In cycling, winning a championship title doesn’t end the day, or even the week, after crossing the line. It’s a year-long celebration.
These days, national, regional and world champions are honoured not only with the jersey that signifies their status, but with a full suite of accessories and, increasingly, a race bike wrapped in a custom colourway to match.
Alison Jackson is among those who stand out in the peloton, racing in the red maple leaf bands of the reigning, and repeat, Canadian national champion.
"To wear the national champ jersey is just such an honour, and I love having that jersey," Jackson told Cycling Weekly back in November.
While Jackson swapped teams this season, her bike sponsor remained the same. Together with Cannondale, she unveiled her special-edition SuperSix Evo last week, one finished in a maple leaf-inspired colourway that, as Jackson puts it, "represents where I come from, what I race for, and how I ride."
After EF Education–Oatly chose not renew her contract after 2025, Jackson found a new home with UCI Women’s ProTeam St Michel–Préférence Home–Auber93.
The move, encouraged in part by Cannondale, not only offers her an opportunity to continue her career but to do so in a position of leadership and personal opportunity.
"They really respect me as a rider and also what I could do for the team: helping build it and be a leader and a captain," Jackson.
But make no mistake: she’s not lining up just to guide others. The 37-year-old is chasing lofty ambitions of her own.
“[Retirement] wasn't an option for me. Just 'cause one team says no, it doesn't mean it has to be over. I still think I can win races, and I still enjoy the chaos," shesaid.
Another Paris-Roubaix title. A dream win at the Tour of Flanders. Stage victories at the Tour de France Femmes or Giro Donne. Defending her Canadian national title. Helping her Canadian national team defend Magdeleine Vallieres’s rainbow jersey. Jackson’s entering 2026 with quite the hit list. And she’ll do it all on the newly released, fifth-generation Cannondale SuperSix Evo LAB71.
Let’s have a closer look.
A Fifth-Gen Cannondale SuperSix Evo LAB71
Jackson's team bike is built around the latest generation SuperSix Evo. The fifth-gen is an evolution rather than a revolution, with a very similar silhouette to its predecessor. But look closer, and you'll find some meaningful refinements that make it a dream to ride, according to our tech writer Aaron Borrill.
You can read Borrill's review here, but the TL;DR version is this: it's lighter and faster (in fact, it's the lightest disc-brake road bike Cannondale has built yet); it has a new front end, including cockpit; it's UDH-equipped; and, notably, compatible only with electronic groupsets.
Jackson's special-edition SuperSix Evo LAB 71 comes with a SRAM RED AXS groupset, Mavic Cosmic SLR 45 hoops wrapped in 30mm Michelin Power Cup tyres, a Prologo saddle, Look pedals, and Cannondale's proprietary seatpost and SystemBar Road integrated cockpit.
Paint-wise, Jackson’s national champion SuperSix Evo leans fully into Canadian identity with a crisp white-to-red fade across the frame. Scattered maple leaf graphics sweep through the front end before intensifying into a deeper red rear triangle.
Cannondale branding pops along the downtube, with the "LAB71" mark on the seat tube identifying the bike’s top-tier spec. A personal touch sits on the top tube, too, with the phrase "Don't think just dance" reminding Jackson to dance her way to victory as she did at the 2023 Paris-Roubaix.
Her bike, as photographed, was specced with 30mm tyres, but the SuperSix Evo has clearance for 32mm (even some 34mm tyres) for those cobbled Classics she loves so much.
