Andy Devaney
The Tour de France is back, baby—and with it comes all the sweat, glory, Lycra, and lunacy you’d expect from the world’s most iconic cycling show.
From July 5th to July 27th, France will once again be riddled with breakaways, brutal climbs, and bursts of brilliance as the men’s peloton kicks off in Lille and grinds its way to Paris over 3,338 kilometres of pure theatre.
But the curtain doesn’t close there. As the men collapse across the Champs-Élysées finish line, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift roars to life from July 26th to August 3rd.
It’s the fourth edition of what’s fast becoming a staple of the summer sporting calendar—nine stages, 1,165 kilometres, 17,240 meters of climbing, and not a single ounce of mercy. If you think women’s cycling is a sideshow, you haven’t been paying attention.
And amid all this madness? Canyon.
Yes, Canyon’s back with four teams and a truckload of ambition, rolling out machines so fast and finely tuned they might as well have been engineered at Cape Canaveral.
Whether it’s the sprints, the climbs, or the chrono, Canyon’s CFR bikes will be deep in the mix—and this year, some of them will be looking damn good doing it.
The Art of Speed Meets the Science of Suffering
Canyon is supporting four elite teams in the 2025 Tour de France. Leading the charge is Alpecin-Deceuninck, a team that sprints like it’s allergic to second place.
Jasper Philipsen, a green jersey contender with a sixth sense for timing, lines up alongside teammate Mathieu van der Poel—a former world champ who’s worn more yellow than a French postman.
Movistar’s men, meanwhile, are eyeing the GC with a roster built for the mountains. They’re not here for the stage wins—they’re here for the podium.
And don’t think the women are just here to ride politely up mountains, wave to the crowd and go home. CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto are the reigning champs at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, having delivered Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney to a historic 2024 victory.
She returns with a target on her back, flanked by an ambitious field that includes Fenix-Deceuninck’s Puck Pieterse—who’s part rider, part rocket launcher—and Movistar’s own Marlen Reusser, still buzzing after bulldozing the Tour de Suisse Women.
Each stage throws up a new beast to conquer. Gravel, climbs, headwinds from hell—whatever the terrain, these bikes must perform like Formula 1 cars on two wheels.
The Bikes: Built for War, Styled for the Catwalk
Canyon’s CFR (that’s Canyon Factory Racing, not Can’t Flipping Relax) line is the brand’s apex predator series. For the mountain stages, there’s the Ultimate CFR—featherlight and twitchy in all the right ways.
Against the clock, riders jump onto the Speedmax CFR TT, a time trial weapon sharp enough to shave seconds and beards. But for most of the action, the Aeroad CFR leads the charge: the aero beast designed for hell-bent sprints and shoulder-to-shoulder carnage.
This year, some of those Aeroad CFRs will be turning as many heads as they are pedals. Canyon’s MyCanyon custom programme has produced a fleet of bikes so striking they should come with a gallery guide.
We’re talking hand-painted masterpieces from artists like Elena Salmistraro, Felipe Pantone, and the shimmering sorcery of Fabrio. Call it haute couture for carbon fibre.
Riders like Mathieu van der Poel, Jasper Philipsen, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, Ricarda Bauernfeind, Liane Lippert will be astride these rolling canvases, racing not just for glory, but for individuality.
Speed, Science and a Whole Lot of Sweat
Under the hood—or saddle, rather—these CFR bikes aren’t just pretty faces. They’re the result of years of engineering, rider feedback, wind tunnel tantrums, and obsessive tweaking.
Every race-tested detail has been pored over by Canyon’s team of engineers and the elite athletes who’ll risk their collarbones pushing them to the edge.
“This isn’t just about going fast,” someone at Canyon probably said through gritted teeth while hunched over a CAD model. “It’s about going fast with purpose.”
At the Tour de France, that’s the only way to survive.
So whether you’re watching for the fireworks of the sprint, the agony of the climbs, or just to ogle bikes that look like they belong in MoMA, 2025 promises another unforgettable chapter in cycling’s most gripping saga.
The Tour de France isn’t just a race—it’s a war painted in sweat, gears and glory. And Canyon’s rolling deep into battle.
