- [Dan] Which was the most successful bike
of the 2017 season?
It's a season which is quickly
fading from memory at the moment.
So let's remind you of some fantastic racing
with the annual GCN World Tour of Bikes.
- [Simon] You thought it was just riders
that got world tour points.
Well you would be wrong, unfortunately,
because in our universe,
the bikes get points as well.
These aren't UCI points,
these are GCN points. - They are.
- They're arguably better. - Yeah.
Anyway, the following list will tell you
what the most successful bikes of 2017 were,
and to work it out, we have looked at
every single world tour race and stage
and allocated points.
- [Simon] That's right, the points structure
is different from the UCI World Tour.
We felt the one day classics deserve more points.
So accordingly, the Tour de France
has the biggest points with 100 up for grabs.
But races like the Tour of Flanders
and Paris-Roubaix get 80 points.
That's just 10 less than the other grand tours,
the Giro and the Vuelta which therefore get 90 points.
- [Dan] Likewise, stages of grand tours
also get more points with five stage wins
give me the equivalent number of points
to an overall victory at that race.
- Which seems fair, I think. - It does.
- [Simon] Now the women's world tour calendar
does differ again, and so the points structure there
changes accordingly.
- [Dan] So let's start with the men, shall we?
The tenth most successful bike of 2017 was...
(drum roll)
- [Simon] It's the Scott Foil, tumbling seven places
from its very impressive third in 2016.
The Foil only just scrapes in to the top 10 this year,
scoring an almighty 279 points less
than it did the previous season.
But thanks to an ever consistent stride
right from young sprinter Caleb Ewan,
it does still make the list.
Well then maybe it won't next year,
because maybe it will be the disc version.
(drum roll)
- [Dan] In at number nine, it is a first
in the GCN World Tour of Bikes, a time trial machine.
And probably no surprise, it's a BMC,
with hitters such as Rohan Dennis, Richie Porte,
and Stefan Küng, and a formidable team time trial squad.
Over the course of this year,
it has racked up 106 points.
- [Simon] This is rumoured to be
the fastest time trial bike in the pro peloton.
And I think I'm right in saying, Dan, that it's the only one
that gets its very own specialist team mechanic
to look after the fleet.
(drum roll)
- [Dan] In at number eight, it is another first
in GCN's World Tour of Bikes,
and this will be a very welcome sight
for many of you out there.
It is a Bianchi with its familiar celeste green.
- [Simon] That's right, it is the aerodynamic Oltre XR4
featuring Bianchi's own countervail
vibration damping technology.
Now perhaps because of that,
perhaps in respective of that, it has had a stellar season.
It's racked up a wide variety of wins
under the LottoNL-Jumbo team.
(drum roll)
The ever consistent Ridley Helium
is once again back in the top 10
for the third year running, in fact.
This time it climbs to seventh up from ninth last year
with 44 more points to its name.
- [Dan] It's thanks to some great riding this year
from team Lotto-Soudal, who had a stellar Vuelta a Espana,
taking four stage victories there.
But also, it is in part down to team Aqua Blue Sport.
They also took a stage win at the Vuelta.
And let's not forget that hugely popular
stage victory for Larry Warbassse
over at the Tour de Suisse.
(drum roll)
In at number six, we have yet another first
in GCN's World Tour of Bikes.
Giant have broken into the top 10.
- [Simon] Almost unbelievable
that that's the first time, isn't it?
Now it is probably a result of their race victories
being spread out over four successful frame size.
However this year has been more successful than ever,
and most victories have come aboard
the legendary TCR Advanced SL.
- [Dan] Yeah, there was a grand tour victory of course
through Tom Dumoulin's efforts at the Giro d'Italia.
And it took multiple stage wins
this year at the Tour de France through Warren Barguil,
and also Michael Matthews, who fortunately for them,
tends to favour the TCR over the Aero Propel.
(drum roll)
Number five, and we're up to the second BMC on our list.
This time, it is the Team Machine.
And this is in fact exactly the same position
it held 12 months ago, though this time around,
it scored double the points.
Ironically though, the biggest win that team BMC
had this year, Paris-Roubaix, was not won on a Team Machine,
but instead on a Granfondo. - That's right.
Technically Dan, the Team Machine should perhaps
count as two different bikes this year,
given that BMC released a new one mid-season.
Although we are gonna disregard that.
And it has to be said, Greg Van Avermaet's gold themed bike
is possibly my pro bike of the year.
