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Now you can look like Chris Froome as Rapha unveil Team Sky IV collection

Blue replaced by yellow with Rapha's Team Sky IV collection

British clothing company and sponsor of Team Sky since 2013, Rapha has revealed it’ll soon be releasing the Team Sky IV collection which is the same yellow and black kit the team wore as they rode into Paris. Chris Froome was wearing the yellow jersey but wore this special edition jersey and bib shorts as he took to the podium on the Champs-Élysées.

It’s been a successful partnership for the clothing brand with three of the four Tour victories being ridden in Rapha kit (Bradley Wiggins won during the original Adidas sponsorship) and this special edition kit is sure to fly off the shelves and embraced by fans of Team Sky.

In the range is the Team Sky IV Aero Jersey which has been redesigned for 2016 to be more aero, with wind tunnel testing resulting in the use of a smooth fabric on the front and back panels along with offset seams, all to reduce drag. The jersey is also lighter to cope with the extremely high temperatures the team had to race through.

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A lighter weight version of Rapha's most efficient racing jersey, developed from wind-tunnel sessions for Team Sky's riders to wear on race day, featuring the yellow stripe found of the three-time Tour champion and the Team Sky IV crest. The light weight torso features front- and back-panel panels cut from a smooth fabric to improve airflow, while new longer sleeves also allow the arms to cut through the wind more efficiently.

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The blue has been replaced by yellow and the rear panel features the surnames of the team, along with a special emblem designed to commemorate the four Tour de France victories for the team. And to think people laughed at Dave Brailsford’s bold assertion that he would produce a British winner of the race within five years of being established. The jersey costs £130. 

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Pair the jersey with the matching Team Sky IV Pro Team Bib Shorts for the complete look, and you’ll be the envy of all your mates. Maybe. They’re based on the regular Pro Team bib shorts with a Cytech padded insert with a Lycra material that is “tight, supportive, durable and lightweight.’

Pro-grade bib shorts created for the most demanding training and racing conditions. Lightweight, durable and close-fitting, these bibs are tailored for an aggressive race position. As worn by the riders of the Team Sky on the last day of the Tour, in Paris. The bibs cost £190.

team sky rapha tour tee.jpeg

If you don’t want to look like one of Froome’s lieutenant on the road, you can instead opt for the Team Sky IV T-Shirt (£15) or Merino Zip Through (£120).  Pair either outfit up with the matching cycling cap (£20) and Pro Socks (£15).

 

More at Rapha

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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11 comments

Avatar
bdsl | 7 years ago
0 likes

Wasn't Chris Froome wearing a different jersey to the rest of the team for the last stages? I think it might have been from Le Coq Sportif rather than Rapha.

Avatar
muppetteer replied to bdsl | 7 years ago
1 like

bdsl wrote:

Wasn't Chris Froome wearing a different jersey to the rest of the team for the last stages? I think it might have been from Le Coq Sportif rather than Rapha.

 

All TDF coloured shirts are from Le Coq Sportif, its part of the rules of entering the race. I'm sure each team would prefer to ride a jersey from their sponsor/partner, but its simply not possibly. Hence, Sagan and Cav each wore a Le Coq Sportif yellow jersey during their respective stints as well. The same applies for themgreen jersey, white jersey and the polka dot jersey etc. 

Avatar
Leviathan | 7 years ago
1 like

It wouldn't be a "Pro" or team jersey without the sponsors. Rapha can sell their own jerseys. 

I do wonder if it is a mini-troll on Froome, not 3 tours but IV; remember Brad got there first.

Avatar
Leeroy_Silk | 7 years ago
0 likes

I really like the look of the jersey, love the bands and the yellow and white on black colour scheme. As an established member of the  'not a fan of Rapha' club I'd buy one if it wasn't for all the sponsor logos. I know what the kit represents and for Marketing / publicity it's a show stopper, I can't help but wonder how many increased sales could be generated if the sponsor logos were more subtle though?

Avatar
michophull | 7 years ago
10 likes

And how much do they intend to pay us to ride around advertising a branch of Murdoch PLC then ?

Avatar
HarrogateSpa | 7 years ago
2 likes

I'm sure it's good quality kit, but equally, I'm certain that you're paying a lot for sponsorship/marketing.

More to the point, I'll wait until I'm actually on Team Sky, supporting Froome Dog at the Tour, before wearing this kit. Until then, not a chance.

Avatar
Carton | 7 years ago
5 likes

Team Sky IV collection?

Way to troll your trolls   4

Avatar
Rapha Nadal replied to Carton | 7 years ago
2 likes

Carton wrote:

Team Sky IV collection?

Way to troll your trolls   4

Ha ha! Brilliant, take a bow sir.

Avatar
notfastenough replied to Carton | 7 years ago
3 likes

Carton wrote:

Team Sky IV collection?

Way to troll your trolls   4

'Collection' - might have been a bit too blatant to call it the IV line!

Avatar
kenyond | 7 years ago
0 likes

Whats "adidasAdidasorship"????? 

Avatar
tritecommentbot | 7 years ago
0 likes

Can't see me going for the jersey, looks class though. Would definitely grab a T Shirt for kicking around if ordering something else while it's available. Nice designs all round, especially that zip through.

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