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Team TotalEnergies will ride Pardus bikes for three seasons, starting in 2027. You may remember Pardus from my article on the Spark Evo Gen 4, its aero frame. I also saw that bike in person at the Pardus booth on Day 1 of China Cycle 2026 in Shanghai.
Team TotalEnergies is a ProTeam, one level below the WorldTour, and its 2027 license isn’t confirmed yet. Even so, the deal is a big step for a Chinese brand that is new to Europe.
So, what will the team ride, and what does it mean for Pardus?
What Pardus and TotalEnergies Announced
Here’s what the team’s press release says:
- Three seasons: Pardus becomes the official bike supplier of Vendée Cyclisme, the company behind Team TotalEnergies, for three seasons from 2027.
- All squads: The deal covers the pro team, the U23 team (Vendée U – Primeo Energie), and the U19 team (CREF).
- Three bikes: All teams will get the SPK EVO G4 and ROBIN EVO G3 road bikes, plus the GOMERA EVO time-trial bike.
Pardus replaces Cube, which supplied the team in 2026. Before that, the team rode Enve bikes in 2024 and 2025.
Vendée Cyclisme was founded in 2000 by Jean-René Bernaudeau and is based in Les Essarts, France. Its General Manager, Stéphane Heulot, called the deal “an important step onto the international stage” for Pardus.
Terry Gong, Pardus’s Vice General Manager, said Pardus learned what pro riders expect by supporting the Chinese national team since the Rio Olympics. He also wants rider feedback to improve Pardus’s products.
The Three Bikes the Team Will Ride
The team named three models. Pardus Europe sells versions of the first two, but not the third.
| Feature | SPK EVO G4 | ROBIN EVO G3 | GOMERA EVO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Aero road bike | Climbing road bike | Time-trial bike |
| Closest model sold in Europe | SPKG4 EVO | Robin Evo | Gomera RS (lower tier) |
| Key claims | ~950 g (2.1 lb) frame, wind-tunnel tested with the Chinese national team | Built for climbing, Ultegra Di2, carbon-spoke wheels | No specs published |
SPK EVO G4
This looks like the race version of the Spark Evo Gen 4 I wrote about in March. “SPK” is short for Spark, and Pardus sells it in Europe as the SPKG4 EVO. Pardus says it was developed with the Chinese national team and tested in a wind tunnel. Based on the Chinese launch information I translated, the frame weighs about 950 g (2.1 lb) in size M, painted. It has a T47 threaded bottom bracket, but it’s not UDH compatible. Pardus also claims it’s 25% stiffer than the previous generation.
At the show, I noticed the narrow head tube. The frame is also split into two sections along the side profile, similar to what Konago does. It looked appealing to me, and it’s clearly inspired by the Cervélo S5. Pardus claims that with a rider on board, it’s faster than the Ridley Noah. Without a rider in the tunnel, Pardus admits the Noah Fast is still quicker. That’s an honest distinction.
ROBIN EVO G3
This is the climbing bike. Pardus Europe sells a Robin Evo with Shimano Ultegra Di2, MVMT carbon-spoke wheels, and an integrated carbon bar. Pardus’s site doesn’t say which generation the Robin Evo is, so I can’t confirm it’s the same as the team’s G3.
I expect the ROBIN EVO G3 to sit right at the UCI’s 6.8 kg (15 lb) weight limit.
GOMERA EVO
This is the time-trial bike, and it’s the big unknown. Pardus Europe only lists the Gomera RS, a lower-tier TT bike with SRAM Rival AXS. Pardus hasn’t published any Gomera EVO specs that I could find.
Neither side has announced the team’s groupset, wheels, tires, or power meters. So I won’t guess.
Who Pardus Is
Pardus is part of Taishan Sports Industry Group, based in Shandong Province, China. Pardus says Taishan has supplied equipment to the Olympic Games for over 40 years. Pardus is also the official sponsor and supplier of the Chinese national team.
Pardus sorts its bikes into three tiers: SPORT, RS, and EVO. EVO is the top tier, and all three team bikes carry that name.
Pardus officially launched in Europe in May 2026. Its European website points buyers to local bike dealers and doesn’t list prices.
This isn’t Pardus’s first team deal. Since 2025, it has sponsored Team Vini Fantini. It also backs smaller UCI Continental teams, including TUFO-PARDUS Prostějov, which operates not far from where I live.
More Chinese Brands in the Pro Peloton
Pardus isn’t the only Chinese brand in the pro peloton:
- XDS: Astana rides XDS X-Lab bikes, and XDS Astana Team applied for a 2027 WorldTeam license.
- Quick Pro: Quick Pro supplies bikes to the Euskaltel-Euskadi team.
- Winspace: The women’s Mayenne Monbana My Pie team rides Winspace frames.
XDS is the only one of these brands with a team on the UCI’s 2027 WorldTeam applicant list. But the pattern is easy to see: Chinese brands are using pro teams to build their names in Europe. If you’re wondering whether the frames are good enough, I’ve covered that in are Chinese carbon frames any good.
My Take
I’d like to test the SPKG4 EVO myself. Getting one may be harder than usual, though. The Czech distributor suffered a fire at the Baťa building and lost its complete inventory.
What do you think about Pardus on a French pro team? Let me know in the comments.
