ef rapha tour de france

EF-EasyPost reveal Rapha x Palace Tour de France kit – it's as weird as you'd expect

Ducks out, dragons in as men's and women's teams get a style overhaul celebrating the return of the Tour de France Femmes

"RAPHA AND PALACE IT'S BACK 🚨🚨🚨"

That was the Slack message I received moments after the press release landed in the Cyclingnews inbox. 

Not often does a press release force me to stop everything I'm doing, but when my phone flashed up with "Rapha + Palace Skateboards celebrate the return of Tour de France Femmes", the email was open before I'd even consciously processed what I'd read. 

Yep, it's a new EF Education-EasyPost kit for the Tour de France , while sister team EF Education-Tibco SVB have a new look for the inaugural Tour de France Femmes , too.

The backstory goes as follows: Each year at the Giro d'Italia, the men's team are forced to swap their kit out for another colour because their usual pink kit clashes with the race's maglia rosa; the pink jersey that marks the leader of the general classification.

In October 2020 – peak pandemic times – the Giro d'Italia was about to start, and they decided to have some fun with it . Collaborating with Palace Skateboards, the team rolled onto the stage for the teams' presentation aboard sticker-bombed Cannondale bikes wearing wild-looking Rapha jerseys, each complete with a cartoon duck adorning the front. To use a 21st-century phrase, it broke the internet . 

It's happening again this July, with both men's and women's teams switching out their usual pink for an altogether new design. The squads have yet to be announced, but expect the likes of Rigoberto Urán , Neilson Powless, and Lauren Stephens to be sporting this during the next month.

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If you thought the last one was weird, get ready because cycling, high fashion, streetwear, and the cool kids of skate culture are being mashed together once again, and the result is as wild as you hoped it'd be. Check the gallery above for the full rundown.

The usual pink of the EF teams remains – the Tour leader's jerseys are yellow, after all. In come blends of purple, blue, and white, while both jerseys feature a large female symbol and a pair of friendly-looking green dragons, because why not? Meanwhile, Palace logos adorn various spots around the jersey alongside regular team sponsors such as EF.

"I'm just thrilled with the kit that Rapha and Palace Skateboards have designed to celebrate the return of the women's Tour de France," founder and owner of EF Education-Tibco-SVB said, referring to the symbol that takes up the front of both jerseys.

"Women's cycling has been growing steadily over the past couple of decades, but the return of the Tour de France will accelerate this growth and further our search for equality. It's a true honor to have the EF Education-EasyPost men's team racing their Tour de France in a jersey that celebrates women's cycling. It's been a very long road to get to this point, and all of us, the riders, staff and management, realize the significance of this jersey and will be proud to wear it."

A second, slightly more subdued design has also been created, as a training jersey. This is predominantly grey and black by design, but with dragon-matching lime green sleeve cuffs and the large Palace triangle logo across the back.

Beneath this is where you'll find perhaps our favourite feature of all of these designs. The dragon, who doesn't yet have a name by the way, is peeking out of the centre pocket, with its claws holding onto the upper edges of the outer pockets.

Once again, the collaboration extends beyond the Rapha kit, though perhaps to the frustration of other partners, that's what will gain most of the attention. POC is once again involved, giving its bright pink helmets a similar dragon theme, with the scaly triangles of its tail wrapping around the brow of the lid, giving it an almost tooth-like design, reminiscent of the dinosaur helmet you'll probably buy for your kids one day.

Just as excitingly, Cannondale is also back with a brand new wrap, giving the team's SuperSix EVO, SystemSix and SuperSlice bikes a fancy blue, white and pink base that, if you squint, could almost be the French tricolore. Atop this returns the sticker bomb idea, with EF, Palace, Rapha logos, as well as the female symbol and more getting an allocation of real estate. Oh, and the dragons. Can't forget the dragons. 

Partners Whoop, who supply wrist-based heart rate variability monitors and Wahoo, suppliers of cycling computers, are also getting involved with similar designs. 

Can you buy Rapha's Palace collaboration?

Yes, if you're fast. All of the Rapha + Palace kit will be sold at Rapha's website , in "three drops at localised times" across the UK, EU, Canada, USA and Asia-Pacific territories, but the numbers will be very limited.

More will be available to existing RCC members... there'll be no signing up

A post shared by Rapha (@rapha) A photo posted by on

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As the Tech Editor here at Cyclingnews, Josh leads on content relating to all-things tech, including bikes, kit and components in order to cover product launches and curate our world-class buying guides, reviews and deals. Alongside this, his love for WorldTour racing and eagle eyes mean he's often breaking tech stories from the pro peloton too. 

On the bike, 32-year-old Josh has been riding and racing since his early teens. He started out racing cross country when 26-inch wheels and triple chainsets were still mainstream, but he found favour in road racing in his early 20s and has never looked back. He's always training for the next big event and is keen to get his hands on the newest tech to help. He enjoys a good long ride on road or gravel, but he's most alive when he's elbow-to-elbow in a local criterium. 

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Hot Looking Cannondale, Rapha, and Palace Collab Kits and Gear for the 2022 Tour

Men’s Team EF Education-EasyPost and Women’s EF Education-Tibco-SVB Team will be easy to spot in the peloton

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With the 2022 Tour de France kicking off on Friday, July 1, teams are starting to show off their new kits and Tour-specific paint schemes. But the Cannondale, Rapha, and Palace Skateboards collaboration might be the most innovative one yet and is guaranteed to stand out in the pack.

In the men’s Tour, Team EF Education–EasyPost will be on the brightly colored Cannondale bikes with kits to match. While on the women's side, EF Education-Tibco-SVB will be rocking the same bikes and kits during the women’s Tour de France Femmes. The nineties-style bold graphics and bright designs this year aren’t just fun: There are Easter eggs hidden throughout the kit that highlight important themes in cycling—women’s cycling in particular.

