Tour de France pro bikes: Personalised bikes

Some Tour de France riders use bikes and components with custom finishes and personal touches, and here are some that we've spotted in this year's race. 

Alejandro Valverde, Team Movistar​​

World Road Race Champion Alejandro Valverde has rainbow stripes everywhere – and why not?

Even his sunglasses and the Boa dials on his shoes have been given the rainbow treatment. 

If you somehow managed to miss all that, he has 'World Champion Innsbruck 2018' written between gold stripes along the top tube, and don't you forget it!

Vincenzo Nibali, Bahrain–Merida

Bahrain-Merida's Vincenzo Nibali has a Merida Reacto KOM in his own finish. Built up with the sponsors' usual components, the Merida Reacto aero road bike weighs around 7.2kg. As part of the mission to get the bike down to 6.8kg, the UCI's minimum weight limit for racing, Merida has given the bike a minimalist finish.

The decal on the down tube is in red, pink and yellow, representing the leader's jersey of the three Grand Tours, each of which Nibali has won. The triangular cutouts are shark fins, Nibali's nickname being 'The Shark'.  

Nibali has his name and shark motif on the top tube of his Merida Scultura road bike and on his cranks too.

Geraint Thomas, Team Ineos

Although he has been among the biggest names in cycling for many years and won the Tour de France in 2018, Geraint Thomas keeps things simple with just a dragon motif at the head tube/ top tube junction of his Pinarello Dogma F12. 

Rohan Dennis, Bahrain–Merida

Rohan Dennis abandoned this year's Tour de France last week but he rode the team time trial on his Merida Time Warp TT decked out in world champion's livery. The Australian rider won the World Time Trial Championship in Innsbruck, Austria, last September. 

He has kept it relatively understated with lines of rainbow stripes on the fork legs, top tube and chainstays.

This dog on the seatstays has rainbow stripes on its glasses.

Peter Sagan, Bora–Hansgrohe

Peter Sagan has his own 'Chasing Rainbows' paint job – the rainbow theme chosen because he's a three-time World Champion. There's a 'rainbow pearl pigment' in the paint that sparkles in different colours depending on how the light catches it.

Specialized actually does two versions: Overexposed on a light (white/silver) base, and Underexposed, like this bike, on a dark (black/charcoal) base.

Sagan also has his Joker-style 'Why So Serious?' design on his stem, which is one of his tattoos and has become something of a personal motto.

Tim Wellens, Lotto-Soudal

Lotto-Soudal gave Tim Wellens' Ridley Helium SLX a polka dot makeover when he took over as King of the Mountains. 

He has a spotty SRM PC8 head unit too...

...and a similar finish to his Look Keo Blade Carbon pedals.

Thibaut Pinot, Groupama–FDJ

Thibaut Pinot has discreet customisation on his Prologo Nago Evo saddle – discreet to the point of being hardly visible. 

Daniel Oss, Bora–Hansgrohe

You'd struggle to call it customisation but Italy's Daniel Oss has a sticker on his stem: "F**K OSS! Professional punk and cyclist dreamer".

Get loads more Tour de France 2019 tech here.