Luke Plapp has been riding in support of Jayco-AlUla team leader Ben O’Connor in the 2026 Tour de France.
That has meant he’s finished in the peloton in every stage of the Tour so far, with his highest placing 42nd on stage 1. He finished fifth overall at this year’s Tour of Romandie in early May.
Plapp and the Jayco-AlUla team ride a Giant-heavy bike configuration, with Plapp’s Propel Advanced SL aero bike equipped with wheels and components from Giant’s Cadex performance brand.
7.1kg weight
Giant is one of the few brands to still use a seat mast rather than a separate seatpost, although this is confined to its highest-spec Propel and TCR Advanced SL framesets; the Advanced Pro and standard Advanced framesets of both bikes have a separate seatpost.
The seat mast helps to lower weight and, Giant claims, increases compliance.
When the latest-generation Propel was launched in March, Giant quoted a 6.56kg weight for the top-spec Advanced SL 0 in size M. That’s borne out by Plapp’s bike, which we measured at 7.1kg – impressively light for an aero bike that’s ready to race and, with Plapp’s 1.81m height, in a larger size. It weighs only 100g more than Remco Evenepoel's Specialized Tarmac SL9.
At the same time, Giant claims the new Propel is 18.4 watts faster. It has reduced the 2026 Propel’s frontal area, swapped to a one-piece cockpit and developed the more aero Cadex Max 50 wheel/tyre system to achieve this.
30mm tyres
The Max 50 wheels also help keep Plapp’s bike’s weight down, to a claimed 1,290g. They include carbon spokes that are fused to the hub flanges, which Cadex claims helps increase stiffness. Internal nipples enable them to be trued.
The 22.4mm internal-width hookless rim is paired with Cadex Aero tyres. Plapp is riding these in 30mm nominal width, following the pro trend for fitting wider tyres, although the consumer bikes are fitted with 28s. They measure a little wider still at 30.5mm front and 31mm rear. The frame has clearance to go even wider at 32mm.
Plapp has also gone with the pros’ preference for a narrower bar. His bike’s is 360mm across the tops and 395mm across the drops with a 130mm equivalent stem length.
The narrow tops and slightly in-turned levers place the hoods 285mm between their inside edges, just outside the 280mm minimum set by the UCI. There’s a neat aero mount for Plapp’s Garmin.
Jayco-AlUla’s bikes are fitted with Shimano Dura-Ace groupsets. Plapp’s 54-40t power meter crankset looks well-worn and he also has Dura-Ace pedals fitted. Out-back, there’s an 11-34t Dura-Ace cassette and Plapp is running a waxed chain.
Finishing parts include a Cadex Amp 3D-printed saddle with a 147g claimed weight.
Plapp’s 13g Elite Leggero Carbon bottle cages are, along with the groupset, the only non-Giant parts on his bike.
