Cycling News spotted the bikes of various riders from Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl, Bora-Hansgrohe, and Team Total Energy at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, all fitted with the all-new Roval wheels.

At first glance, the wheels appear to be existing Rapide CLX wheels. However, the label casually placed next to the valve tells us that the wheel is tubeless compatible.

When Roval launched the Rapide CLX and Alpinist CLX wheels in 2020, the big headline was that these wheels were not compatible with tubeless tires. Roval had always been unwavering in its belief that tubeless was the future of road tires, and the Roval CLX 32, CLX 50, and CLX 64 were all tubeless compatible.

Meanwhile, the previous year, Specialized had spoken eloquently about the benefits of tubeless tires in marketing the Turbo RapidAir tire it unveiled at the 2019 Tour de France.

However, once the wheels were launched, both brands largely backtracked on this narrative.

At the time of the launch, Ben Capron of the Roval brand marketing team explained the brand's reasoning: "Most pro riders and team technical staff appreciate the tubeless tire's ride comfort, puncture sealing, and low rolling resistance. Most pro riders and team technical staff appreciate the ride quality, puncture sealing, and low rolling resistance of tubeless tires.

According to Roval, tubeless tires require extra material because of the increased force applied to the rim. The benefits of tubeless tires are not high enough to justify the increased weight of this reinforcement, argues Loval.

For the Specialized-sponsored team, the switch to clincher tires was hardly a failure, despite the risk of punctures. Julien Alaphilippe made the most headlines with a stage win in the belated 2020 Tour de France, but perhaps more impressively, the Dečuninck-Quick-Step team belatedly announced that it would be switching to clincher tires in the 2021 spring classics, including Paris-Roubaix. Perhaps more impressive was the commitment to use clincher tires.

"We recognize the potential of tubeless road tires," Capron continued at the presentation. For now, the balance of performance tilts in favor of a tube-type wheel/tire system for performance road riders." We will continue to work to realize the benefits of tubeless road systems while reducing the drawbacks."

The company's goal is to "continue to develop a tubeless road system that is more efficient and less prone to wear and tear than the tubeless system.

True to his word, Roval is indeed continuing his tubeless efforts and now seems to believe that the technology is at the point where the balance is reversed. As a result, many sponsored riders are testing the brand's results.

Unfortunately, tubeless compatibility aside, questions remain about the other specifications of the new wheels. First, it is unclear whether Roval used hooked or hookless rims. One would assume that it would be hooked rims, given that the maximum air pressure is listed as 110 psi, but it is also unclear whether Roval is able to maintain the weight that it has claimed to be important in the past.

One thing is clear: Specialized is also preparing new tires. One thing is clear: Specialized also has new tires in the works, as yet unannounced S-Works tires will be mounted on these wheels. These S-Works branded rubbers were spotted in two colors, black and tan, with the S-Works logo near the valve on a silver background.