Colnago Y1Rs vs Cervélo S5: Pogačar and Vingegaard’s 2026 bikes compared

Both Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard have had unchallenged victories but also setbacks to their Grand Tour campaigns in 2026. 

Vingegaard romped to the overall win at the 2026 Giro d’Italia before crashing out of the Tour de France in July. Pogačar followed a similar trajectory a few weeks later, with an almost unopposed fifth Tour de France win, followed by a nasty crash at the Vuelta a España, which put him out of competition for the rest of the season and ruled out a third road World Championship in a row.

Both riders have a choice of their respective brands’ all-round race bike and fully fledged aero road bikes to ride and both prefer to ride the aero option, even on mountain stages. In Pogačar‘s case, he chooses the Colnago Y1Rs over the V5Rs, while Vingegaard prefers the Cervélo S5 to the R5.

How do Pogačar and Vingegaard’s bikes compare? We’ve reviewed both bikes and here we’ll give you a run-down of the two bikes’ features, the available ranges, and offer our assessment of their strengths and weaknesses.

Colnago Y1Rs vs Cervélo S5 key features

Colnago Y1Rs 

• Bayonet fork and V-shaped cockpit with rising bars
• 15mm saddle height adjustment for cut seatpost
• 32mm tyre clearance
• Claimed builds from 7.2kg
• Read our full Colnago Y1Rs review

Cervélo S5

• Bayonet fork and V-shaped riser stem with cross-braced bars
• Geometry and aerodynamics tuned for 29mm tyres
• 34mm tyre clearance
• Claimed builds from 6.7kg
• Read our full Cervélo S5 review

Colnago Y1Rs vs Cervélo S5 frameset

Both the Colnago Y1Rs and Cervélo S5 have radical frame designs, targeting optimal aero performance at race speeds. 

Both bikes use a bayonet fork mount rather than an internal steerer. This allows the head tube to be narrowed and also lengthens the head tube area, both of which should offer aero benefits.

In return, there’s a weight increase over a conventional steerer, as there’s more material needed. When it changed from a bayonet fork on the TT1 time trial bike to an internal steerer on its TT2, Colnago claimed that the fork weight dropped from 530g for the TT1 to 393g for the TT2.

Colnago’s Y-shaped seat tube is also distinctive, although it limits the amount of adjustability of the seatpost to 15mm once it has been cut, due to the short insertion length. Colnago’s head of R&D, Davide Fumagalli, reckons that, since a seatpost is a relatively inexpensive component, listed at £237 on Colnago’s site, this isn’t too much of a handicap though.

There’s a similar effect for the Cervélo S5, as the sloping top tube and curved seat tube limit the available insertion length for the seatpost. But while the Y1Rs was a clean sheet design, the current S5 is the fifth generation of a bike that debuted in 2011.

Changes from the 2023 S5 are small, but Cervélo deepened the head tube and fork legs and aero optimised the frame for 29mm tyres, rather than the 26mm width of the 2023 bike. There’s space to fit 34mm tyres.

Both bikes’ frames hug the front and rear wheels and include a down tube that spreads out to shield the water bottles, which are placed low down on the frame. Cervélo chooses its proprietary BBright Pressfit bottom bracket standard, while Colnago specs a narrower BSA bottom bracket.

Colnago Y1Rs vs Cervélo S5 aerodynamics

Colnago says it has refined its aerodynamic modelling, having placed pressure sensors at critical points in a 3D printed prototype Y1Rs frameset during development. As a result, it claims its CFD modelling is twice as accurate as standard CFD models used in bike frame development, with a 15% divergence from its wind tunnel test results, while it says that 30% is more typical.

It states that, based on its testing, the Y1Rs is 9 watts more aero efficient than an unnamed ‘best competitor aero bike’, which it heavily hints is the Cervélo S5 and that it’s the most aerodynamic bike in the WorldTour.

Colnago augments the frame’s aerodynamics with aero water bottle cages.

The S5 is claimed to improve on the aerodynamics of its 2023 predecessor, although there are no direct comparators to the Y1Rs, which was released later. Cervélo says that its 1x SRAM Red AXS spec is the fastest option – and it’s a configuration favoured by Vingegaard for flatter stages.

Colnago Y1Rs vs Cervélo S5 geometry

All dimensions in millimetres, except angles in degrees

Both the Colnago Y1Rs and Cervélo S5 have classic race bike geometry, with a steep head tube and short trail and chainstay length for agile handling.

In fact, the two bikes are within a millimetre of each other in most dimensions. The exception is the head tube length, which in the Colnago is 25.5mm greater for the compared sizes. Surprisingly, despite this the frame stack is similar between the two bikes. 

