It’s no secret that most components used by professional riders in the Tour de France come from team sponsors, but occasionally we spot examples of riders using non-sponsored kit that has been disguised.
This doesn’t happen as much as it once did. Sponsorship is big business, especially in the world’s most important bike race, and social media means that it could be a PR disaster if a big name rider is seen using components from a rival brand.
Here are some examples of riders using non-sponsored kit from this year’s Tour de France.
Team Dimension Data’s wheel sponsor is Enve. However, Enve doesn’t make a disc wheel so if the team riders want to use one in a time trial they need to go elsewhere. This is Edvald Boasson Hagen’s bike and we’re pretty sure that’s a HED wheel on the back there.
The Hed sticker is still visible at the centre of the rear wheel of the bike on the left.
Edvald Boasson Hagen’s TT saddle isn’t from team sponsor Fizik either.
Although the logos have been blacked out you can still make out that this is actually a Pro Aerofuel saddle.
This is Mark Cavendish’s Cervelo S5 with tape covering the logos on the Shimano chainset.
Team Dimension Data does use Shimano groupsets but Rotor is the chainset sponsor, hence the tape. It’s not the neatest job ever though, is it?
Specialized doesn’t make a disc wheel either, hence this logo-less model fitted to the bike of Quick-Step rider Matteo Trentin.
Two-time world champion Peter Sagan uses a stem from Zipp despite the US brand not being a Bora-Hansgrohe sponsor.
A nice bit of work with insulating tape there.
Shimano sponsors Team Sky but three-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome famously uses twin cam shaped O.Symmetric chainrings that are designed to reduce the effort needed to get through the dead spots in a pedal stroke. The Team Sky hierarchy isn’t convinced but Chris Froome believes he rides better with these chainrings. He gets to use them but O.Symmetric doesn’t benefit from any logos on Froome’s bike.
We’re not entirely convinced that Geraint Thomas’s Pinarello Dogma F10 X-Light is entirely what it seems. While the ‘F10’ on the seat tube looks like it has always been there, the ‘X-Light’ is an added sticker.
There is currently no F10 X-Light in Pinarello’s range. We could be wrong but we reckon that there will soon be a press release from Pinarello saying something along the lines of: “The new Pinarello Dogma F10 X-Light, as ridden by Team Sky in the Tour de France”. Or something
It’s a Bontrager wheel on the rear of this Trek Segafredo Team Concept, right?
Nope, it’s a Zipp. The dimples in the surface of the wheel give the game away, and you can even see the Zipp logo.
If you look closely – really closely – at this line of Look 796s belonging to the Fortuneo-Oscaro team you can see that the one on this end is fitted with Shimano Di2 shifters whereas all the others have SRAM Red eTap.
Here you go: a bit closer in.
Lotto-Soudal’s Adam Hansen eschews his team’s Campagnolo Super Record cranks in favour of these from Lightning with the logos removed. Hansen probably gets away with it because the maximum length Campag offers is 175mm whereas he goes for a whopping 180mm.
There’s some major taping going on there to disguise the identity of that chainring too.
16 thoughts on “Tour Tech 2017: The kit you’re not supposed to see”
What’s going on with Road.cc,
What’s going on with Road.cc, first some crap about TdF going through countries in Europe (shock) and now the click bait titles: [i] The kit you’re not supposed to see [/i]
C’mon guys, this is weak!
kitkat wrote:
I thought it was interesting. A real list of kit non-sponsor kit complete with tape and black marker, not a “here’s the a sneak preview of the new Brand S disc bike you’re *wink wink* not supposed to see”, complete with a shot of the bike on a riders instagram account.
That is not a Pro AeroFuel
That is not a Pro AeroFuel saddle as advertised on the Pro site.. the nose is all wrong.. the one EddieBH is using looks far nicer and looks more modern (probably a secret squirrel pre-released one).
peted76 wrote:
Certainly the same as the Aerofuel I’ve got on my TT bike, so I think it will be the previous model, rather than a prototype, as I got mine for a reduced price at my LBS…
What is it with people today,
What is it with people today, a couple of weeks of peace from disc/helmet
battlesdebates and everyone seems to have itchy fingers, spoiling for an ‘internet fight’.I didn’t think O.Symmetric
I didn’t think O.Symmetric chainrings could get any uglier. But somehow, in kludging it to fit Shimano’s new four-arm cranks, they’ve managed to do just that. Chapeau.
O.Symetric rings look like
O.Symetric rings look like they were recovered from a warehouse fire.
But it is good to know that covering up scuffs on my shifters with electrical tape looks pro.
I hereby patent dimpled aero
I hereby patent dimpled aero insulation tape!
It’s just dishonest, we’re
It’s just dishonest, we’re supposed to be impressed and want what the pro’s are using but they aren’t really?
Love the tape covered Shimano
Love the tape covered Shimano cranks on Cavendish’s bike.. Because with the tape on no one can guess the manufacturer
Personally I like the
Personally I like the functional first and personalised approach. Looks be damned, these are tools for a job, weapons for a fight, not show pieces. Although when form follows function the result can often be beautiful as well.
Seems odd that the Look has
Seems odd that the Look has shimano di2 when the rest of them have etap, did they run out of groupsets? that’s the one I’d be pissed off about if I was a sponsor, a different chainset etc for fit well fair enough, but a whole set of shifters etc from your biggest rival seems a bit off.
Could the wheel manufacturers not commission disc wheels from another supplier with their own logos on them or would this be going against the rules that all equipment used must be available to buy?
RobD wrote:
I think the Fortuneo–Oscaro team were using Shimano last season, and switched to SRAM this year
I adore the electrial tape
I adore the electrical tape and black marker malarkey – it amuses me.
However, painting over a logo with another competing logo as Trek/Bontrager have done is crossing a line for me. Seems a bit too premeditated and dishonest?
I am curious as to how much
I am curious as to how much say a rider has in using their preferred non-sponsor gear on the team bike. Let’s say your team is sponsored by Fizik, but your preferred saddle is Brand X. As a lowly domestique in their first year will you have to put up with a ‘wrong’ saddle and suck up the discomfort, pain, and reduced performance?
ChainedToTheWheel wrote:
It’ll be in rider contracts- and almost certainly “star names” and “super domestiques” will have much more leeway