Rollout of new 13-speed Shimano Dura-Ace continues at Worlds

Shimano Dura Ace Di2 13 speed spotted ridden by Mathieu van der Poel — (Image credit: Getty Images)

The rollout of the long-awaited next-generation Shimano Dura-Ace R9300 groupset appears to be gathering momentum, with Mathieu van der Poel using the unreleased components at the World Championships road race in Montréal on Sunday.

The Dutchman had been spotted riding it during the course reconnaissance on Wednesday as well, and must have deemed it race-worthy on a course that has seen a lot of dropped chains and mechanicals over the past week.

The tell-tale features of the new groupset are the protruding shift buttons on the inside of the hoods, and, if you're able to get close enough to count the rings of the cassette, the 13-speed drivetrain.

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The prototype groupset was previously spotted at the Vuelta a España, and at the Tour de Luxembourg, where Van der Poel escaped on a 174 km solo to win stage 5.

Uncertainty remains over whether Shimano riders are running full production-ready groupsets or if there are still tweaks to be made before the commercial product is released.

Van De Poel has been riding the Dura-Ace R9370 carbon spoked wheels for well over a year, and a leaked DT Swiss specification sheet back in August confirmed that the new groupset will use a new freehub body standard to accommodate a smaller 13th cog. The big question still remains: will the new groupset be fully wireless?

Riders spotted on the new R9300 are all clearly running the new shifters, with their renewed ergonomics and satellite shifting buttons. But the rear derailleur has a visible wire, which appears to be a refined R9200 design rather than a road adaptation of the brand's fully wireless GRX gravel groupsets.

Mathieu van der Poel spotted using the unreleased, 13-speed Shimano Dura Ace at the UCI Road World Championships — Mathieu van der Poel at the start of the men's elite race at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships

Many unknowns remain about the new R9300 Dura-Ace groupset, and both Shimano and its sponsored teams remain tight-lipped. However, its appearance at a race as high-profile as the UCI World Championships suggests that whatever parts are in use are unlikely to be mere prototypes.

Riders of Van De Poel’s calibre, who have a legitimate shot at the rainbow bands, wouldn't be taking the risk of using unproven components. The Dutchman was already burned by prototype tech early in the season at Paris-Roubaix, when he punctured twice on the Arenberg and was left unable to ride teammate Jasper Philipsen's bike due to incompatibility with the new Shimano SPD-SLR cleats.

Dura Ace has traditionally launched in the summer, aligning with the season's biggest race, the Tour de France. With Il Lombardia on October 10, the only elite men's race left this season, a full commercial release now looks unlikely until early 2027.

Cycling Weekly's North American Editor, Anne-Marije Rook is old school. She holds a degree in journalism and started out as a newspaper reporter — in print! She can even be seen bringing a pen and notepad to the press conference.

Originally from the Netherlands, she grew up a bike commuter and didn't find bike racing until her early twenties when living in Seattle, Washington. Strengthened by the many miles spent darting around Seattle's hilly streets on a steel single speed, Rook's progression in the sport was a quick one. As she competed at the elite level, her journalism career followed, and soon, she became a full-time cycling journalist. She's now been a journalist for two decades, including 14 years in cycling.