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Tech drop3 weeks ago

Van der Poel races Dura-Ace R9300 shifters, skips the crankset

Mathieu van der Poel pictured in action during a training before the cycling World Championship, in Montreal, Canada, Wednesday 23 September 2026
Tom Wieckowski
Speeds13 (up from 12)
Shifter featurenew 'bonus button' inside each hood, thumb-actuated
Rear derailleurwired electronic, revised UDH-style mount
Crankset statusprototype tested at Vuelta a España, absent at Tour de Luxembourg
At Tour de Luxembourg, Mathieu van der Poel raced the new Dura-Ace shifters and rear derailleur but left the prototype crankset off his bike — the same chainset he'd tested at the Vuelta a España, and the one that drew criticism online for its unrefined, not-quite-flush chainrings. That's not a random equipment choice. It reads as Shimano quietly telling you which parts of R9300 it trusts in a race and which it doesn't. A rider swapping in some prototype pieces while avoiding others is a more honest development timeline than anything in a press release.
Sources
Mathieu Van der Poel's use of prototype Shimano Dura-Ace groupset gives away more detail about its design | Cyclingnewsnew 13spd Shimano Dura-Ace R9300 leaked: still semi-wirelessShimano Going to 13 Speeds is A Big Deal—Wires or No

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