Intermarché-Circus-Wanty

Whilst at the UAE Tour, Alex checked out the race bike of Jan Hirt: a Cube Litening C:68X. The climbing talent and his Wanty-Gobert team are riding on the aero bike from the German bike brand. 

Useful Links
Adventure Documentaries, Exclusive Shows & Live Racing on GCN+: 

Frame and forks: Cube Lightnening C:68x
Wheels: Newman 50mm 
Tyres: GP5000 STR 25mm 
Handlebars: Bar and Stem Integrated from Cube 
Stem: Bar and Stem Integrated from Cube 
Seatpost: Cube Aero Seatpost
Saddle: Pro Logo Scratch Mx 
Shifters: Shimano Dura Ace 9170
Brakes: Shimano Dura Ace 9120
Front Mech: Shimano Dura Ace 9150
Rear Mech: Shimano Dura Ace 9150
Chainset: Shimano Dura Ace 9100 w/Power Meter 
Pedals: Shimano Dura Ace 9100
Chainring size: Dura Ace 9100 53/39
Powermeter: Dura Ace 9100 Dual Sided Powermeter
Cassette: Dura Ace - 30/11

Bike weight: 7.63kg
Saddle height: 74.5cm
Reach: 57cm
Bar width: 40cm
Stem length: 130mm
Crank length: 172.5mm
Tyre width: 25mm

Finishing touches: 
Look Keo Blade Pedals Carbon With Ceramic Bearings
Direct Rear mech hangar
Waxed Chain
Sprint shifters
Elite Pryzm carbon bottle cages

Photos: © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Bettiniphoto / 

Brought to you by the world’s biggest cycling channel, the Global Cycling Network (GCN), GCN Racing brings you the best of the world’s bike races to your screens, wherever you are: the finest live race commentary, in-depth analysis and behind the scenes access from your favourite events are all here. So get involved, join us, and get ready to be in the thick of the action.

Engage with on the channel and across social media – we’re here to answer every question you’ve got on cycling racing.

Watch our sister channels:
Global Cycling Network - 

Jan Hirt's Cube Litening C:68x | Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert's Aero Machine

Intermarché-Circus-Wanty are relative newcomers to the men’s WorldTour, having joined cycling’s top-level as recently as 2021 when they inherited CCC’s WT licence. Not much was expected of the Belgian outfit in their first year at cycling’s top-level, though after they picked up two Grand Tour stage wins with Taco van der Hoorn and Rein Taaramäe they were quickly touted as the best new team on the block.

With a history that they can trace back to 2009 and the Continental-level Willems Verandas squad, they weren’t exactly a ‘new team’ in 2021, but the way in which they rode quickly garnered them leagues of new fans from across the globe. Midway through 2021, the team brought in a hot young prospect in Biniam Girmay. 

Despite being in his early 20s, the Eritrean has become the talisman of the team and - just last year - bagged them victories in Gent-Wevelgem and the Giro d’Italia. Girmay also made history himself in these races, becoming the first Black African to win a prestigious Spring Classic 

 a stage of a Grand Tour. The team have pinned their future to Girmay, extending his contract through to 2026 and signing a number of new riders to support him in his goals. Mike Teunissen, Rui Costa and Lilian Calmejane all joined the team in the 2022/23 season, ready and raring to board the Girmay hype train.

Gerben Thijssen

Biniam Girmay

Georg Zimmermann

Rui Costa

Lorenzo Rota

Mike Teunissen

Arne Marit

Madis Mihkels

Laurenz Rex

Hugo Page

Louis Meintjes

Niccolo Bonifazio

Aimé De Gendt

Rune Herregodts

Lilian Calmejane

Sven Erik Bystrøm

Kobe Goossens

Laurens Huys

Simone Petilli

Boy van Poppel

Loic Vliegen

Dion Smith

Rein Taaramäe

Dries De Pooter

Taco van der Hoorn

Julius Johansen

Tom Paquot

Baptiste Planckaert

Adrien Petit

Racing

Features

Racing Features

Preview: Tour de Suisse 2023

The two time trials at this year's Tour de Suisse look perfect for Remco Evenepoel.