The women’s gender symbol is placed prominently on the bike frame and takes up the entire front of the jersey, along with cartoon dragons and an airbrushed hot pink, white, purple and blue paint scheme that calls to mind t-shirts that you’d buy on the boardwalk at the shore in the mid-nineties. Both the men’s and women’s teams will race with the same aesthetic, with minor differences in team-specific branding, as a show of solidarity.

"In a sport renowned for its lengthy rule book and chaotic calendar, we’ve shone a light on new faces, and unorthodox races,” Rapha said in 2020. "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."

Cannondale worked with Rapha and Palace Skateboards to ensure that this year's design was consistent across the bikes—special edition Cannondale SuperSix Evo, SystemSix, and SuperSlices—and the kits for Le Tour. The bold branding celebrates the return of the Tour de France Femmes after a 33-year hiatus and amplifies that women deserve the same exposure and rewards that the men’s field has long enjoyed.

"The changeout is our way of celebrating women in sport and the Tour de France Femmes," said Jonathan Vaughters, the CEO of the EF Education-EasyPost team. "It’s wild, it’s bold, and it’s an exciting time for the cycling world and long overdue. It’s an honor for our team to race in this kit in advance of the women’s Tour de France. Both races will be incredible, and we’ll fight to keep this kit and its celebratory message at the front of the race this July."

Love the look? Good news: the Cannondale bikes in this paint scheme will eventually be available for sale, as will a limited run of the Rapha jerseys and bibs (plus a toned down ‘training’ version for those who stopped wearing neon in 1998). Get them as soon as they drop, these will sell out in minutes!

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Rapha + Palace celebrate Tour de France Femmes with EF kit & custom Cannondales – Availability Update

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The Tour de France is set to kick off next week and Rapha, EF Education & Cannondale are celebrating in another style collaboration with Palace Skateboards. But this year, with the launch of the 8-day Tour de France Femmes (and the biggest prize payout in women’s cycling), both the men and women will be riding in Rapha + Palace Tour de Force switch-out kit and custom-painted Cannondale race bikes emblazoned with the female gender symbol on top of playful graphics.

UPDATE: Scroll to the bottom of the Rapha bit for their ride & off-the-bike kit availability…

And besides the Rapha replica kit, you can also pick up a Rapha + Palace TdF Cannondale SuperSix, too!

Rapha+Palace custom Tour de France, Femmes & Force!

For the first time in 33 years, pro women cycling will get its own proper stage race with the 8-stage Tour de France Femme which takes on the iconic Champs-Élysée the day after the men’s final, then ultimately marching east 1029km from Paris to the mountains to culminate in a summit finish at La Planche des Belles Filles on the final day of July.

To emphasize the importance of the women getting a proper French stage race, the EF men will start 3 weeks earlier from July 1st in the same kit as the women, and the same custom-painted bikes, with a Rapha+Palace Skateboard design with a prominent women’s gender symbol and a bunch of playful little yellow dragons.

Rapha+Palace Skateboards EF Education Tour kit

In addition to flashy bikes, Rapha is making the riders’ custom kit available soon too. Women can get the Pro Team Aero Jersey and Pro Team Bib Shorts II in the full Rapha+Palace EF Education-Tibco-SVB pink, blue & yellow dragon design, or a more low-key gray Pro Team Training Jersey.

Men get the same choices in Pro Team Aero Jersey and Pro Team Bib Shorts II in the same pink, blue & yellow dragon design with the men’s team Rapha+Palace EF Education-Easypost sponsor logos, or the low-key gray Pro Team Training Jersey.

Less over-the-top style (and pricing) options include a Rapha+Palace EF cotton cycling cap, white Rapha+Palace EF edition synthetic Pro Team socks, or a cotton Rapha+Palace EF musette.

No official word on pricing or availability yet , but we expect it to hit the online shop in time for fans to be decked out before the Tours’ finishes. RCC members will get a first shot at it though.

Update: The new Rapha + Palace kit officially goes on sale July 15 at 11:00 BST for the UK, EU, Canada & South Korea; later the same day July at 11:00 EDT for the USA; and lastly the next day July 16 at 11:00 JST for the Asia-Pacific market. 

In addition to the team riding kit, there will be Rapha + Palace Crocs, cropped tops, technical skirts, technical shirts, technical shorts, and much more including a silk scarf and some cotton tees with that cute little cartoon dragon. It’s all kinda wild really, but quite interesting at the same time…

EF Education Tour de Force custom Cannondales

Both the EF Education-EasyPost men and EF Education-TIBCO-SVB women will complete their Tours de France on a fleet of three Cannondale race bikes in matching limited edition Rapha+Palace paint jobs: the lightweight road SuperSix Evo, the aero road SystemSix, and the time trial SuperSlice.

Of those, only the SuperSix will be available to consumers. You can get your own Rapha+Palace TdF custom Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-mod carbon frameset direct from Rapha ( soon ), just like the pros ride.

Although, maybe it’s not exactly the one the pros ride? Last December Cannondale received UCI approval to compete on a new SuperSix Evo 3 Limited Edition. From the outside the team bikes look the same, so we would have to assume it’s just some superlight, extra-stiff carbon layup inside, right?

You can’t get the special edition Cannondale SystemSix race bikes.

But they still are worth a closer look.

There’s a bit more surface area for silly graphics on an aero road bike.

Then, the Cannondale SuperSlice Evo takes it to the next level.

This disc brake SuperSlice (Evo?) appears to technically still be a prototype. But we’ve spotted it racing for over a year now , so it’s curious how that fits within the UCI’s technical rules.

