The 'wheelbarrow' Shimano bike that saved Pogacar - 'Like forgetting your swim trunks at the pool'

With around 120 kilometres remaining on the cobbles, Pogačar punctured on the cobbled sector between Quérénaing and Maing. 

His team car from UAE Team Emirates XRG was not in position, and communication issues further delayed assistance, according to teammate Mikkel Bjerg. With no immediate alternative, he took a replacement bike from Shimano neutral service.

Pogačar rode the bike for several kilometres before switching back to his own equipment, but the experience left a clear impression.

“It felt very uncomfortable,” he said afterwards according to Het Laatste Nieuws. “The saddle height was not correct and the wheels were also not suitable for the cobbles”.

He was even more direct in Slovenian, describing the bike as a “karjolo”, or "wheelbarrow". And despite Pogačar’s criticism of the bike, it ultimately kept him in the race.

It was not the first time Shimano played a key role in helping Tadej Pogačar out of trouble. During stage 11 of the Tour de France last year, the Slovenian crashed after contact with Tobias Halland Johannessen. His chain came off in the incident, but a Shimano neutral service mechanic quickly fixed the problem, allowing him to continue without losing time.

Neutral service is deployed in major races to assist riders when team cars are out of position. Shimano operates across hundreds of race days each year, providing bikes, wheels and mechanical support.

Behind the quick intervention lies detailed preparation.

“We build full lists in advance,” said Servais Knaven to Sporza, former Paris-Roubaix winner and now neutral service coordinator for the Benelux and France. “We know what gearing riders use, which pedals, which brakes. We even know how their tools are set up.”

Each service car carries multiple bikes in different frame sizes, fitted with several pedal systems. That allows mechanics to select a close match within seconds.

“People think we only have Shimano equipment, but we are there for everyone,” Knaven said. “For top riders, our mechanics know exactly who rides what.”

Against that backdrop, Pogačar’s comments about the saddle height are somewhat surprising.

Despite the branding, Shimano does not produce complete bikes. The frames used in neutral service are sourced externally and repainted.

“They all come from the same supplier,” Knaven said. “We repaint them so we remain neutral.”

The supplier has not been officially confirmed. However, Sporza suggests, based on its research, that the bikes used in Roubaix resemble carbon models such as the Canyon Endurace CF SL 7 from around 2021. According to Bikeradarearlier fleets included frames from brands like Bianchi and Origine.

Neutral service bikes are designed to work for a wide range of riders rather than match individual specifications. One key feature is the use of dropper seatposts, allowing riders to adjust saddle height while riding.

“We use dropper posts so riders can adjust quickly without tools,” Knaven explained. “Otherwise you would need equioment every time.”

That flexibility comes with limitations. The bikes are not tailored to individual setups, and components such as wheels may not match the specific demands of races like Roubaix.

In Pogačar’s case, that difference was immediately noticeable. But in the chaos of Paris-Roubaix, perfection is not the objective and keeping the race alive is.

UAE teammate Florian Vermeersch perhaps summed it up best on Sporza’s De Reconstructie: riding a neutral service bike is like going to the swimming pool and realising you forgot your swim trunks. You wear the spare you’re given, but it never really feels comfortable.