Rapha have launched two new collections, one in tribute to the Étape du Tour sportive and another celebrating the Grinduro weekend.
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The Étape jersey and shorts are "inspired by the mountains and designed to help you conquer them", say Rapha, made for hot days with lightweight fabrics. The £85 jersey, available in both men's and women's versions, has the Étape route printed on the back and is based on their Pro team training jersey - cut to be comfortable on the bike without being too tight.
The Étape Core bib shorts (£85) have the same chamois as used in the Rapha Classic bibs, and have comfortable flatlock stitching with a close but fairly relaxed fit. Completing the collection is a casual t-shirt (30), cap (20) and water bottle (£12).
The Grinduro collection has a strong purple-ish colour scheme throughout, with a super soft fabric on the jersey (£60) that is recommended for wearing on its own or with a base layer underneath. There are three big 'cargo' pockets at the rear and Rapha's signature contrast band on the right arm.
The Grinduro Core Cargo bibs (£110) have side and rear pockets like the regular versions for harbouring extra rations, and they're made of a dense-knit fabric for enduring tough off-road riding conditions. Completing the collection is a Grinduro technical tee (£55) and a cap (£25).
L'Étape is on the 21st July, while Grinduro Scotland (there are four events in total worldwide) starts on the 13th July. You can check out the Rapha Étape collection here and the Grinduro gear here.
After cobbling together a few hundred quid during his student days off the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story), Jack bought his first road bike at the age of 20 and has been hooked ever since. He joined road.cc in 2017, having previously worked for 220 Triathlon magazine. Jack's preferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking (the latter being another long story), and on Sunday afternoons he can often be found on an M5 service station indulging in his favourite post-race meal of 20 chicken nuggets, a sausage roll, caramel shortbread and a large strawberry milkshake.