In any case, it’s a nice big flashy canvas for the Rapha+Palace Skateboards custom look.

Cannondale.com

Cory Benson is the EU Tech Editor of Bikerumor.com .

Cory has been writing about mountain bikes, enduro, cyclocross, all-road, gravel bikes & bikepacking for over 25 years, even before the industry created some of these names. Prior to Bikerumor, Cory was a practicing Architect specializing in environmental sustainability, has designed bike shops & bike components, and worked as a bike shop mechanic.

Based in the Czech Republic for 15+ years, he is a technical mountain biker, adventurous gravel rider, and short & medium-haul bikepacker. Cory travels extensively across Europe riding bikes, meeting with key European product developers, industry experts & tastemakers for an in-depth review of what’s new, and what’s coming next.

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From ducks to dragons: EF Education First and Rapha partner up to create another Palace Skateboards kit

The most disruptive partnership in the WorldTour is set to turns heads one more time

Words: Nick Busca

Photos: EF Education First; Rapha

In 2020, it was the ducks used for the team's Giro d'Italia kit that divided opinion. Now, it's the little yellow dragons chosen for the women's and men's Tour de France teams.

If you wonder why the dragons, you're not alone, and a Rapha's spokesperson explained they choose dragons as they are "a symbol of supernatural power, wisdom, strength and hidden knowledge. It's not gender specific, but we felt it was a great way of encapsulating the spirit of the women who ride for EF Education-TIBCO-SVB."

"It's wild, it's bold, and it's an exciting time for the cycling world and long overdue. It's an honour for our team to race in this kit in advance of the women's Tour de France. Both races will be incredible, and we'll fight to keep this kit and its celebratory message at the front of the race this July."

The pieces of the kit that received the Rapha + Palace switch-out include the women's and men's Team Aero Jersey, Pro Team bib shorts and Pro Team training jerseys (plus socks and caps, of course).

Related: Discover Rapha Pro Team crit jersey

The change will not only affect the kit. All the Cannondale team frames (including SystemSix, SuperSix EVO and SuperSlice) will be customised with the same design, as will their POC helmets and Crocs shoes.

Both teams will wear a customised off-the-bike special edition of their casual wear. The collections will be available to the public through the Rapha and Palace stores online plus in selected Rapha Clubhouses and Palace stores. In addition, the Cannondale SuperSix EVO frameset will be available through rapha.cc,   palaceskateboards.com   and   cannondale.com .

All items will be sold in limited numbers, and there will be three drops at localised times in the UK, EU, Canada and the USA and the Asia-Pacific region.

A further selection of Rapha + Palace on-bike items will be made available to Rapha Cycling Club members active on or before June 28 or who had renewed a lapsed membership by the day before the commercial launch (details to be confirmed soon).

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Rapha and Palace skateboards collab on EF Education kits to celebrate return of TdF Femmes

Both men's and women's teams will wear in their respective races.

This year, the party doesn’t end in Paris when the men sprint onto the Champs-Élysées. For the first time since the ‘80s, women will also get to race on cycling’s biggest stage at the Tour de France Femmes. It’s a seminal moment for the sport, the fans and the riders, one that makes this race more than just another Tour de France. Now that everyone is invited, the summer is set for a Tour de Force.

Vive le Tour, and at long last, Vive les Femmes. Our special Tour de France kit, bike, and other partner elements exists to celebrate the women’s Tour de France and elevate the voices, triumphs and struggles in women’s cycling.  ?: @rapha pic.twitter.com/g8gWXCH85v — EF Pro Cycling (@EFprocycling) June 28, 2022

To celebrate the majesty of the Tour de Force, Rapha partnered once again with Palace Skateboards to create a limited-edition switch-out kit for the riders of the EF Education-TIBCO-SVB and EF Education-EasyPost teams.

In addition, the teams’ livery will receive a complete overhaul that will see the entire fleet of Cannondale race bikes, including the Cannondale SuperSix EVO which will be sold commercially, as well as POC helmets and Crocs, decked out with distinct designs in collaboration with Palace. Team partners Whoop and Wahoo have joined in as well, creating their own designs inspired by the kit.

“I’m just thrilled with the kit that Rapha and Palace Skateboards have designed to celebrate the return of the women’s Tour de France. Women’s cycling has been growing steadily over the past couple of decades, but the return of the Tour de France will accelerate this growth and further our search for equality,” Canada’s Linda Jackson, the founder and owner of the EF Education-TIBCO-SVB team said. “It’s a true honour to have the EF Education-EasyPost men’s team racing their Tour de France in a jersey that celebrates women’s cycling. It’s been a very long road to get to this point, and all of us, the riders, staff and management, realize the significance of this jersey and will be proud to wear it.”

♀ ? #TourDeForce pic.twitter.com/EivAO1Sa26 — EF Pro Cycling (@EFprocycling) June 27, 2022

The design narrative of the second Rapha and Palace collaboration celebrates the Tour Femmes. After 33 years, women are finally able to return to race and they are ready to show the world what it’s been missing. Rapha and its designs regularly refer back to 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 changeout is our way of celebrating women in sport and the Tour de France Femmes. It’s wild, it’s bold, and it’s an exciting time for the cycling world and long overdue. It’s an honor for our team to race in this kit in advance of the women’s Tour de France. Both races will be incredible, and we’ll fight to keep this kit and its celebratory message at the front of the race this July,” Jonathan Vaughters, the CEO of the EF Education-EasyPost team said.

