Speculation around the new Specialized Tarmac SL9 seems to be pointing to increasing likelihood of a new model being released ahead of the Tour de France, as more leaked images and video of product listings and the bike in use appear across social media and forums.
An Instagram reel posted on 23 May by cyclist Artem Shcherbyna offered the most direct public identification yet of a new Specialized, being ridden by Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe) in footage that appears to have been taken in the Sierra Nevada region in Spain. "Yes, that's new S-Works SL9," Shcherbyna wrote in the caption. "Here you can see all details which are already leaked in internet."
The post follows a leak cycle that began on 12 May, when side-profile images appearing to show an updated Tarmac were posted to Instagram by the account @czice_. Those images drew immediate scrutiny. Some observers argued the fork logo appeared to read "Speeialized," raising the possibility the shots were AI-generated. As we noted at the time, vertical decal lines cutting through the letter "C" could produce that effect at low resolution, and the question remained open.
Subsequent images of a full bike build emerged across forums, including TrainerRoad, which offered no further insight on the design but increased the likelihood that images were in fact genuine leaks.
Shcherbyna's Reel clearly showed the same seatpost and rear seatstay design, and in a vertical video form which would be exceptionally hard to fake to such a level of plausibility. Specialized has not commented publicly on any of the leaks.
What the images show
Across the leaked material, the visible changes point to an incremental update. The SL8's "Speed Sniffer," the protruding nose-cone shape on the head tube that Specialized designed to manage airflow, appears to be retained or reshaped in a similar direction. The down tube, top tube and seatstays look close to the outgoing model.
The clearest differences are at the rear of the bike. The seat tube that follows the profile of the rear tyre more closely than before, reminiscent of the more aerodynamic Specialized Venge design, alongside a deeper seatpost, and a modified fork with a smoother leading edge into the head tube. Personally, it seemed to evoke the Venge VIAS generation of Specialized race bikes most specifically, only dramatically dialled back.
Only side views have leaked so far. A front-on image would reveal more about frontal area and tube shaping, the primary drivers of aerodynamic drag. Without that angle, and without official data from Specialized, any performance claims remain speculative.
Launch timing and the Tour connection
A Weight Weenies forum post from February 2026, citing an unnamed Specialized employee, described the SL9 as "a slightly aero optimized SL8" and said the introduction would come "around the tour." The same post claimed the bike would combine "comfort of the Aethos backend, aeroness of the SL7 backend and an optimized SL8 front."
That timing would follow a familiar pattern. The SL8 was first spotted in training with Soudal - Quick Step in July 2023, with side-profile images circulating before an official launch followed weeks later. Its first known competition appearance came at the 2023 World Championships.
Five Specialized-sponsored WorldTour teams would be candidates to receive a successor: Soudal - Quick Step, AG Insurance - Soudal, Red Bull - Bora - hansgrohe, FDJ United - Suez and SD Worx - Protime. Red Bull - Bora - hansgrohe has drawn the most speculation as a likely debut team, partly because Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull - Bora - hansgrohe) is building toward the Tour de France, which starts on 4 July in Barcelona. Evenepoel will not race again before the Tour, spending June in altitude training and course reconnaissance, which could provide a window for the bike to appear in a training-camp setting before any race debut.
A public sighting under a WorldTour team, whether at the Critérium du Dauphiné in June or at the Tour itself, would be the next verifiable checkpoint.
Cover image: Florian Lipowitz on the existing SL8 at the 2025 Tour de France, credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
