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TECH NEWS

EF Pro Cycling to ride special Rapha x Palace Skateboards kit and bikes at Giro d’Italia

The limited edition kit and bikes are certainly a fresh look

Rapha has done, as the kids like to say, ‘a collab’ with skateboard brand Palace to move the team kit of EF Pro Cycling away from pink which is used by the leader of the Giro d’Italia.

Rapha EF x Palace clothing CREDIT S J HOCKETT 3

The move isn’t an uncommon one. Teams have been known to use special-edition kits for certain big races if a sponsor wants to highlight something specific. Team Sky previously changed to their Ocean Rescue kit for the Tour de France and teams that normally use a colour that is too close to an iconic leader’s jersey have switched colours for a single race before.

Cannondale SuperSix EVO Palace

The riders will also be getting a shiny new bike for the race and will have a choice of Cannondale’s SystemSix or SuperSix that they have been using in what has been a heavily disrupted 2020 race season.

It doesn’t take a close look to see that Cannondale has simply set the EF mechanics blank white frames that have then been finished off with stickers, creating a look that we think is quite refreshing when many bike designs are rather dull.

Cannondale0920_464.jpg

Apart from a selection of stickers that includes a duck and ‘Palace’ in the Rapha font, the bikes are standard team issue with a Dura-Ace Di2 disc-brake groupset, Vision Metron tubular wheels, Vision’s integrated bar/stem, Vittoria tyres and Cannondale’s Hollowgram crankset with some riders using an FSA power meter.

Cannondale0920_459.jpg

Rapha said in a press release that “instead of mirroring the pink of the race’s maglia rosa, the switch out kit features a fearless design that might not be steeped in cycling history but will now form a part of it. Rapha and its designs regularly celebrate the sport and cycling history whilst Palace is disruptive, witty and always surprising; authentically straddling the worlds of high fashion, streetwear and core skate. The result of the collaboration is a team kit quite unlike any other seen in the peloton so far. Embracing the breakaway attitude, Swedish protection pioneers POC will enhance the switch-out look with bespoke helmets and eyewear, including a unique edition of the ground-breaking Tempor helmet.”

Rapha EF x Palace clothing CREDIT S J HOCKETT 1

"In a sport renowned for its lengthy rule book and chaotic calendar, we’ve shone a light on new faces, and unorthodox races. But for a truly fresh perspective on the sport, we’ve teamed up with a company that is alien to cycling’s aesthetic, oblivious to its origins, and untrained in its traditions."

The design will be available to the public in limited numbers in the form of the Pro Team Aero Jersey and Pro Team Bib Shorts II as well as special edition socks, caps and musettes. There will also be men’s and women’s versions of the ever-popular ProTeam Training Jersey, and women’s version of the Pro Team Bib Shorts and Pro Team Aero Jersey.

Rapha EF x Palace clothing CREDIT S J HOCKETT 2

Rapha also says that “off the bike, there is a range of team edition casual wear from Palace, which will be worn by the team at the Giro and available online alongside the limited edition team kit.” The off-bike collection includes T-shirt, Long Sleeve T-shirt, Cap, Hoodie, Oxford Shirt and Palace GORE-TEX Jacket.

Rapha.cc

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18 comments

Avatar
Dhill | 3 years ago
0 likes

Like this get up. Cycling kit and bike colours from the 80’s are hard to better. Thumbs up in a neutral colour for this.

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Awavey | 3 years ago
0 likes

unbelievably the UCI have now fined the team 4500 Swiss Francs (500 CHF per rider & the DS) for wearing it on Stage 1, claiming it hadnt been registered properly so broke a technical rule.

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Simon E replied to Awavey | 3 years ago
0 likes

The phrase "There's no such thing as bad publicity" comes to mind, especially when you apparently fall foul of a UCI regulation such as this one.

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iandon | 3 years ago
1 like

Why the masks?

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ktache replied to iandon | 3 years ago
2 likes

Worldwide pandemic of a novel upper respiritory tract infection mate.

There has been a bit about it on the news...

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iandon | 3 years ago
0 likes

Why the masks?

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Organon replied to iandon | 3 years ago
2 likes

Worldwide pandemic of a novel upper respiritory tract infection mate.

There has been a bit about it on the news...

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peted76 | 3 years ago
0 likes

This is really growing on me.. it will be a 'classic' love or hate it kit in future years. 

Hell I think I love it! 

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half_wheel79 | 3 years ago
1 like

The bikes not too bad, but the kit is a bit of a mess. Just too much going on and I like a loud kit. 

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fukawitribe | 3 years ago
1 like

Good for them, be a bit of fun seeing these in the peloton.

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mdavidford | 3 years ago
0 likes

The jersey just seems a bit meh really - somehow there's too much going on for it to even manage to be ugly.

I do like the bike, though (although they need do something with the bidons - the pink ones just aren't working with it).

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TheBillder | 3 years ago
0 likes

"authentically straddling the worlds of high fashion, streetwear and core skate"... Does that mean the marketing team ran out of kidz-speak?

This surely won't be in any future Full Kit Rankers. Almost as bad as this:

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EddyBerckx | 3 years ago
1 like

Ok its growing on me...and my god, it's gonna appear on a grand tour!!!!! 🙂🙂🙂

I do like the bike tbh

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WDG | 3 years ago
0 likes

Trying waaay too hard for me.  Probably worth buying the kit then shoving it unworn in a drawer for 20 years, by which time the kids who grew up with this will have some money and you can rinse them for nostalgia.

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Brauchsel replied to WDG | 3 years ago
0 likes

At which point it will be 2040s nostalgia for the 2020 nostalgia for the early 1990s nostalgia for the early 1980s. I think. 

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Glov Zaroff | 3 years ago
0 likes

as the kids like to say, ‘a collab’

then goes on to use the word 'kits' - you know...like vinyls 

oh and that's not the rapha font spelling out PALACE btw - that's the frickin PALACE logo ffs 

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Simon_MacMichael replied to Glov Zaroff | 3 years ago
2 likes

Jimmy Walnuts wrote:

oh and that's not the rapha font spelling out PALACE btw - that's the frickin PALACE logo ffs 

Try picture 12 in the gallery.

Avatar
EddyBerckx | 3 years ago
1 like

I think not...however, fair play to them for doing something different

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