Vive le Tour, and at long last, Vive les Femmes. Our special Tour de France kit, bike, and other partner elements exists to celebrate the women’s Tour de France and elevate the voices, triumphs and struggles in women’s cycling.  ?: @rapha pic.twitter.com/Q0M4DYoahe — EF Education-TIBCO-SVB (@EF_TIBCO_SVB) June 28, 2022

Since returning to the men’s pro peloton in 2019 as a partner of EF Education First, Rapha has designed to disrupt. The first collaboration with Palace for the 2020 Giro d’Italia did not fall short of expectations and the kit created was something altogether different, merging the worlds of fashion and cycling and changing the face of the sport once and for all.

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EF Education-EasyPost unveils special Tour de France kit

The collaboration between rapha and palace skateboards will be worn by both the men's and women's teams at this year's tours..

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EF Education-EasyPost and EF Education-Tibco-SVB will wear a special kit designed in collaboration with Rapha and Palace Skateboards at this summer’s Tours de France.

The pink remains but with an added pair of dragons (we’re pretty sure they’re dragons) as well as the female symbol behind the sponsor logos to mark the return of the Tour de France Femmes.

It’s out with the ducks that defined the 2020 Giro d’Italia kit as the helmet features a green trim and the jagged edge of the dragon character’s scales, with the men wearing this kit across three weeks from Copenhagen to Paris before the women take over for their week of racing.

“The changeout is our way of celebrating women in sport and the Tour de France Femmes. It’s wild, it’s bold, and it’s an exciting time for the cycling world and long overdue,” said Jonathan Vaughters, the CEO of the EF Education-EasyPost team. “It’s an honor for our team to race in this kit in advance of the women’s Tour de France. Both races will be incredible, and we’ll fight to keep this kit and its celebratory message at the front of the race this July.”

The riders will be racing new-look Cannondale SystemSix, SuperSlice, and SuperSix EVO too, the latter of which will be sold commercially alongside the POC helmets and Crocs shoes.

“Unique touches extend beyond the obvious elements of the design,” Cannondale said in a press release. “Each SuperSlice incorporates easter eggs for each ride to match their personality and riding style.”

For those wanting to purchase any items, both Rapha + Palace collections will be available through Rapha online, in select Rapha Clubhouses, and through Palace online and in-store. The Cannondale SuperSix EVO frameset will be available through rapha.cc, palaceskateboards.com, and cannondale.com.

All of the Rapha + Palace items will be sold in very limited numbers and to give everyone the best chance of accessing the collection there will be three drops at localised times in the UK, EU, Canada, and the USA, and the Asia-Pacific region.

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A key element of the capsule design is a green dragon, which symbolizes the supernatural power, wisdom, strength and hidden knowledge.

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Cult British streetwear brand Palace is teaming up with cycling wear specialist Rapha on a capsule that celebrates the return of Tour de France Femmes this summer after a 33-year hiatus.

On top of a limited-edition switch-out kit for the riders of the EF Education-TIBCO-SVB and EF Education-EasyPost teams, the second collaboration between the two comes with a range of gender-inclusive casualwear offerings, including Crocs clogs complimented with Rapha and Palace Jibbits, cropped T-shirts, pullover jackets, utility vests, silk scarves and caps.

The two first worked together back in 2020 for the Giro d’Italia race.

A key element of the capsule is a green dragon placed alongside Palace’s signature motif Triferg. The dragon symbolizes the “supernatural power, wisdom, strength and hidden knowledge,” as the two felt it was “a great way of encapsulating the spirit of the women who ride for EF Education-TIBCO-SVB.”

The collaboration will be available through Rapha online , in select Rapha Clubhouses and through Palace online and in store from July 15.

FOR MORE FROM WWD.COM, SEE:

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Rapha x Palace Unite for Tour de France Femmes Collection

For the first time since the ’80s, women will also get to join the race..

To celebrate one of the biggest cycling races in the world, London -based streetwear label Palace and performance cycling brand Rapha have teamed up for an all-new collection inspired by the Tour de France . This year, the race is set to be even more special because it marks the first time that women will be able to join the tournament since the ’80s.

The duo has created a limited-edition “On-bike” kit, specifically designed for the riders of the EF Education-TIBCO-SVB and EF Education-EasyPost teams. The collection also includes an extended range of genderless casual wear pieces, typically worn by riders in between races and dubbed “Off-bike.”

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Watch Lachlan Morton's epic solo Tour de France with Rapha and EF Education-Nippo's film

Take a look at the intense challenge Morton managed to complete with this film of his Alt Tour

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Rapha and EF Education-Nippo have released an insightful documentary on YouTube detailing Lachlan Morton's epic 2021 Tour de France challenge, where the Australian completed the route five days quicker than the peloton. 

He also completed the route, transfers included, unsupported in aid of World Bicycle Relief, raising around £500,000. 

The video showcases the course that Morton had to attack by himself, as he climbs some of the country's toughest mountains in both the Alps and the Pyrenees. Most spectacularly of all though, is the journey that the 29-year-old managed by simply using sandals and platform pedals, after he suffered unbearable knee pain because of the new cleats he had installed on his shoes.

"I'm not a superhuman," Morton said. "I think it's important to show that human element in sport, particularly in cycling, because you don't see it. You see the four hours of guys doing battle on the road, and the rest of what goes on is somewhat of a mystery."

Morton's less than ideal nutrition while riding the course is also captured, with the Australian eating at roadside cafés and shops instead of the usual high quality meals afforded to the Tour riders. 

Unlike the Tour riders, Morton slept in a tent throughout the duration of his 18-day challenge, and had to carry all of this extra gear throughout his ride too - adding a heap of unwanted weight to make his Alt Tour that little bit tougher.

What is most impressive though is witnessing Morton's unwavering positivity throughout the ride, as he attempted to inspire others to get on their bikes. 5,510 kilometres after leaving Brittany on the same day as the Tour de France peloton, Morton's arrival in Paris was met with a bottle of champagne, rather than the yellow jersey.

