Think the pros only ride what's best for their bodies? Think again. There is a new dominant saddle company completely taking over the 2026 Tour de France peloton—and the reason behind its dominance might surprise you. Welcome back to another special Tour de France series episode of Cycling Demystified, brought to you by the Foundation Bike Fit team. In this episode, we put on our bike fitter glasses to dissect the pro peloton from the butt up. We crunched the numbers on what every single world tour team is riding this year, and the results completely caught us off guard. In this episode, we dive deep into:The Italian Takeover: How a single manufacturer managed to sponsor nearly half the peloton, and why historic heavyweights like Fizik have fallen out of the top spot. Marketing vs. Anatomy: Does what the pros ride actually translate to what you should choose for your weekend road bike? The Geometry Hack: How modern riders are shifting away from traditional long noses to short-nose and even time-trial saddles just to cheat strict UCI frame regulations. Peak Saddle & 3D Printing: Have we reached the absolute limit of saddle innovation, or is the industry just trapped in a cycle of expensive "aerodynamic flaps" and hype?Enjoyed the episode? Don't forget to leave us a rating or review to help other riders find the show! Have you spotted any weird blacked-out saddles or custom tape jobs in the tour yet? Drop us a message on Instagram at @fdn_bikefit or email us at [email protected]. Keep on spinning!Previous episodes:Ep 41: The Ten Pillars of Bike Fit - Part 2 of 10: A Fool-Proof Guide To Saddle HeightEp 47: The Ten Pillars of Bike Fit - Part 9 of 10: How to Choose a SaddleEp 149 Why Do Pros Sit On The Nose Of Their Saddles?

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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