(drum roll)
In at number four, up two places from last year,
is the Specialised Venge Vias, and Venge Vias Disc,
which we're counting as one bike.
- [Dan] The Venge Vias has been far more widely adopted
by pro riders this year with consistent wins
from the likes of Peter Sagan, Fernando Gaviria,
Sam Bennett, possibly most notably, Marcel Kittel.
It's a super specialist bike.
There's no doubt, it's mega aero.
But the disc version does seem to have won
a few more fans in the pro peloton.
(drum roll)
Up one place from 2016 and breaking onto the podium,
it's the Canyon Ultimate CF SLX,
which has racked up 453 points.
- [Simon] Many of which, they have to thank
the prolific Alejandro Valverde
for even in just the half season that he raced.
In that time, he got two of the sprint classics,
the Volta a Catalunya and the Vuelta al Pais Vasco.
- [Dan] To be fair though, the Canyon always racks up
a lot of points because it's not just
Team Movistar who use it, but also Team Katusha
who favour the lightweight bike
for many of their racing days.
We are now down to the top two
with two icons of the pro peloton still to come.
The Pinarello F10 and the Specialised Tarmac.
But which one has taken the crown?
- [Simon] Well Dan... (drum roll)
In second place, dropping off the top spot for this year
is the second Specialised on our list,
it is the Tarmac.
Now after its mid-season refresh,
this icon of the pro racing peloton
is arguably even better than it was before
with improved aerodynamics and even lighter weight.
(drum roll)
- [Dan] And that means that taking the crown for 2017
is the Pinarello Dogma F10. (cheering and clapping)
New for 2017, it remains Team Sky's only road bike option
and as such, it's taken sprint victories
courtesy of the likes of Elia Viviani,
classic with Kwiatkowski, and of course grand tours
with Chris Froome.
That's quite an accolade.
- [Simon] Of course having only one road bike option
does mean that the Pinarello is more likely
to take the crown than other brands
that have a larger choice of frames
that riders can choose from.
So as always, we are gonna award
the title for the most successful manufacturer as well.
(drum roll)
- [Dan] In at number five, it's Giant,
thanks to some stellar performances aboard the TCR,
but also on the Trenti time trial bike.
Giant's break into not only the bike list
for the first time, but also the manufacturer's.
- [Simon] In fourth place,
up one spot from 2016, it's BMC.
Hardly surprising perhaps, given that they have two bikes
inside the top 10.
- [Dan] In third, just four points clear of BMC,
and moving up one place in 2016, it's Canyon.
- [Simon] In second, also moving up one spot,
it is Pinarello, which means that the big loser this year,
Scott dropping from second all the way down to eight,
leaving only one choice for the number one spot.
It's Specialised, (cheering and clapping)
with an almighty gap of 302 points
over their closest challenger.
- [Dan] So what about the women's world tour then?
Well in fifth place there,
it's the Cipollini NK1K.
- [Simon] In fourth place, it is the Scott Foil,
choice of the Orica-Scott team.
Another hugely successful year for them
with Annemiek van Vleuten in particular, standing out.
- [Dan] In third, we have the Liv Envie,
the bike of Team Sunweb.
- [Simon] In second, it's another welcome sight
in the GCN World Tour of Bikes,
another historic Italian brand,
it's the Colnago C60, bike of Wiggle High5.
- [Dan] And in first, perhaps unsurprisingly
given that it's the bike
of the all conquering Boels-Dolmans squad,
it is the Specialised Amira. (cheering and clapping)
- [Simon] Now does this all mean anything?
Does successful mean best?
No.
Now perhaps the GCN World Tour of Bikes
is as much a judge of marketing spent
as it is performance.
But I think it's interesting to see nevertheless
when we've got that welcome new entry of Bianchi,
the rise of Giant,
and the fall of Scott. - Interesting stuff.
What's your opinion though?
I mean, those are the stacks in the numbers and the facts,
but what do you think was actually the best bike of 2017?
If you so wish, you can get involved
in the comment section just down below.
- [Simon] And do also make sure you subscribe to GCN
before leaving this video.
To do it, just click on the globe.
- [Dan] A couple more videos now,
down here is last year's GCN World Tour of Bikes.
Whilst down here, Si's about to click there,
it is Greg Van Avermaet's Team BMC
Team Machine gold edition.
- [Simon] I might have another watch,
yes, if I must.