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However, the highs and lows of the gruelling task is available for all to see in the brilliant video, providing a glimpse into just how difficult the Tour is - albeit in much more testing circumstances. 

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Ryan is a staff writer for Cycling Weekly, having joined the team in September 2021. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before making his way to cycling. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer. 

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Rapha + Palace

Not one race but two. Not three weeks but four. There’s something special coming at this year’s Tour.

High speed and high stakes, big risks and bigger rewards. Contracts on the line, careers to be made and, of course, cycling’s most prestigious prize to be won. But this year there’s something different… For the first time since the 80s, the party doesn’t stop in Paris and women as well as men will be on the startline at the world’s biggest bike race. It’s a seminal moment for our sport, one that makes this race more than just another Tour de France. Now that everyone is invited, this is all set to be a Tour de Force. To celebrate the madness and the majesty of the Tour de Force, we’ve partnered once again with Palace Skateboards to create a limited edition switch-out kit for the riders of EF Education-TIBCO-SVB and EF Education-EasyPost. And it’s not just the team’s kit that has undergone an overhaul. Everything from their off-bike casualwear to the bikes have been given a makeover for four weeks of all-out racing in France. And while the teams’ signature pink remains, the message is clear. Without a women’s race, there can be no Tour de Force. As with all Palace launches, this collection is extremely limited. To shop the collection you will have to sign into your Rapha account. If you do not have an account, sign up for free here . To give you the best chance of accessing the collection, there will be three localised drops online at rapha.cc at the following times:

- Friday, 15th July - 11am BST

for customers in the UK, EU, Canada and Korea

- Friday, 15th July - 11am EST

for customers in the USA (excluding Canada)

- Saturday, 16th July - 11am JST

for customers in the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Korea)

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Palace and Rapha Reunite to Celebrate the Return of Tour de France Femmes

Delivering kits for the ef education-tibco-svb and ef education-easypost teams and a custom fleet of cannondale bikes..

Palace ‘s 2020 collaboration with Rapha was one of its most unexpected link-ups, but it turned into much more than just another dual-branded capsule. Following the collaboration, the EF Pro Cycling Team won the Giro d’Italia stage despite kit fines, and HYPEBEAST subsequently deep-dived into the hype behind Rapha , the unexpected crossover between fashion and cycling , and an in-depth look into Palace’s best collaborations . Now, the London-based skateboarding stalwart has teamed up with Rapha again, this time around celebrating the return of Tour de France Femmes.

For the first time since the 1980s, women riders will get the chance to compete in the world’s most famous cycling race. To celebrate this Tour de Force, Palace and Rapha are releasing a limited-edition run of switch-out kits for the riders of the EF Education-TIBCO-SVB and EF Education-EasyPost teams.

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EF Pro Cycling reveal new Rapha kit for 2024

Pink remains but fresh threads for US teams include dashes of bright yellow, as the likes of Richard Carapaz and Veronica Ewers gear up for new season

George Poole

Junior writer.

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© Jered Gruber & Ashley Gruber | Gruber Images

EF Education-EasyPost and EF Education-Cannondale will wear the same kits in 2024

EF Pro Cycling have lifted the curtain on their brand-new EF Education-EasyPost and EF Education-Cannondale kits for 2024, which see Rapha continue its partnership with the American organisation as yellow is introduced to the team kit for the very first time.

The kit for 2024 is no different to Rapha's previous efforts in that it features an eye-catching design, but unlike their five previous season-long kits, the jersey for 2024 is a combination of bright pink and fluorescent yellow. Pink has long been the team's primary colour, but the addition of yellow is new for the upcoming campaign.

Much like the team's 2023 jersey, the base colour of the 2024 effort is bright pink, with Rapha's iconic left-sleeve armband remaining, as do the argyle pattern trimmings which have long been associated with the men's team since its early days as Slipstream Sports.

Argyle patterns are not the only standout feature of the 2024 jersey, with bright yellow abstract images scattering the entire jersey and providing for one of the most distinguishable kits in the peloton. The team say that the graphics are a tribute to both life on the road as a professional cyclist, and their European base, which is Girona, Spain.

The word 'GO' is emblazoned below EF's logo on the front of the jersey, but we think this is less an homage to the well-known Chemical Brothers tune and more an indication of the pioneering spirit in which the team likes to ride.

• Rigoberto Urán will go out with a bang and not a whimper, says Jonathan Vaughters
• Neilson Powless: I don’t want to pigeonhole myself

"Rapha designed our new kit with rider collaboration, as yellow graphic accents punch up our trademark pink," wrote EF Pro Cycling in a press release.

"Road racing phrases such as 'UP UP UP' are joined by other hidden gems, adding a playful touch that captures the character of our team. Combining personality with race-winning technology, Rapha’s engineering is executed with trademark innovation and a big splash of panache."

Not tempted by the green shorts of their 2022 design, EF will wear black bib shorts that are only marked by the white sponsor logos of Rapha, Cannondale, Education First, EasyPost and Nippo. Gone are the much-loved pink socks, with white socks complementing the primarily white Cannondale bike that the team will ride.

It is at the front end of the Cannondale that things get interesting, with a pink and yellow swirl design accenting the head tube and the point at which the top tube and down tube meet.

The Cannondale that both teams will ride in 2024 is a colourful affair

The forks are mainly yellow, save for bright pink pills which follow on from the abstract patterns adorning the jersey. The seat and chain stays are both white with pink trims, whilst POC will continue to provide bright pink helmets to the team in 2024.