The pre-Tour de France races are coming thick and fast. If the Dauphiné wasn’t enough, we’ve got another week-long stage race coming up next week as some of the big favourites head to the Tour de Suisse. Two time trials, some big climbing, and some exciting punchy stages means a thrilling week of racing awaits, with the likes of Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert back in action in Switzerland.

It’s a time trial-heavy affair at the Tour de Suisse this year, but don’t worry, it won’t all be an against-the-clock battle - there’s plenty of big Swiss mountains to contend with, plus some punchier stages for the sprinters’ benefit and to test the overall riders.

Stage 1: Einsiedeln → Einsiedeln (ITT) (12.7km)

The race is book-ended by individual time trials, with the first one the easier of the two. It’s largely pan flat, and not particularly long at 12.6km, so this will be one for the powerful, pure time trialists. There are some technical turns in the city around the start and finish, and a final rise to the line, but the main loop on the shores of the Sihlsee lake should be straightforward.

 Stefan Küng, Stefan Bissegger, Remco Evenepoel, Wout van Aert, Filippo Ganna

Stage 2: Beromünster → Nottwil (173.7km)

The first road stage of the Tour de Suisse heads into lumpier territory with a rolling route between Beromünster and Nottwil, just outside Lucerne. There are two categorised climbs - in the first and last 25km of the stage - but several uncategorised rises through the day too. None of them are too long or steep, so we may see attacks on the final climb, but with 24km to go still it could well come back together for a sprint as the run-in is flat.

 Arnaud Démare, Tim Merlier, Biniam Girmay

Stage 3: Tafers → Villars-sur-Ollon (143.8km)

Stage 3 heads towards the proper climbs, with the 13.5km Col des Mosses followed by an uphill finish in Villars-sur-Ollon. The climb to Villars-sur-Ollon is 10.7km in length, with a challenging average gradient of 7.8%, so this will be a long battle to the top. Being so early on in the race, it’s difficult to judge whether the GC riders will want to show their cards or let the break contest this win. The profile of the stage sets up well for a breakaway, with little flat road on which to organise a chase, so we think a well-composed group has good chances here, and may see a change in the leader’s jersey.

 Gino Mäder, Ion Izagirre, Marc Hirschi, Quinn Simmons

The climbing really ramps up on stage 4 with a route that takes in Crans-Montana, recently seen as the finishing climb on stage 13 of the Giro d’Italia. On this stage, it’s the first climb with the riders going up and over the 14.6km, 6.7% ascent, before climbing back up the Höhenweg, a climb that’s long but gentler, only 4.5% average over 19km. From the top of that climb, the riders will dip down slightly before a final kick to the line. The stage is poised well for a hilltop sprint between the GC favourites, who will be looking to make it hard and force gaps on both Crans-Montana and the final climb.

 Remco Evenepoel, Romain Bardet, Tom Pidcock

Stage 5 is a brute of a day, both long and filled with big climbs - two HC, and one category 1 with some tricky descents to deal with in the middle. The road goes up after just 22km, heading straight up the HC Furkapass, a 16.5km slog with an average gradient of 6.4%. A break should go here, but there’s a lot of road left for them to be caught and by the time they reach the Albulapass, a 17.4km, 6.8% gradient effort, this stage should bring GC fireworks. A rider will want to go solo here, as it’s a descent to the line in La Punt.

Remco Evenepoel, Neilson Powless, Sergio Higuita

Stage 6: La Punt → Overwil-Lieli (215.3km)

After two big days of climbing, it settles down a little on stage 6. There’s a first and second category climb to deal with in the first 50km, but then it’s a much flatter route towards the line. After a lumpy final 50km, there’s a 2.5km climb to the line, averaging at 6.7%, so this should be a day for the puncheurs. The GC riders will have to be vigilant to not be caught out, though, as you could shell time on the final climb.

