Mathieu van der Poel’s bikes are, of course, very cool, and had their own trick bits fitted but, as is often the case, the cool stuff isn't always immediately noticeable. Shimano has used the Alpecin-Deceuninck team as a test bed for its Dura-Ace race wheels for years, with MVDP often seen sporting prototypes, and for the upcoming Tour de France team time trial in Barcelona they appear to be testing a new disc wheel and deep-section front combo.
As is the way with Shimano, product information is near non-existent, but the hub had a model number and not just a prototype sticker, which would suggest it's not far from production. I wasn't able to measure it, but the front wheel was very deep, at least 80mm, and used deep-bladed carbon spokes branded as Vonoa. It had a 28mm tyre fitted and didn't look super wide, so I would hazard a guess at a 23-24mm internal width too. You'll have to excuse the quality of some of the pictures; it was surprisingly hard to get a good shot of the hubs in the blazing Catalan sun as they were on top of the team cars – and without being told off by the sharp-eyed press officers and mechanics.
The disc disc (that name always makes me smile for some reason) appears to be a fairly standard flat, non-lenticular-style wheel, without any crazy surface finishes like the Scope hoops on Pippo Ganna’s bike. I had a good look inside the disc via the exposed valve hole and couldn't see any internal foam or structures, so I'd guess its rigidity comes from the layup and overall carbon structure, with maybe webbing or some form of internal bracing near the hub. It also looked very well finished, again suggesting it's not far from production.
It's interesting to see Shimano pushing forward in quite a niche part of the market; after all, the demand for disc rear wheels and super-deep front wheels is somewhat limited now. Does this mean we can look forward to a big year in 2027 for Shimano road products, that might see them clawing back some of the ground they've lost to SRAM in recent years?