Each of the five Y1Rs frame sizes is paired with a fork that’s unique to the frame size, a necessity with the bayonet fork, which, Colnago says, also results in consistent trail and handling between sizes.

A peculiarity of Colnago’s design is that altering the saddle height also alters the effective seat tube angle, something to bear in mind.

Cervélo tweaked the S5’s geometry in its latest iteration, with minor changes to the fork trail and bottom bracket drop, designed to deliver handling in line with the previous generation, while optimising the bike for 29mm tyres rather than 26mm.

Colnago Y1Rs vs Cervélo S5 components

Both Colnago and Cervélo fit aero handlebars with a V-shaped rise. This allows them to keep their head tube short, to a greater extent in the S5 than the Y1Rs. 

The S5’s bars have a bracing section in their centre, while the Y1Rs’s bars rise directly from the steerer. Cervélo says that the switch to a one-piece cockpit is a major contributor to the current S5’s lower weight, shaving around 115g off the weight of the 2023 bike’s separate bar, stem and mounting hardware.

The S5’s bars come with the now-typical flare to the drops, with a 40mm difference in width from the tops. Nine cockpit width/length combinations are available. 

Colnago betters that with ten variants for its bars for the Y1Rs. We found that there was noticeable flex in Colnago’s bars under harder efforts, although Colnago claims they’re its stiffest handlebar option and 16% stiffer than an unnamed competitor’s bars. The brand also states that it’s one of the lightest one-piece bar/stems available.

Other parts on the two bikes are also unique to them, with both brands including aero seatposts. Cervélo has a single zero offset option across the majority of the S5 sizes, while Colnago has zero and 15mm offset alternatives.

Colnago Y1Rs vs Cervélo S5 weight

Aero bikes tend to be heavier than climbing bikes, but despite this both Pogačar and Vingegaard prefer their aero bikes to their respective bike sponsors’ lightweight bikes.

The Cervélo S5 has a 2,032g claimed system weight, including the frame, fork, cockpit, cockpit hardware and seatpost. In its lightest 1x SRAM Red AXS build, Cervélo claims a 6.74kg complete bike weight.

When we reviewed the Cervélo S5 in Dura-Ace spec with Reserve 57/64 Turbulent Aero wheels it weighed 7.58kg in a size 56, not far off the 7.42kg claimed; an equivalent size L Colnago Y1Rs weighed 7.1kg when tested, equipped with Dura-Ace and heavyish Vision SC 45 SL wheels.

The size 56 is two sizes larger than Vingegaard rides though, and he has lighter wheelset options, as well as running SRAM Red, often 1x, which will be slightly lighter than Dura-Ace.

Colnago says that an unpainted Y1Rs frame weighs 798g and the fork adds 450g, for a frame kit weight including bearings of 1,415g. That’s not a like-for-like comparison with Cervélo‘s stated frame kit weight though, as it doesn’t include the same range of components. It claims a size M bike equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace weighs 7.2kg.

Pogačar rides a size larger than Vingegaard, with Dura-Ace and Enve SES 4.5 Pro wheels, so his set-up may not be as light as Vingegaard’s, although he has a black raw carbon finish available to him that eliminates the weight of the paint. The Dark Series bike is an option for retail customers too, as are custom colours including World Champion rainbow stripes.

Cervélo offers two colour options for each spec, but no custom colour programme.

Colnago Y1Rs vs Cervélo S5 groupsets

With their premium billing, both the Y1Rs and S5 offer options with the cream of the road bike groupsets crop. 

In both cases, that includes the usual Shimano Dura-Ace and SRAM Red AXS. Colnago also shows Super Record 13 in its list of available groupsets and shows specs for Ultegra and Force AXS.

Cervélo adds a SRAM Red AXS 1×12-speed option to Dura-Ace and Red and it too offers Ultegra and Force builds. 

As a default, Colnago specs conventional crank lengths of 170mm on smaller frames and 172.5mm on larger sizes, although it does list shorter alternatives in its bike builder online. Cervélo goes as short as 160mm and only fits 172.5mm cranks to the two largest frame sizes and there’s no option to spec different lengths.

All Cervélo builds are fitted with a power meter, whereas Colnago fits non-instrumented cranksets to all specs of the Y1Rs except Red AXS.

Colnago Y1Rs vs Cervélo S5 wheelsets

Cervélo bikes are fitted with mixed depth Reserve wheels, in most cases the 57 TA at the front and 64 TA at the rear. The exception is the SRAM Red AXS 1x spec, which has a 42/49mm deep wheelset.

Reserve’s wheels spin on DT Swiss hubs, the 180 in the higher specs and 240 in less pricey builds.

Colnago’s wheel choices include wheels from Enve, Fulcrum and Vision, as well as Bora Ultra WTO wheels for the Campagnolo build.