Stage 7: Tübach → Weinfelden (162.7km)

Stage 7 is another up and down day, which the sprinters will be looking at carefully to assess whether they can make it to the line. The strongest sprinters should be able to, but if the stage is raced particularly aggressively, they risk ceding to punchier riders, especially with the final 3.4km climb coming within the final 20km. The final few kilometres are very flat, so it should definitely be a sprint of some sort, but whether that’s a fast bunch or a smaller group is in the balance.

Stage 8: St. Gallen → Abtwil (ITT) (25.7km)

After six hard days of road racing, it’s back on the time trial bikes for one last against-the-clock effort. It’s perhaps an interesting choice from the organisers, given the Tour de France only features one time trial, but the specialists will be glad of more opportunities to show off their skills this summer. This one is a harder challenge than the opening stage, featuring a big rise in the last 10km, and ramps that reach up to 8%. The pure time trialists are still in a good shout of winning, but the slightly lighter riders will have an advantage.

 Remco Evenepoel, Wout van Aert, Jay Vine

Overlapping with the final day of the Critérium du Dauphiné, the Tour de Suisse start list is also largely determined by who is chasing to race where, and this year it seems many of the big overall Tour favourites have picked the Dauphiné. That said, there are some exciting names lining up in Switzerland, and the open GC should make for some interesting racing.

The name at the front of everyone’s mind will be 

(Soudal Quick-Step), who is returning to racing for the first time since abandoning the Giro d’Italia through Covid. With no Tour de France on this schedule, this isn’t so much a preparation race for the Belgian, but more a chance to pick up some wins and get some racing in the legs before the national championships. His lack of racing means we don’t quite know where his form is, but he’s coming into this race with little to lose and a lot to gain, so we’re expecting to see Evenepoel chasing some redemption after his Giro disappointment. The two time trials play right into his hands, so he is a big favourite for the overall.

Outside of Evenepoel, the GC is fairly open, with a lot of riders on a similar level. Whilst the more obvious names are at the Dauphiné, Suisse should give some more underrated riders the chance to show themselves before the Tour. 

(EF Education-EasyPost) hasn’t raced since his very promising spring, so he will be an important rider to watch here. 

(Team DSM) is likely too weak a time trialist to contend for the overall, but could claw back a lot of time with some good results in the mountains. 

will perhaps enjoy the chance to lead UAE Team Emirates, and has a promising combination of climbing and TTing prowess that could prove very fruitful at this race. Last year’s runner up 

(Bora-Hansgrohe) isn’t always the strongest time trialist, but should be one of the favourites in the mountains.

Two of the youngest riders in the race, and teammates of Vine and Higuita, could also be looking at good results in Switzerland. 

(UAE Team Emirates) has only raced one race this year, the Tour de Romandie, but he won a stage there and could come back to Switzerland and do that same. Fellow 20-year-old and Tour de l’Avenir winner 

(Bora Hansgrohe) is also a name to keep an eye on as he continues his stage race development.

Two riders for whom the overall might be slightly out of reach but will certainly be in the frame are 

(Ineos Grenadiers). Built in similar moulds, they’re both extremely strong all-rounders, but perhaps not - or not yet - fully formed stage racers. Both will be hoping to do well in the time trials and the punchy stages, whilst testing themselves and perhaps limiting losses in the mountains. Pidcock is certainly capable of winning big mountain stages, as he did on Alpe d’Huez last year, but this will be a big test on how the Brit can string together back-to-back climbing days in pursuit of the GC.

With two time trialists bookending the race, it’s also worth looking at the pure time trialists heading to Suisse. Home riders 

(EF Education-EasyPost) are going to be the obvious favourites for the first shorter, flatter time trial, their powerful style perfectly suited to that terrain, and we should see both riders up there on the slightly harder closing stage too. Other TTers to keep an eye on will be 

(Jumbo-Vimsa), who was also climbing well in the Giro.