EF Education-Cannondale officially unveiled

Education First (EF) has been the title sponsor of Jonathan Vaughters' men's WorldTour team since 2018, but it was with the introduction of Rapha in 2019 that the team developed its reputation as one of the peloton's most adventurous outfits, both in terms of their racing and their livery.

The international education provider also sponsored the EF Education-TIBCO-SVB team from 2022-2023, whose kit was also produced by Rapha and allowed the men's and women's teams to wear the same kits for the past two seasons - bar the slight difference in sponsors' logos.

Keen to bring a women's team under their own control, however, Vaughters' Slipstream Sports organisation has launched a brand new team in 2024 which will begin at UCI Continental level and sees Cannondale step up as co-title sponsor.

New team, new philosophy: how EF Education-Cannondale are plotting Tour de France Femmes success

• EF Education-Cannondale announce their debut roster

“The plan is to have one organization," said Tromp. "One team. That’s what we’re setting up at the moment here in Girona - it’s less incorporating one team into another - it’s about building up and expanding the EF Pro Cycling organization."

Away from national champions, the only visible difference between the men's and women's kits is the makeup of the sponsors above the EF logo. Both teams will highlight Rapha, POC, EasyPost and Wahoo, but the men will highlight Japanese construction company NIPPO, whilst the women will feature Cannondale owing to their title sponsorship.

“When I looked out at all the faces at one of the big team dinners, it was really emotional to see how far this team has come,” added Vaughters. “It’s a special time to be part of this team.”

EF kit to be debuted at Tour Down Under, but will a change-out be on the cards in 2024?

Even the national champions' jerseys have been treated to some artistic flair, as displayed in Richard Carapaz's Ecuadorian national champion's get-up

EF Pro Cycling are seen as one of the more audacious teams in the pack. Alongside their road calendar, which will see the likes of Richard Carapaz , Veronica Ewers and Neilson Powless chase their big ambitions in 2024, EF will compete in off-road and endurance events throughout the season. They have previously competed in the Lifetime Grand Prix Series with Lachlan Morton and Emily Newsom.

By now, the exploits of Morton have become well-known throughout the world of cycling, and the Australian will continue to be supported by EF Education-EasyPost and Rapha. Once combining his 'alternative calendar' with the demands of being in the WorldTour squad, these days Morton is free to chase his own adventures, which most recently has resulted in the team's first feature-length film, The Divide.

Read more: Lachlan Morton's Tour Divide film is a hit at London premiere

The American team's kit for 2024 will debut at the upcoming Santos Tour Down Under , whose startlist was revealed earlier this week and will see the likes of Archie Ryan and Jack Rootkin-Gray make their debuts for EF Education-EasyPost.

Read more: Archie Ryan kicks knee injuries and finds his home at EF Education-EasyPost

The Australian WorldTour stage race and recent American National Championships are a reminder of Rapha's long-standing tradition of providing change-out kits for EF Pro Cycling over the past five years, which dates back to their 'blackout' design which featured Down Under at the start of 2019.

At the time, the all-black kit was worn in the Australian and New Zealand National Championships, designed to allow EF Pro Cycling the freedom to unveil their true kit for 2019 at the Tour Down Under. Their pink tie-dye get-up was soon revealed and neither the team nor Rapha have looked back since.

© Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images

EF Education-EasyPost's 2022 Tour de France kit, produced in collaboration with PALACE Skateboards

Over the following seasons, the team have worn special change-out kits from time to time at the Grand Tours, which most famously resulted in multiple collaborations with streetwear brand PALACE.

With their primary colour clashing with the Giro d'Italia 's pink jersey, we can expect to see both EF Education-EasyPost and EF Education-Cannondale wearing special edition kits at this year's races, just as EF Education-EasyPost and EF Education-TIBCO-SVB did in 2023.

EF Education-EasyPost

• Nationality United States of America
• Founded 2003
• Team Principal Jonathan Vaughters
• UCI Code EFE
• Bike Sponsor Cannondale

EF Education-Cannondale

• Founded 2024
• Team Principal Esra Tromp
• UCI Code EFC

Richard Carapaz

• Team EF Education-EasyPost
• Nationality Ecuador
• UCI Wins 22
• Height 1.7m

Veronica Ewers

• Team EF Education-Cannondale

Neilson Powless

• UCI Wins 11
• Height 1.83m

Archie Ryan

• Nationality Ireland

Jack Rootkin-Gray

• Nationality United Kingdom

Tour Down Under

• Dates 16 Jan - 21 Jan
• Race Length 824 kms
• Race Category Elite Men

Rapha is a cycling clothing manufacturer based in London, England. The company produces premium clothing for road and gravel cycling, mountain biking, and a lifestyle range too.

POC is a Swedish manufacturer founded in 2004 that specialises in cycling helmets and eyewear, plus a range of winter sports apparel.

Cannondale is a bicycle manufacturer based in Connecticut, USA. From road, gravel, electric and mountain bikes to equipment, clothing and components, the company produces a host of products for almost every type of cyclist.

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A Pro Cyclist Rode An Unofficial, Solo Tour De France And Beat The Pack

James Doubek

Lachlan Morton rode the whole route of the Tour de France without the kind of help official racers get, like mechanics and meals. He started behind official Tour racers and finished five days ahead. Lucy Le Lievre/Rapha hide caption

Lachlan Morton rode the whole route of the Tour de France without the kind of help official racers get, like mechanics and meals. He started behind official Tour racers and finished five days ahead.

Pro cyclist Lachlan Morton wasn't officially in this year's Tour de France, but he rode the route anyway, by himself — and beat everyone to the finish in Paris by five days.

After starting shortly behind the official group on June 26, he crossed the unofficial finish line at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday: 3,424 miles in 18 days, including ascents up some of France's famously brutal mountains.