Most Y1Rs builds are equipped with 28mm Pirelli P Zero tyres, while Cervélo fits Vittoria Corsa Pro 29mm tyres to all specs.

Colnago Y1Rs vs Cervélo S5 ranges compared

If you’re not looking for a pro-level spec, both Colnago and Cervélo have a range of different builds that are slightly less wallet-busting. Neither goes down to the sub-£5,000 price ticket that are offered for some other WorldTour bikes such as the Canyon Aeroad and Specialized Tarmac SL9.

We’ll run through the headline specs, along with their weights and prices. Colnago’s online configurator allows you to choose a range of spec options, so you can specify crank length, cockpit dimensions, saddle choice and wheelset, for example.

Colnago Y1Rs

Colnago Y1Rs Campagnolo Super Record

• Groupset: Campagnolo Super Record 13-speed
• Gearing: 45/29t, 10-27t (other variants available)
• Power meter: None
• Wheels: Campagnolo Bora Ultra WTO   
• Claimed weight: Not specified
• Price: From £14,299

Colnago Y1Rs Red AXS

• Groupset: SRAM Red AXS 12-speed
• Gearing: 48/35t, 10-30t
• Power meter: Red AXS
• Wheels: Vision SC 45   
• Claimed weight: Not specified
• Price: From £11,699

Colnago Y1Rs Dura-Ace Di2

• Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace 12-speed
• Gearing:  52/36t, 11-30t
• Power meter: Not specified
• Wheels: Enve SES 4.5 / Fulcrum Sharq / Vision SC 45   
• Claimed weight: 7.2kg
• Price: From £11,649

Colnago Y1Rs Ultegra Di2

• Groupset: Shimano Ultegra 12-speed
• Gearing:  52/36t, 11-34t
• Power meter: Not specified
• Wheels: Vision SC 45   
• Claimed weight: Not specified
• Price: £10,249

Colnago Y1Rs Force AXS

• Groupset: SRAM Force AXS 12-speed
• Gearing: 48/35t, 10-33t
• Power meter: Not specified
• Wheels: Vision SC 45   
• Claimed weight: Not specified
• Price: From £9,499

Cervélo S5

Cervélo S5 Red AXS

• Groupset: SRAM Red AXS 12-speed
• Gearing: 50/37t, 10-33t
• Power meter: SRAM Red double sided
• Wheels: Reserve 57|64 TA carbon on DT Swiss 180 hubs   
• Claimed weight: 7.3kg
• Price: £12,750

Cervélo S5 Red AXS 1

• Groupset: SRAM Red AXS 12-speed
• Gearing: 50t, 10-36t
• Power meter: SRAM Red double sided
• Wheels: Reserve 42|49 TA carbon on DT Swiss 180 hubs   
• Claimed weight: 6.74kg
• Price: £12,500

Cervélo S5 Dura-Ace Di2

• Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace 12-speed
• Gearing:  54/40t, 11-34t
• Power meter: 4iiii Precision Pro double sided
• Wheels: Reserve 57|64 TA carbon on DT Swiss 180 hubs   
• Claimed weight: 7.42kg
• Price: £12,750

Cervélo S5 Force AXS

• Groupset: SRAM Red AXS 12-speed
• Gearing: 50/37t, 10-33t 
• Power meter: SRAM Force double sided
• Wheels: Reserve 57|64 TA carbon on DT Swiss 240 hubs   
• Claimed weight: 7.68kg
• Price: £9,450

Cervélo S5 Ultegra Di2

• Groupset: Shimano Ultegra 12-speed
• Gearing:  52/36t, 11-34t
• Power meter: 4iiii Precision Pro double sided
• Wheels: Reserve 57|64 TA carbon on DT Swiss 240 hubs   
• Claimed weight: 7.76kg
• Price: £9,450

Cervélo S5 frameset

• Claimed weight: 2.27kg
• Price: £5,500

Colnago Y1Rs vs Cervélo S5: Which should I choose?

Are you a fan of Vingegaard’s phlegmatic Danish demeanour or do you prefer Pogačar’s more buoyant charm? Whether you choose the S5 or the Y1Rs, you’ll inevitably be buying into their star riders’ character and performance too.

In neither case will you be able to hide in the shadows; both bikes are out-there and, when we’ve reviewed them, attracted attention and not just from the cycling community. They’re both expensive too, although there’s a sub-£10,000 option for each.

Both are pro-level performance aero bikes, with all that entails in terms of pro ride position and pedalling stiffness. We reckoned after riding the Y1Rs for our review that it was a bike for lightweight racers who ride fast on good roads, while the S5 has mellowed a little with the switch to 29mm tyres.

But both our reviews highlighted the blisteringly fast rides. If that’s for you, then it’ll be hard to go wrong choosing the bike that matches your favoured star.