There are not too many opportunities for the pure sprinters, and many have chosen either the Dauphiné or the Belgium Tour for their pre-Tour prep, but riders to look out for in the flatter finishes will be 

It might be the obvious choice, but it’s very hard to look past 

for this race. The time trial-heavy course was practically made for him, and we think he’ll be starting this race with fire in his belly after not getting the chance to fulfill his ambitions at the Giro. With no Tour de France looming, the Belgian doesn’t have to worry about tapering or conserving energy, he can just give it everything in Switzerland, and his everything is usually pretty unbeatable.

Results

Race Results

Tour de Suisse: Girmay grabs stage 2 win ahead of Démare and Van Aert

Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) wins stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse

Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) burst from the pack to take a well-deserved win on stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse. 

The Intermarché sprinter, who has only raced a handful of days since a serious crash at the Tour of Flanders in April, came over the top of Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) with around 150m to go before holding off a late charge from second placed rider Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ). 

Van Aert was forced to settle for third. Overnight leader Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) finished safely in the pack to keep his yellow jersey. 


With two time trials and a cluster of mountain stages in the Tour de Suisse, stage 2 represented a rare chance for the pure sprinters. Girmay, who last tasted victory in February on stage 1 of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, held his nerve in a messy and congested sprint into Nottwil. Without a single team able or willing to truly take charge of the final few kilometres the momentum at the front of the race swung between a number of squads before Team DSM hit the front with exactly 1,000m to go. 

Van Aert, who had contested several bonus sprints during the stage, opened his final dart to the line with well over 300m to go, and although the Belgian looked comfortable as he surged clear of the pack it was Girmay who timed his sprint perfectly. The Intermarché rider was expertly brought up to Van Aert’s wheel in the closing 800m by Mike Teunissen before drifting onto Ivan Cortina Garcia’s (Movistar) rear wheel. An initial acceleration from Girmay drew him up to Van Aert, who by now was running on fumes. Then with the line finally in view Girmay kicked for a second time, pushing clear of his rivals and holding off a late surge from Démare. 

“When I crossed the line I was surprised. Still with the hard crash that I had two months ago I didn’t have enough time to train to be in shape but I’m just surprised with myself,” Girmay said.

Girmay’s win ensured that he became the first Eritrean to win a stage at the Tour de Suisse. At the finish he was mobbed by supporters who draped him in his national flag.

“It means a lot to win in front of my people. I’m so happy. We still have six days to go so I just need to focus on the upcoming days.”

Retiring home rider Michael Schär (AG2R Citroën) and Nickolas Zukowsky (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) had provided the early entertainment, solidifying an early break as the stage left Beromünster for a 173.7km stretch to Nottwil.

With 65km to go the gap held at a steady 2:35 before a number of sprinters’ teams began to organise a cohesive chase. The peloton slowly brought the two-man move into submission, even after a major crash with 30km to go threatened the main group’s progress.

On the final climb before the finish Jumbo-Visma lifted the pace, first with Sam Oomen and then Wilco Kelderman hitting the front. The Dutch team’s impetus ended the break’s final resistance with 24km remaining, and while a number of attacks came from the peloton the race was always destined to be decided in a bunch sprint. 

At the line Girmay proved to be both the fastest and the most patient, allowing the likes of Van Aert to surge clear before showing his rivals a clean pair of heels.

Tech

Tech Features

2024 Men's WorldTour bikes: A guide to the bikes, groupsets, and tech of the top-tier teams

 is set to deliver another year of unforgettable racing.

Like at the beginning of every season, there will be a short period of familiarisation as teams emerge from their winter hibernations with new riders, kit and, for some, names – It will take us a while, for example, to get used to 

Luckily, there is much more consistency in the realms of 

, where teams only tend to make major changes every few seasons when their current brand partnerships come to an end. 2024 is no different, with most teams riding the same bikes, groupsets and wheels as the previous season, although there are some notable changes.

