying that either, one of them literally is the world champion. Let’s look at the professional teams that are sitting atop Specialized bikes this season.
They may be rivals on the road, but one thing that universally links all these teams is the awesome raw power and speed of the S-Works Tarmac SL7. With a boat-load of victories under its belt already this season, it’s no wonder so many riders love our one bike to rule them all. Putting an end to the need for separate climbing and aero bikes, the Tarmac SL7 blends both worlds in a bike that is as aerodynamic as the Venge while being at the UCI’s minimum weight limit.
The WorldTour teams under the Specialized wing even had their bikes specially fitted to each rider at their respective training camps thanks to Retul Fit experts. Utilizing Specialized's most advanced technologies from their FreeFoil Library to the all-new Rider-First Engineered™ frame, there’s no wonder the bike has already been so successful. In addition, with their exceptional stability and aerodynamic prowess, Roval’s new CLX Rapide wheels are the cherry on top of the performance cake. As well as bikes and Roval components, Specialized also provides all the teams below with helmets, shoes and tyres for the season ahead.
The best women’s team in the world, Team SD Worx already have big results under their belt this year thanks to the Belgian champion, current Women’s WorldTour leader (at the time of writing) and 2022 Strade Bianche victor Lotte Kopecky. The team’s bike matches the design of the jersey and has been coated in an eye-catching metallic purple and pink finish. The best for the best.
Fabio Jakobsen, Mark Cavendish, Remco Evenepoel, Kasper Asgreen, the list of talents on the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team is endless. Their 2022 bikes have a classy blue metallic fade and are enhanced by the all-new Dura-Ace system.
We couldn’t possibly forget about the best of the best, the world champion Julian Alaphilippe. The double rainbow winner gets a custom design that is inspired by the emotion, sacrifice and swirl of competition.
A team of some of the best sprinters including Sam Bennett and Danny Van Poppel as well as climbing aces Wilco Kelderman and Sergio Higuita, Bora Hansgrohe put the Tarmac SL7 through its multi-use paces. Opting for a stealthy look, the bikes follow a cool solid black colourway with some turquoise accents to match BORA's classy kit.
New on the roster of Specialized teams for 2022 thanks to the signing of Slovakian champion Peter Sagan, is the French TotalEnergies squad. With a multi-coloured kit, it can be difficult to match everything but their Tarmac SL7's do it perfectly thanks to a stunning red to black fade.
Like Alaphilippe, three-time world champion Sagan gets a unique paint design. Paying tribute to his roots, his Tarmac SL7 sports a stylish metallic blue frame with a bright red seat post meaning that as usual, all eyes will be on him in 2022.
Compared to the other teams in this article, the continental Trinity Racing team breaks the mould as a multi-discipline outfit. The team includes developing road, MTB, gravel, cyclocross and e-racing riders so they need a fleet of Specialized bikes to match their extensive talents. The blue and black paint job with pink and green accents on their SL7 Tarmacs and Epic FSR MTB frames are particularly special and set the British team out from the competition.
Finally, also on the S-Works Tarmac is a Stateside team with big plans to shake up cycling, L39ION of Los Angeles. As criterium experts and North American racing dominators, L39ION’s bikes need a unique livery and that’s what they have in the form of this beautiful white and silver design that matches the vibes of their kit. Learn more about the team and the Williams brothers in our article Legion of LA.
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Inspired to ride like the pros? To find out more about all the Specialized kit, bikes and tech mentioned in this article, come down to one of our stores, and try it out for yourself. Speak to one of our friendly staff members and get inspired to take on any challenge and become the next Alaphilippe, Kopecky, Sagan or Williams.
