I ride the standard GP5000 tubed and tubeless, love them, and decided to purchase the cream TdF version. A few initial observation caught my eye that others have noted in various reviews online. The cream sidewall appears to be some sort of rubber paint on top of the standard black sidewall. Handling it side by side with a standard GP5000 in 25mm, the cream version casing feels noticeably stiffer. The standard casing feels very thin , supple, and flexible, while the cream feels sturdier, almost more like a TL version. I�m not sure if it�s a result of the coating or if the casing differs. I do also notice the standard casing is smooth, while the cream has a more pronounced woven texture slightly showing the thread pattern. Taking some approximate measurements, the cream sidewall thickness is 0.15mm more than the standard. On the scale, it also weights 30g more. The tire bead on the standard also appears slightly thinner and smooth, while the cream seems thicker and coated with a tackier black rubber. Most notably, the cream version is significantly tighter to mount on the same rims, almost to the point of being offensive. The standard version mounts with average effort. That aside the tread appear identical and the cream color is slightly on the yellow side but looks nice.
I was not a believer in the importance of bike tyres, but these Continental GP5000 Tour De France edition has absolutely changed my opinion 100%. The ride quality & handling is superior to any tyre have used in the past. The cream sidewalls are throwback abd looks absolutely perfect on my Felt F2. I've purchased my backup set already.
GP 5000 TdF has good grip, rolls fast, is lightweight, durable, and is an absolute bear to mount!! I had to use levers for the final 'pop'. 4 stars for crazy hard mounting when new.
My only problem with the 5000 vs the 4000 is life. I got 5000 miles with continental 4000 tires. I am only getting a little over 3000 miles with the 5000 series. This is according to the wear marks on the tires.