Here’s a complete guide to all of the bikes, groupsets, wheels and tyres that every team at Men’s WorldTour level will use during the 2024 season.

Tech partnerships can change at any time, so we’ll keep this guide updated as and when any more new partnerships are announced.

Best men's WorldTour bikes of 2023: Which brand won the most races?

WorldTour bike sponsorship changes for 2024

, the bike brand transfer merry-go-round isn’t quite as intense, so there’s always a degree of stability and familiarity. Most teams sign multi-year deals with their selected brands, so the opportunity to swap to a different one only comes around every few seasons - unless a team is willing to break a partnership off early, but that can lead to some public spats, as Lotto Dstny found out in 2023.

Ridley hits back at Lotto Dstny ‘disloyalty’ over early ending of partnership

Luckily, there doesn’t appear to be any such animosity between 

 called an end to their 22-year partnership ahead of the 2024 season

, which also sponsors fellow WorldTour team Astana Qazaqstan. Groupama-FDJ are one of only two men’s WorldTour that swapped bike sponsors for 2024.

 joined them on this list after switching to Decathlon-owned Van Rysel bikes from BMC. AG2R have been partnered with 

 since 2021 and the Swiss brand has been an ever-present in the WorldTour peloton for over a decade.

Lapierre and Groupama-FDJ split after 22 years of collaboration

Elsewhere, there are no changes. That means that the two most successful teams, UAE Team Emirates and Visma-Lease a Bike, will continue to ride 

 bikes, respectively. Ineos Grenadiers’ long-standing partnership with 

 have been joined by Wilier in the list of brands which sponsor more than one team. Canyon is partnered with Alpecin-Deceuninck and Movistar, while Specialized is a long-term partner of Soudal Quick-Step and Bora-Hansgrohe.

Shimano dominance continues, Campagnolo clings to WorldTour status

While Canyon and Specialized win the popularity stakes for bikes, 

 completely eclipses it on the groupset front. The Japanese manufacturer has dominated the WorldTour peloton for a number of years now and it only appears to be getting stronger.

Fourteen of the 18 men's WorldTour teams used the Dura-Ace groupset in 2023 and that number hasn't budged in 2024, although its line-up has changed with Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale hopping aboard from Campagnolo while Bora-Hansgrohe have headed to SRAM.

Mechanical Shimano 105 goes 12-speed and is disc-brake only

 sponsored three teams in 2023 but that is up to four with the addition of Bora. Among the other SRAM-sponsored teams are Visma-Lease a Bike, Lidl-Trek and Movistar. Despite its inferior numbers, SRAM boasts a flawless Grand Tour record in 2023, teaming up with Jumbo-Visma to win the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España.

’s stay at WorldTour level came to an end after AG2R made the switch to Shimano as a part of its partnership with Van Rysel. The historic Italian brand is also absent from the 

Why will Campagnolo be absent from WorldTour level in 2024? GCN Tech Show

Canyon’s bikes have topped the podium at multiple Monuments and Grand Tours over the last few seasons, usually at the hands of either 

. Last year’s palmarès included wins at both Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix, before Philipsen topped off a four-stage haul with the green jersey at the Tour de France.

All of those victories came atop the aero-focussed Aeroad, but the team also uses the lightweight Ultimate for climbing stages.

Ollie Bridgewood’s new Canyon Aeroad CFR in Alpecin-Deceuninck team colours

Few bike brands have as much pedigree within the sport as 

. Its Celeste colourway has become a fan favourite but, beyond the looks, the Italian brand’s bikes have teamed up with some of the biggest names in cycling’s history, including Fausto Coppi.

