Specialized looks set to launch a new Shiv time trial bike, with Remco Evenepoel’s prototype spotted at the Tour de France ahead of the opening stage on Saturday.
The 2026 Tour de France kicks off with a 19.6km team time trial on the streets of Barcelona, and teams are busy prepping ahead of the race’s first TTT in six years.
Evenepoel goes into the Tour as one of Tadej Pogačar’s main rivals and, as the reigning world and Olympic time trial champion, will be targeting Saturday’s opening stage as an opportunity to make his mark on the race.
This new Shiv was spotted propped up against the Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe mechanics' truck in Barcelona, with the frame wrapped in a zebra-print-style design commonly seen on prototype bikes being 'hidden' from the prying eyes of the media.
Opposing directions for Evenepoel and Pogačar’s new time trial bikes
Specialized’s existing Shiv TT Disc was launched nearly five years ago to the day (July 3 2019, if you were wondering), so has been due an update.
The headline claim then was ‘half a kilo lighter and just as fast’, but Specialized appears to have taken a more aggressive aero approach this time round.
Indeed, the old Shiv put a lot of emphasis on being light for a time trial bike – a route Colnago has now taken with Tadej Pogačar’s brand new TT2.
The new Shiv’s seatstays look not dissimilar to the Colango TT1, Pogačar’s old TT bike.
Ironically, the two have gone in opposite directions: four-time Tour de France winner Pogačar has a new lightweight TT bike that looks like the old Shiv, and Evenepoel has a new super-aero machine that looks like his rival’s outgoing Colnago TT1.
The new bike has significantly more carbon where the seat tube now extends towards the rear tyre, with the flat top to the seatstays running horizontally, as is the case on the old bike. ‘Shiv TT’ can be seen on the back of the seat tube.
The seat tube appears to be much deeper from top to bottom, and the same can be said of the seatpost, fork and head tube. The top of the down tube also looks to extend slightly towards the top of the fork, all in the name of improving the new Shiv’s aerodynamic credentials.
Interestingly, the saddle clamp integrates neatly with the top of the seatpost. Again, this aero-improved design will be intended to smooth airflow.
The bike spotted at the Tour de France has a standard, round bottle cage – there’s no integrated aero bottle. However, that could change come race day.
Evenepoel's bike is also fitted with a new Roval front wheel with a deeper rim. Elsewhere, the Belgian’s custom time trial extensions appear to be the same as we’re used to seeing.
