Rapha has this morning unveiled the special edition clothing that Team Sky will ride in today’s final stage of the 2015 Tour de France, as Chris Froome rides into Paris to claim his second victory in the Grand Tour.
While Chris Froome has been getting comfortable in the yellow jersey, worn by the general classification leader, the rest of Team Sky have been wearing the regular all-black Team Sky race strip. For the final stage though, they’ll pull on a special team kit that Rapha has created to celebrate the team’s victory.
The special kit basically swaps the usual blue highlight colour for yellow, to match Froome's yellow jersey. The jersey has a yellow armband and neck lining, the shorts a yellow leg band and the base layer has “Courage Cyclistes” written in yellow text. Black gloves and socks are given the yellow treatment too.
On the back of the special jersey is written the surnames of the each member of Team Sky: Froome, Kennaugh, Konig, Poels, Porte, Roche, Rowe, Stannard and Thomas. A small Champs Elysees logo with today’s date is also displayed on the front of the jersey, next to the zipper.
It’s not clear if Rapha will be making this special edition clothing available for sale, but we fully expect them to do a limited edition run. It’s not showing on Rapha’s website this morning but we’ll contact Rapha on Monday morning to find out.
18 thoughts on “Rapha unveils special Team Sky outfit for Tour de France final stage”
Think black & yellow is
Think black & yellow is probably my all time favourite colour combo. This looks really smart.
Can you ask them to do do the
Can you ask them to do do the rainforest green edition again as well please?!!
Unfortunately this does add
Unfortunately this does add another similarity between froome and Armstrong – didn’t he and his team at the time try riding in a different strip into Paris a few years ago?
In fact, they weren’t allowed, so how are sky getting away with this – is it cause the main colour is staying the same?
joules1975
Only a similarity if you consider it such, which, obviously, a section of the French public and press will.
Radioshack signed-on for the final stage in 2010 in their normal jerseys and then lined-up for the start in the different kit; I guess hadn’t cleared it with the UCI. I’m sure Sky will have cleared this variation; probably put the application in when they fitted the motors into all the bikes.
Rapha did a limited edition jersey post-2013 TDF that was just like this, so I can’t see them missing this opportunity to shift a few.
joules1975
Yes, that’s most likely the reason here. The Team Sky jerseys are essentially the same as the regular jerseys, mostly black with the same logos, they’ve just changed the highlight colour from blue to yellow. A small change.
In 2010 Radioshack wore a jersey design completely different from their regular red/grey race jerseys, all-black with the number 28 across the front – to promote the Livestrong charity
Here’s the UCI rule on team clothing:
1.3.035 Each team may have only a single design for clothing (colours and layout) which may not be altered for the duration of the calendar year. Any permanent change to clothing must be duly justified and submitted for approval to the President of the Professional Cycling Council for UCI WorldTeams, or the President of the Road Commission for other UCI registered teams. Each team may use different clothing for one full event each year. The clothing must be submitted for approval to the President of the UCI WorldTour for UCI WorldTeams, or the President of the Road Commission for other UCI-registered teams, at least 21 days before the event in question. The application may be rejected for reasons considered valid for the case in question, in particular any similarity to the clothing of another team.
Looks smart but, as
Looks smart but, as fustuarium notes above, I thought the team kit had to be approved by the UCI.
And with the changes to the support cars and battle bus, it does seem like they’re rubbing the other teams’ noses in it somewhat :-/
I think a team can have 2
I think a team can have 2 strips to use throughout the season as when they used the green rain forest one as long as they register it with the UCI.
Armstrong etc were not allowed as they changed it overnight without speaking to the UCI whereas Sky will have had this one lined up and probably registered with the UCI a while ago.
A touching ode to Chris
A touching ode to Chris Froome with a token streak of piss down the back…..
Though I think the kit looks OK, it does have connotations with cowardice too.
From here in France its
From here in France its looking decidedly black and blue on the rest of the Sky team…
fustuarium wrote:From here in
Probably because they’re wearing their regular rain jackets I assume
yep you are allowed one
yep you are allowed one change of kit per year, UCI approved, either for a full event like with the Tinko Saxoff camo gear, or for just a day, like today.
Rapha are just cursing they forgot to do the rain capes too 🙂
Quote:Unfortunately this does
I think we really need to get a grip on the whole Armstrong obsession…
Wasps remind me of Livestrong
Wasps remind me of Livestrong too. Remember Lance Armstrong shooting up every time one stings you.
looks like the Live Strong
looks like the Live Strong kit …
Love the base layer
Love the base layer
sorry I just dont pay to
sorry I just dont pay to advertise for murdock
Blinky Yao wrote:sorry I just
Yeah, and that B.A. Baracus can do one too.
Can they do it without sky
Can they do it without sky plastered all over it.
I struggle with team kit as I’m not actually in the team.
😕
/hides