What appears to be the launch video of the brand new Trek Madone was posted live on YouTube at the start of the week. Assuming the video is authentic, this is the bike that will be ridden in the Tour de France next month by the Lidl-Trek team.
At time of writing, the channel - connected to a Belgian cycling news website - had just 186 subscribers and the 25 minute video had been viewed 1,600 times. The video was first seen by Cycling Weekly at 1pm BST, and was set to 'private' - making it unavailable - by 9pm, presumably because the video had broken the brand’s embargo.
A new Trek race bike has already been seen raced by Lidl-Trek team, at the Critérium du Dauphiné. The machine appeared to be a mash up of the brand's existing two bikes: the aero Madone, and lightweight Émonda; indeed, it even had both names on the top tube.
Both the words Madone and Emonda can be seen, but the former is stronger, in white
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The model in the video, and that seen at the Dauphiné, carries the same striking IsoFlow seat tube / seat stay junction as the previous Gen 7 model.
However, the frame tubes on the new machine are generally are far more slender – a departure from the muscular lines of the outgoing bike, and evidence of the Émonda's DNA seeping in.
The seat stays and the down tube show the most obvious difference, with the slabby look of the latter completely gone. The head tube junction with top and down tubes is all much smaller, and now features sculpting for aerodynamics.
Expectation of a new race bike from Trek has been building for some months. In January, images surfaced - on the WeightWeenies forum - of Giulio Ciccone riding what appeared to be either a slimmed down Madone, or a more aero Émonda. In May, Cycling Weekly hypothesised that it would be the former.
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In recent years, we've seen a convergence of aero and climbing bikes. Trek's competitor, Specialized, allowed its climbing bike - the Tarmac - to eclipse the aero 'Venge' back in 2020, with the arrival of the SL7.
The constant march of engineering progress means that aero bikes no longer have to be heavy and uncompliant, and lightweight bikes no longer suffer a watt wasting penalty for their slender tubes.
Cycling Weekly has reached out to Trek for comment on the video and will update this story should one become available. We also contacted WielerVerhaal to ask how they came to have this footage.
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After cutting his teeth on local and national newspapers, James began at Cycling Weekly as a sub-editor in 2000 when the current office was literally all fields.
Eventually becoming chief sub-editor, in 2016 he switched to the job of full-time writer, and covers news, racing and features.
A lifelong cyclist and cycling fan, James's racing days (and most of his fitness) are now behind him. But he still rides regularly, both on the road and on the gravelly stuff.
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