Canyon 2023: A year in review

For eleven days, the cycling world was focussed on Scotland, where the first-ever multi-disciplinary UCI World Championships took place this year. More than 2,600 athletes competed in over 200 events.The collective results of Canyon athletes 

performance brings to product innovation and development. Across 44 events, Canyon athletes tallied a total of 12 gold medals in Road, Time Trial, Cross Country, Marathon, Downhill, and Track Pursuit events and recorded 23 podium places altogether. This medal tally put Canyon (unofficially) at the top of the list. For us, this was a real testament to our commitment to our athletes.

The achievements of individual Canyon athletes haven’t slipped under the radar, either. Chloe Dygert (USA) recorded an incredible victory in the Women’s Individual Time Trial on her Speedmax CFR with a winning time of 46:59 and an eye-popping average speed of 46.2 km/h. She absolutely outclassed her competition and reclaimed her position as the fastest individual time triallist in the world. If this wasn’t enough, it also secured her second elite women’s rainbow jersey in the discipline at the 2023 UCI World Championships. 

Speaking of her achievement, Chloe Dygert says, “this is hugely special. Not just for me, but for everyone who is behind me: the team, CANYON//SRAM Racing, USA Cycling, and of course, my family.” 

Mathieu van der Poel also produced an absolute masterclass in the Glasgow rain as he stormed to victory in the World Championships men’s road race. He roared away from his rivals. Even when he slipped with a nasty tumble later on in the wet and slippery conditions, he wasn’t even challenged on his way to the finish line. This is because he had opened up such a big gap in the very beginning and just couldn’t be caught. Speaking to how he achieved this, Van der Poel said “when I saw no-one was following me, it just gave me wings. I was just flying around the course until the crash. For a minute I did believe it was over: it wasn’t that I was taking risks, it was just super slippy.” Mathieu van der Poel’s win is a true statement of just what it means to be one of the greatest riders of a generation. 

Kasia Niewiadoma also wrote her own name into the history books, securing her first ever rainbow jersey. Kasia rode to victory in Pieve di Soligo, Italy by pulling off a spectacular 20 km solo breakaway on the brand-new Generation 2 Grail CFR. 

Meanwhile, at the Tour de France, Jasper Philipsen underlined his credentials as the undisputed sprint king of road racing – and the Aeroad CFR’s status as the fastest bike in the pro peloton – securing the Green Jersey with four phenomenal stage wins at this year’s edition of the grande boucle. 

Elsewhere, Germany's Liana Lippert of Movistar Team capped a huge season in fine style by clinching a National Championship victory. In France, XCO athlete Loana Lecomte accomplished the same feat. Loana also scored an impressive second-place finish at the World Championships, boosting her hopes as a home favourite leading into Paris 2024. Fabien Barel won the overall World Cup title in the E-EDR on the new Strive:ON.

How do you say goodbye to legends? 

Well, a 140.6-mile outing on the French Riviera is a pretty good way to go. The triathlon GOAT, Jan Frodeno, lapped up every bit of love from the cheering crowd in his final race in France. His career has been studded with stories that include an Olympic gold medal, two 70.3 World Championships, and three Ironman World Championships. No matter his result, Frodeno’s place in the history books of sport is truly locked in. 

We’ve worked closely with Jan since 2015. The partnership was strong thanks to the never-ending pursuit of progress from both sides: Canyon, with our mission to build the best bikes, and Jan with his meticulous pursuit of goals and dreams, always looking to save the next watt. With both of us thinking along the lines of performance and innovation, the results were always going to be crowd-pleasing. 

The Canyon Speedmax CFR Moonshot is a tribute to the unique career of the GOAT, and is equipped with top-tier components for all triathletes in search for uncompromising performance. 

And Annemiek van Vleuten of Movistar Team can also look back on a glittering career. She turned pro in 2008 and since then, she took in four Giro Donne wins, four World Championship titles, and two editions of the Tour of Flanders and La Course by Le Tour de France (among an endless list of successes). However, Annemiek has always remained humble. She’s always underlined how her career had never been based on achieving specific objectives, and more about long-term projects that inspired her and gave her energy. 

“The main reason for retiring in 2023, as I've explained, is to do it while I'm in my optimum physical condition, complete the process of improvement which we began with this team [Movistar] when I signed for them in 2021, and then look forward to whatever challenges I then may face in my personal life,” speaks Annemiek of her retirement. 

Additionally, there are links that underline how cycling, women’s liberation, and Annemiek’s road to success from the Netherlands go back a long way.  

“The first reason Dutch women are successful is because we ride bikes from a young age, just to go to school or the shops. I’m proud of that part of our culture. And we’re a tough bunch. We have a saying: ‘You’re not made of sugar.’ So if it is raining outside, we go out on the bike anyway. Also, women in the Netherlands are very independent. Nobody organises stuff for us.” 

Plus, keep an eye out for 21-year-old supertalent Puck Pieterse on her quest for cyclocross and XC World Championship glory in 2024. After winning the Dutch National Championships in both disciplines and becoming European XC Champion in 2023, she’s looking to go even bigger in 2024, with her eyes firmly set on the highest stage of them all. Watch this space. 

We invest so much in professional sport because we want to support athletes in their journey towards success. It’s a reciprocal relationship: the input they give is beyond valuable and means we can continuously redefine and innovate the best bikes for our riders. And the continuous achievements of Canyon athletes serve as a confirmation of why it’s so important for us to commit to crafting the best bikes.