Close up with the new Trek Madone: Mads Pedersen's Tour de France bike

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022
(Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Teased as the "ultimate race bike" in the build-up to its release, Trek finally unveiled the new Madone at the Tour de France with several new features.

The most striking aspect of the design is a new IsoFlow seat tube technology that replaces the previous model's IsoSpeed system. The seat tube splits and forks outward to join the seat stays, resulting in an almost diamond-shape hole below the seat which screams out for attention.

So we took a closer look at Trek-Segafredo rider Mads Pedersen's new bike to get to grips with the new upgrades.

The IsoFlow system not only adds compliance for a smoother ride, says Trek, but also brings gains in aerodynamics and weight-saving.

In fact Trek says the new Madone is 60 seconds per hour faster than the previous generation thanks to its new aero frame alongside a redesigned integrated handlebar and stem. The hoods on the handlebar are 3cm narrower than the drops which Trek says allows for an improved, more aero rider position.

The new Madone will come with Bontrager's Aeolus RSL 51 carbon tubeless-ready wheelset, but Pedersen's bike was fitted with deeper 62mm rims in Copenhagen.

It was also equipped with SRAM's Red eTap AXS 12-speed groupset.

The radical seat tube design creates a floating seat post that is designed to bring improvements in weight, aerodynamics and compliance (Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022

Trek says using its lightest carbon has helped to shave off around 300g of weight – along with that yawning hole below the seat post (Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022

The integrated bar and stem is a completely new system that also contributes to a lighter, faster bike (Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022

In an effort to achieve greater aero gains, the hoods are turned inwards resulting in a 3cm flare at the drops compared to the tops (Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022

The new one-piece bar-stem has been redesigned with a new spacer stack (Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022

Mads Pedersen is something of a local hero at the race's grand depart in Copenhagen (Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022

The top tube now extends beyond the seat stays, creating a floating seat post that replaces the previous adjustable IsoSpeed system (Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022

The seat post design will lead to gains in aerodynamics, weight-saving and compliance, according to Trek (Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022

Trek says the new positioning of the seat post will flex to add compliance, giving Mads Pedersen and his team-mates a smoother ride to Paris (Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022

The novel approach to the intersection between the top tube, seat tube and seat stays leaves an almost diamond-shaped hole (Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022

The Madone has been fitted with Bontrager's Aeolus RSL wheelset, which was first released last spring (Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022

The bottom part of the new seat tube has a profile that curves around the rear wheel (Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022

The new Madone is equipped with SRAM's Red eTap AXS 12-speed groupset (Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022

Mads Pedersen's bike is set up with a 56/43 chainring combo (Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022

A bigger bottom bracket shell extends above the upper limit of the large chainring, reducing turbulent airflow and improving stiffness (Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022

The new Madone will be available in five colourways, including two matching the men's and women's Trek-Segafredo teams (Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022

Trek-Segafredo will use Wahoo Elemnt computers with their new integrated cockpit design (Image credit: Peter Stuart)

Trek-Segafredo Trek Madone at the Tour de France 2022

The new Madone is disc-brake only  (Image credit: Peter Stuart)
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Mads Pedersen's Trek Madone: Specifications
FrameTrek Madone SLR
GroupsetSRAM Red eTap AXS
BrakesSRAM Red eTap AXS Hyd
WheelsetBontrager Aeolus RSL 62
TyresPirelli P Zero Race clincher
Inner tubes Pirelli TPU
HandlebarTrek Madone integrated cockpit
StemTrek Madone integrated cockpit
ChainsetSRAM Red w/ Quarq power meter
Power meterQuarq SRAM Red
PedalsShimano Dura-Ace R9100
SaddleBontrager Verse Pro
Bottle cagesBontrager Bat Cage
BottlesElite Fly
Bar tapeBontrager
ComputerWahoo Elemnt Bolt
Chainrings56/43

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