Morton rode around 200 miles each day, usually spending about 12 hours in the saddle before finding a place to camp for the night (or simply riding through the night).

"To go out and ride your bike really far one time is one thing, but then to sleep in a tent and wake up at 5 o'clock the next morning to do it all again and do that again 15 or 16 days, that's a huge challenge," he says, "and is every bit if not more difficult than I thought it would be."

For comparison, you can cross the continental U.S. on a bike in just over 3,000 miles, and for most people, it can take at least two months.

Morton rode 230 miles on June 30. His own personal Tour de France was far from his first unassisted endurance trek. Lucy Le Lievre/Rapha hide caption

Morton rode 230 miles on June 30. His own personal Tour de France was far from his first unassisted endurance trek.

The team Morton rides for, the U.S.-based EF Education-Nippo, called it the Alt Tour . While the EF squad riding in the official Tour de France has mechanics and spare bikes at the ready, hotels to sleep in, all their meals provided and daily massages, Morton was left to his own devices.

A typical day on the Tour de France is about 100 miles. And in the official Tour, buses ferry riders from where one day's stage ends and the next day's stage begins. Morton rode those gaps himself, significantly adding to the total mileage.

There are two rest days on the Tour. Morton had none.

He carried all his clothes and gear on his bike, bought his own food and fixed his own flat tires.

Morton was left to his own devices for camping and buying food each day. He faced profound challenges: rainy days and nights, shortage of supplies and lots of pain. Lucy Le Lievre/Rapha hide caption

Morton was left to his own devices for camping and buying food each day. He faced profound challenges: rainy days and nights, shortage of supplies and lots of pain.

There were profound moments, like having the road to himself, riding through a glorious sunrise in the Alps, when he "felt very lucky to be out there doing what I was doing."

But Morton faced profound challenges as well: rainy days and nights, going to sleep hungry, running out of supplies. Lots of pain.

"I got a sore knee on the first day, which was a pretty significant problem and something that I didn't have a lot of experience with," he tells NPR. He had the idea to buy wider, longer pedals (he actually had to buy a whole bike from a supermarket just to get the pedals) that let his feet move around more and ride in his sandals.

"It turned out to be the perfect solution for my knee problem," Morton says, but then it created another problem: "I got pretty significant blisters from the sandals."

But he made some modifications and was able to make do riding in sandals for most of the journey.

It was all to raise money for World Bicycle Relief, a nonprofit that provides bicycles to people who need them in developing countries.

Morton rode almost all of the days in sandals, which he had to modify after getting blisters — the result of a previous modification of his bike because of a sore knee. Lucy Le Lievre/Rapha hide caption

Morton rode almost all of the days in sandals, which he had to modify after getting blisters — the result of a previous modification of his bike because of a sore knee.

It wasn't his first epic solo ride

It's only the latest zany idea for Morton, who specializes in off-the-beaten-path riding. He's done two of cycling's premier three-week Grand Tours before — the Giro d'Italia in 2020, and the Vuelta a España in 2017 — but gets the most attention for his solo adventures.

In 2019, he went from the bottom to the top of Great Britain, more than 1,200 miles, in under five days of cycling time. Last year, he rode through deserts and massive climbs up mountains on off-road trails in southern Spain , completing 446 miles in 43 1/2 hours, barely stopping at all. He has done epic rides through the Australian Outback , through the Balkans and in Colombia and set a record for the fastest known time on the Kokopelli Trail from Moab, Utah, to Loma, Colo.

A few months into the pandemic last year, with a lot of pro cycling at a standstill, Morton briefly held the record for Everesting — that is, riding a bike numerous times up one hill to reach a total vertical elevation the equivalent of Mount Everest.

Lachlan Morton Sets A Bicycling 'Everesting' Record

He's far from the only bicyclist to embrace extreme endurance events recently. Endurance cyclist Jack Thompson has now overtaken the Tour de France after starting more than a week behind.

Among the many events that require riders to support themselves the whole way, there's the yearly Tour Divide, which runs from Banff, Alberta, Canada, to the U.S.-Mexico border in New Mexico — about 2,700 miles, done in under 14 days by Mike Hall. And the Trans Am Bike Race, from Oregon to Virginia, done in under 17 days by Abdullah Zeinab. Fiona Kolbinger rode from Bulgaria to France in just over 10 days to win the Transcontinental Race .

Morton rode around 200 miles most days, though sometimes much more. On the final day, he rode 350 miles in about 20 and a half hours. Rapha hide caption

Morton rode around 200 miles most days, though sometimes much more. On the final day, he rode 350 miles in about 20 and a half hours.

But Morton is notable for his platform, leading some to argue that his type of adventure, complete with video documentation, live GPS tracking and a social media boost, is the future of professional cycling.

There's always a place for events like the Tour, he says.

However, "I think there's definitely a space beyond that where you can have top athletes competing in events or challenges or riding their bikes in a way that is still inspiring in the distance or the speed, but it's also a lot more relatable to the way that most people use their bikes," Morton says. "I think the Tour de France is unattainable for 99.9% of athletes. And, you know, you could buy a bike and put some bags on it and go tour France and there's no one that can stop you."

• Tour de France

Palace unites with Rapha to celebrate inaugural Tour de France Femmes

Marking the first time women will compete in the historic cycling race since the late 1980s, this new collaboration sees Palace Skateboards and Rapha create uniforms for both on and off the bike – including an ‘outlandish’ pair of Crocs

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The Tour de France is the zenith of the cycling calendar; this year, the inaugral Tour de France Femmes is introduced to the competition, seeing women compete for the famed yellow jersey – indicative of the race leader – for the first time since the late 1980s (an equivalent women’s race briefly took place from 1984 to 1989). In celebration of the occasion, Palace Skateboards is uniting once again with British cycle-wear brand Rapha to create a special capsule collection – which even includes a particularly colourful pair of Crocs.

