Bikes of the Tour de France!: Trek Madone 6.9 SSL

Leopard-Trek and RadioShack use the Madone 6.9 SSL as their daily driver. We haven’t tested Trek’s top model for a few years, but of the kissing cousin 6.5 we said, “The ride isn't the liveliest compared with other high-end race bikes, but the stiff frame rewards your efforts with speed. And despite that stiffness, the bike was comfortable even after hours in the saddle.”

Bikes of the Tour de France!: Giant TCR Advanced SL

For two years, the TCR Advanced SL has been Rabobank’s ride of choice. They’ll get a new version of it this year, but even the existing model features great power transfer and sharp handling. “Descents on tight switchbacks were a joy as the oversize front end kept the bike from pushing outward off its line, and even when cornering hard on rough pavement the frame showed zero chatter,” we said in our original test.