After a Century of Dominance, Tubular Tires Vanish from the Tour de France

For the first time in over 100 years, not a single team in the 2025 Tour de France is using tubular tires. The last World Tour squad to hold out, Cofidis, made the switch in 2024 when they moved from Corima wheels to Campagnolo.

The catch?

Campagnolo no longer makes tubular wheels. And just like that, the era of the tubular tire once the undisputed king of pro racing is over.

Tubular tires, introduced in 1888, still carry a nostalgic charm among purists and cyclocross riders, but in the world of professional road cycling, their time has passed.

The decline began quietly back in 2011. For decades, pros preferred tubulars because they were lightweight and offered a level of safety in case of a flat the tires were glued to the rim, making it possible to keep riding even after a puncture.

But as independent rolling resistance tests became more common, it became clear that tubulars weren’t the fastest option. Both clinchers and tubeless setups rolled better, particularly important in time trials where every fraction of a second counts.

That same year, Tony Martin captured the time trial world title on Continental clinchers, setting a new precedent. He stuck with clinchers for time trials throughout his career.

But the major shift came in 2019 when Fabio Jakobsen won a Tour of California stage on tubeless Specialized tires.

That same year, Alexander Kristoff claimed victory at Gent-Wevelgem on tubeless Vittoria tires. By the 2019 Tour de France, a handful of Specialized-sponsored riders were already experimenting with tubeless options.

The trend gained momentum at the 2020 Tour, with more riders testing the new tech.

Back in 2019, tire guru Josh Poertner predicted that tubeless would take over the peloton. At the time, his forecast that 95% of World Tour teams would switch by 2024 sounded bold. But in hindsight, he wasn’t far off.

So, what killed the tubular tire after such a long reign? The answer lies in the very feature that once made it unique glue.

Tubulars are bonded to rims with glue, which, while secure, increases rolling resistance due to hysteresis (energy loss in the adhesive).

Poertner explained that even when using epoxy for special events like the Wiggins hour record attempt, the glued setup was fast but required throwing the wheels away afterward because the tires were essentially permanent.

Over time, the benefits once associated with tubulars ride feel, comfort, and cornering were outclassed by advancements in other tire technologies.

And while data drove much of this change, the real shift happened in the broader cycling community: riders were no longer willing to deal with the hassle and cost of gluing on expensive tires.

At the same time, tubeless tech was rapidly evolving. Better rolling resistance, easier maintenance, and growing support from wheel manufacturers pushed clinchers and tubeless tires into the spotlight.

Brands moved their R&D away from tubulars, accelerating their decline.

Skeptics might say this shift was driven more by industry marketing than rider preference. It’s true that manufacturers are always looking to sell something new. But regardless of motivation, the performance data was clear and consumer behavior confirmed it.

Riders had already moved on long before the peloton did.

The tubular had a remarkable run. There’s something romantic about the ritual of applying glue and prepping a wheel by hand. But nostalgia doesn’t win races.

And while some may look back fondly on the tubular era, most cyclists today and certainly five years from now will find the idea of gluing tires to rims as outdated as wooden wheels.