Tour de France bikes: Romain Bardet’s custom-painted Factor O2 gallery

Black-and-silver design celebrates home region and Tour route with special Mavic wheels

July 24, 2018 at 4:00 pm

After two consecutive podium finishes at the past two editions of the Tour de France, Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) returns in 2018 with the weight of a nation on his shoulders to repeat the same feat.

AG2R La Mondiale are racing aboard Factor bikes for a second season after switching from Focus framesets for the start of 2017. Last year, Bardet was issued with a custom-painted blue and white frameset for the French Grand Tour but this year is racing on a black and silver frameset.

Along the top tube, a quote ‘Take the risk or lose the chance’ is written and Bardet’s initials sit at the head of the top tube, both of which are design features taken from last year’s bike.

Bardet’s custom bike sat on the roof of his team car for most of the opening stages, with Bardet opting for the aero-focused Factor ONE earlier in the race

Josh Evans/Immediate Media

Added to the design for 2018 is a stencilled design of Vercingetorix, king of the Arverni tribe on the head tube cluster and a separate design of Puy de Dome on the bottom of the down tube, both celebrating Bardet’s home region of Auvergne.

AG2R La Mondiale is one of the three teams ceramic bearings specialists CeramicSpeed partner with at the Tour de France, with Bardet’s headset and bottom bracket using CeramicSpeed bearings.

CeramicSpeed’s eye-catching OSPW (over-sized pulley wheel) rear derailleur upgrade system is also used on AG2R La Mondiale’s bikes with the company issuing Bardet with a special edition, glittery silver ‘Victory Edition’ version of the component.

Mavic has also produced a special set of Cosmic Ultimate Tubular TdF wheels, which feature artwork around the carbon rim celebrating the route of the 2018 Tour de France.

Black Inc provides Bardet with his seatpost, handlebar tape and integrated carbon cockpit system.

Click or swipe through the gallery above for a closer look at Romain Bardet’s special Factor O2.

Factor O2 full specification

Frameset: Factor O2 in custom finish for Romain Bardet
Front brake: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100
Rear brake: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100
Brake/shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace R9150
Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace R9150
Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace R9150 with CeramicSpeed OSPW system ‘Victory Edition’
Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100, 11-30
Chain: Shimano Ultegra
Crankset: SRM Shimano 9000, 53/39 chainrings, 172.5mm cranks
Bottom bracket: CeramicSpeed
Wheelset: Mavic Cosmic Ultimate Tubular TdF
Tyres: Continental Competition ALX, 25mm tubular
Handlebars/stem: Black Inc integrated carbon, 400mm x 135mm
Headset: CeramicSpeed
Tape/grips: Black Inc
Pedals: Look Keo Blade Carbon/Look Keo Blade Carbon Tour de France edition
Saddle: Fizik Arione
Seatpost: Black Inc Factor O2
Bottle cages: Elite Vico Carbon
Computer: SRM PC-8 (not photographed)
Other accessories: K-Edge chain catcher, Aivee number plate mounting bracket