Tour de France Bike Check: A Matisse-Inspired Lidl-Trek Madone

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Walking among the bikes of they 2025 Tour de France, Lidl-Trek’s Trek Madone stands out thanks to some fun new paint.

Trek shares that the design, called “Couler (French for “to flow”) is inspired by abstract expressionists and channels the movement and spontaneity seen in the works of artists like Matisse and Pollock. The design uses Lidl-Trek’s team colors in bold brushstrokes and layered textures, with paint splatters and hand-painted shapes.”

Thibau Nys’s Trek Madone SLR

Category Details
Bike Trek Madone SLR (size ML)
Groupset SRAM Red AXS 1x (54T chainring, 10-36t cassette)
Wheels Bontrager Aeolus RSL 51
Tires Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS (700c x 30 mm)
Saddle Bontrager Aeolus RSL
Pedals Time X-Pro 10
Computer Wahoo Elemnt Roam v3
Fit dimensions 37 cm x 120 mm handlebar
Weight (with computer, cages, bottles, and pedals) 16.65 pounds/7.55 kg

Build details

(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)

The design can be yours too via Trek’s Project One paint program. And because Trek is a title sponsor of the team, this bike is one you could purchase almost exactly as it’s built. Choosing the SRAM Red AXS option for the Trek Madone SLR 9 AXS, plus the Project One Icon paint scheme, would see a virtual duplicate of this bike arrive at your house.

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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)

There is one major deviation though. Although the groupset sticks to the latest road specific SRAM Red AXS, this is a 1x build. Upfront is the SRAM aero chainring option with a 54-tooth profile that maxes out the available clearance on the frame. There’s also a K-Edge 1x race chain guide and outback the cassette is the 10-36 with, as mentioned, the road specific rear derailleur.

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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)

Everything else is right off the showroom floor. That starts with the Trek bar and stem one-piece unit that utilizes narrowed hoods for better aerodynamics. We didn’t put a tape measure on this bike to check for UCI compliance with inner bar widths, but it might be tight given Nys is 5’ 9”. From there’s you’ll find an Aeolus RSL short nose saddle, the bottles are Trek’s aero bottle system, and the wheels are Bontrager Aeolus RSL 51 shod with Pirelli P Zero Race RS rubber. The only thing you’d need to add for a replica would be Time pedals.

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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)

The last noticeable bit of gear in this Tour de France bike check is the Wahoo Elemnt Roam Gen 3 upfront. Race bikes often sport the Wahoo Bolt, however as the latest Elemnt shrunk in size it makes sense to see it show up here. Can someone please pull that sticker off though?

Stay tuned for more Tour de France bike checks as the show goes on.

Gallery: Lidl-Trek’s Trek Madone

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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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A race transponder. (Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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Sprint satellite shifters. (Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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The Madone has the most unique seat tube, seat stay junction in the pro peloton. (Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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Are your bottles aero? (Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
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(Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)

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