After Jayco-AlUla jumped to Giant for 2022, Bianchi was briefly left without a home in the WorldTour, but it made a comeback with 

Bianchi launches updated 6.6kg Specialissima road bike

 will be hoping that the Manx Missile can make history by breaking the record for Tour de France stages win in 2024. He’ll attempt to do it atop a 

 bike. Italian brand Wilier and the Kazakh team have been working together since 2020. 

Last season there was some confusion over the team's wheel sponsor with both Corima and HED wheelsets making an appearance, but this year the team has switched to Vision.

Mark Cavendish's Wilier Filante SLR: New pedals, saddle, and wheels for 2024

 since the team’s inception in 2017 and it doesn’t look like that will change anytime soon. The pair extended the partnership into 2022 to an undisclosed time, only stating that it is a “multi-year partnership”. As a minimum, the team will race Merida bikes during the 2024 season, when it will be hoping to build on its 12 WorldTour wins in 2023.

 who added another achievement to the Merida palmarès late in the season when he won the Gravel World Championships atop a then-unreleased 

Bahrain Victorious pro bike: Jack Haig’s Merida Reacto

headlines in late 2023 when they signed Primož Roglič from Jumbo-Visma

. The Slovenian will head up their GC ambitions at the Tour de France where he’ll hope to depose former teammate Jonas Vingegaard.

With a new team comes a new bike in the form of the 

. Released in August of 2023, it’s the latest version of Specialized’s do-it-all superbike. Unlike other brands, Specialized doesn’t offer dedicated climbing and aero bikes, instead packing everything into one machine.

The team also stole the tech headlines over the winter through their 

, which may have been influenced by the arrival of Roglič, who has been using the American brand's groupsets over the last few seasons.

Sam Welsford’s Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8

’ long, 15-year wait for a Tour de France victory to an end in 2023. He delivered the victory atop the 

 795 Blade RS which only broke cover at Eurobike in June, although the team had been riding it since swapping over from De Rosa at the beginning of the season.

Having only linked up for the 2023 season, it appears that it’s already been a 

 partnership for Cofidis, but can it propel them to more victories in 2024?

Bryan Coquard's Look 795 Blade RS: Cofidis’ Do-It-All Superbike

AG2R Citroën is one of the rare teams to switch bike brands for 2024 after Decathlon jumped on-board as co-title sponsors, bringing 

. The team previously rode Decathlon bikes between 2000 and 2007.

That move brought to an end the team's three-year partnership with BMC who will be absent from WorldTour level for the first time in over a decade. The team's switch to Shimano also means that Campagnolo is without a WorldTour team for 2024.

Having previously worked with the now Jayco-AlUla team, 

 in 2021 and the partnership was extended by an extra two years at the beginning of 2023. Along with its Foil, Addict and Plasma bikes, the team also uses finishing kit from Scott’s in-house Syncros brand, including saddles and cockpits. 

This was extended to include time-trial wheels

 in 2023 after Syncros released its Capital SL wheelset.

Experience Vs Power! Can Simon Defeat The World’s STRONGEST Cyclist?

Most People Make These Mistakes When Buying Used Bikes

Is Cycling Bad For Women’s Sexual Health?

How To Set Your Bike Saddle Height Quickly

The End For The Front Derailleur? | GCN Tech Show 334

Name	Age	UCI Career Wins	UCI Points
Gerben Thijssen	25	15	1108
Biniam Girmay	24	12	972
Georg Zimmermann	26	5	961
Rui Costa	37	34	841
Lorenzo Rota	28	2	766

Intermarché-Circus-Wanty

Intermarché-Circus-Wanty

The Team

Top Intermarché-Circus-Wanty Stories

Preview: Tour de Suisse 2023

Tour de Suisse: Girmay grabs stage 2 win ahead of Démare and Van Aert

2024 Men's WorldTour bikes: A guide to the bikes, groupsets, and tech of the top-tier teams

Featured Video

Jan Hirt's Cube Litening C:68x | Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert's Aero Machine

Subscribe to the GCN Newsletter