The replica of the Van Rysel RCR Pro, the WorldTour's cheapest bike - which one team rider said said would "turn the market upside-down" - has sold out within minutes of it being put up for preorder.
The bike, as used by Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale in the men's WorldTour, was available to preorder from 10am in the UK on Tuesday, but had already sold out by midday. There are still models available on Decathlon's websites in France and Belgium, priced the same numerically, so in effect cheaper on the continent.
The RCR Pro was on sale for just £9,000 in the UK, which is thousands of pounds cheaper than equivalent WorldTour bikes like the Trek Madone SLR 9, or the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8, yet still comes with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, a power meter, and Swiss Side Hadron 500 Ultimate wheels. Both the Madone and the Tarmac are on sale for at least £12,000.
Van Rysel - Decathlon's premium bike marque - worked with Swiss Side, Deda Elementi and ONERA, the French aerospace research laboratory, to develop the RCR Pro. The frame, headset and handlebars are all Van Rysel, paired with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and Swiss Side wheels. The RCR Pro bike was claimed to weight 6.826kg at the team's presentation late last year, with this replica believed to only be slightly heavier.
The bike has already tasted victory nine times this year, including at Brabantse Pijl last week through Benoît Cosnefroy.
Before the bike went on sale, Jérémie Debeuf, Product Manager at Van Rysel said: "We are thrilled to announce the upcoming pre-order availability of the RCR PRO Replica. This bike has already proved its worth to the riders in the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team. The feedback has been excellent, and we know that this machine is ready to set the victory counter racing!"
Lower-spec RCR Pro's are still on sale, with models fitted with Shimano Ultegra Di2 and Sram Force AXS both available for £5,500, although these models do not come in the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale colour-way.
"It is truly excellent. A brutal machine, by far the best I've had," Oliver Naesen, who rides for Decathlon, said earlier this year. "Light as a feather too. On other bicycles they use shallow wheels and lighter pedals to limit the weight. Mine has heavier, deeper wheels and standard pedals fitted, and it weighs only 100 grams over the limit."
Also available from Decathlon are the WorldTour team's kit, sunglasses and other accessories, which are - relatively - affordably priced too.
