Tadei Pogachar often dominates races and is a favorite to win the Giro d'Italia, but he and his UAE Team Emirates team pursue every possible advantage and give few chances. This includes the team's Colnago race bikes, component selection, and optimized biomechanics.

Since turning pro in 2019, Pogachar and UAE Team Emirates have gradually evolved and perfected their equipment selection to find lighter weight, better efficiency, and marginal gains.

UAE Team Emirates switched from rim brakes to disc brakes, and Pogachar occasionally switched between the two to have a lighter bike for climbing hills. The team then invested a lot of money in its own wind tunnel testing to create the best wheel and frame combination.

Colnago developed the V4R based on Pogachar's feedback, and in 2023 the entire team switched from Campagnolo to Shimano groupset, partnering with Enve for wheels and Continental for tubeless tires. Pogachar and other riders prefer to use 28mm Continental GP 5000 TT tires instead of Grand Prix 5000 S TRs, depending on race conditions.

The bikes are also fitted with aerodynamic one-piece carbon fiber cockpits. These were initially from Colnago, but Pogachar appears to be using Enve SES AR models this year.

According to the Italian magazine Bicisport, in recent years Pogachar has replaced the 50cm frame with a 48.5cm frame and, as narrowbars have become fashionable, narrowed the cockpit width from 42cm to 37cm with a 2cm flare.

He now always wears a Met Manta aero helmet and large, face-covering Scicon sunglasses for racing. Tuscan brand Pissei provides the racewear and skinsuits.

This year, Pogachar changed the cranks on Strade Bianche, winner of the 80 km solo attack, from 170 mm to 165 mm.

According to Bicisport, Pogachar had already switched from 172.5mm to 170mm cranks in 2023, and after switching to 165mm cranks on his time trial bike, he chose to further reduce the crank length.

Pogachar's latest marginal gain is the choice of 55 x 40 chainrings made specifically for Pogachar by the small Italian brand Carbonti.

According to the BiciPro website, Pogachar first used the 55-tooth carbon chainring in Milan-San Remo and won in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. UAE Team Emirates also used steel carbon disc brake rotors to save a few grams of weight.

Pogachar used 54 carbon-Ti carboring chainrings in 2023, when he won the Tour of Flanders, and requested a 55x40 setup in 2024.

"Taddei demands it, he knows what he wants, and everyone naturally tries to help him," Carbon-Ti product manager Marco Monticone told BiciPro.

"I first talked to the team during the Tour de France, and they wanted a chainring with a larger gear ratio, especially for the fast descents, and I think it was a way to compete with the competitors with 10-tooth sprockets."

Carbon-Ti had to completely redesign the chainring setup to create the 55 x 40 combination, using 3D design and a new CNC machine setup.

The chainring construction is made of carbon fiber, with teeth CNC machined from aluminum. According to Carbon Ti, the width and shape of the outer chainring helps chain harp between chainrings for precise shifting up and down. The chainrings are compatible with both Shimano and SRAM cranks and gears.

BiciPro revealed that UAE Team Emirates has ordered a 55x40 carboring setup for all riders and will soon be available for general sale, with the 55 carboring priced at €249.00. The inner chainring is €186.00.

Rival teams have also expressed interest, but since Carbon-Ti is a small company based near Brescia, there is a 4-5 month wait.

"At the moment, the 55x40 setup is exclusive to UAE Team Emirates because we are the team's official supplier, but once it goes on general sale, anyone can purchase it," said Monticone of Carbon Ti. [Bahrain Victorious, DeCathlon, and Jayco Alura are interested in purchasing them, and DeCathlon has placed a substantial order.