A first look at the latest Rapha + Palace collection

‘We are proud to be a part of the Tour de France, especially this year’s race which includes women for the first time in 33 years. We are buzzing on bikes and on putting a female focus at the forefront of this campaign,’ says Palace in a statement on the collection, which combines the British skatewear brand’s irreverent approach to design – in this case, the various garments feature cartoon dinosaurs, swirling motifs, and a liberal use of hot pink – with Rapha’s impressive technical and performance know-how. ‘Rapha and its designs regularly refer back to the sport and cycling history whilst Palace is disruptive, witty and always surprising.’

Entirely genderless, the collection centres around ‘change out’ kits for the American EF Education-TIBCO-SVB and EF Education-EasyPost teams – a set of vividly coloured cycling jerseys and bib shorts – alongside a series of items that are designed to be worn by the riders in between the various punishing legs of the race. It is not the first time Palace and Rapha have partnered with this team; in 2020, they collaborated on a kit for that year’s edition of the Giro d’Italia, an equally prestigious event in the racing calendar. ‘The kit created for [Giro d’Italia 2020] did not fall short of expectations,’ says Palace. ‘The kit created was something altogether different, merging the worlds of fashion and cycling and changing the face of cycling once and for all.’

Rapha + Palace Crocs

This latest outing follows a similar approach – pieces are equally appealing for both avid cyclist and those who have no intention of ever getting on a bike – comprising Palace + Rapha-emblazoned hoodies, cropped T-shirts, gilets, and cargo pants, shorts, and skirts which can be zipped away to various lengths, all in a vibrant palette of pink, purple and green (a number of pieces in classic black also feature). The dragon motif, chosen to represent ‘supernatural power, wisdom, and hidden knowledge’ appears throughout, as does Palace’s signature Triferg logo. 

The final element of the collection, which launches in store and online on 15 July 2022, comes in the form of a limited-edition pair of Crocs in trippy shades of gradient pink and blue (Palace calls them ‘outlandish’). Each pair comes complete with a number of ‘jibbitz’, the charm-like elements which slot into Crocs’ perforated exterior, featuring the collaboration’s various motifs, from Palace Triferg and female gender glyph (♀) to the aforementioned symbolic green dragon.

INFORMATION palaceskateboards.com rapha.cc

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Jack Moss is the Fashion Features Editor at Wallpaper*, joining the team in 2022. Having previously been the digital features editor at AnOther and digital editor at 10 and 10 Men magazines, he has also contributed to titles including i-D, Dazed, 10 Magazine, Mr Porter’s The Journal and more, while also featuring in Dazed: 32 Years Confused: The Covers, published by Rizzoli. He is particularly interested in the moments when fashion intersects with other creative disciplines – notably art and design – as well as championing a new generation of international talent and reporting from international fashion weeks. Across his career, he has interviewed the fashion industry’s leading figures, including Rick Owens, Pieter Mulier, Jonathan Anderson, Grace Wales Bonner, Christian Lacroix, Kate Moss and Manolo Blahnik.

Barnaba Fornasetti invites us into Casa Fornasetti, a private residence and creative hub, as he carries on its founder’s perpetual exploration of creativity and design

By Maria Cristina Didero Published 19 April 24

Seoul-based Niceworkshop caught the design world’s attention with its inaugural collection dedicated to the humble bolt. Now, with its first solo showing at Capsule Plaza, the studio aims to disrupt the life cycle of industrial materials with an exploration into aluminium formwork

By Laura May Todd Published 19 April 24

The Sony World Photography Awards 2024 winners have been revealed – we celebrate the Architecture & Design category’s visual artists

By Ellie Stathaki Published 18 April 24

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Will you be wearing the Rapha + Palace EF Crocs? Check out the range plus loads more from Continental, Rudy Project, Muc-Off & Suplest

It has been a super-busy week for new bike equipment from some of cycling's biggest names and Rapha has given us the details of how to buy clothing from its new collaboration with Palace Skateboards, but our big question is: will you rock the Croc?

Scroll down for more tech news from the likes of Continental , Showers Pass , and Rudy Project ...

Will you be wearing the Rapha + Palace EF Crocs?

You’ve seen the Rapha + Palace EF clothing worn by EF Education-EasyPost riders in the Tour de France, right? You can hardly have missed it. You’ll be able to buy it all later this week, along with a whole bunch of other on- and off-bike clothing, but the Crocs are dividing opinion.

Rapha + Palace returns: EF Pro Cycling teams unveil wild new switch-out kit for Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes  

The idea of the Rapha and Palace Skateboards collaboration is to celebrate the  Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift which runs 24-31 July and will include the EF Education-TIBCO-SVB women’s team.

The collection is huge and includes all of the on-bike clothing you’d expect, including Pro Team Aero jerseys and shorts and Pro Team Training jerseys for men and women.

The off-bike kit covers short and long-sleeve T-shirts, hoodies, and caps along with some less predictable clothing. There are Rapha + Palace cropped T-shirts, ‘technical skirts’, utility vests and zip-off trousers.

Then there are those Crocs which, we must say, are a bit of a fashion risk. Do they do it for you?

Are these Cannondale & Palace EF Education team bikes the maddest in the peloton?

All of the Rapha + Palace items will be sold in limited numbers. Rapha says that in order to give everyone a chance, there will be three online drops:

15th July 11am BST - UK, EU, Canada and South Korea

15th July 11am EDT - USA

16th July 11am JST - Asia-Pacific

A select range of Rapha + Palace on-bike items will be made available exclusively to Rapha Cycling Club members who were active on or before the 10th of July or have renewed a previously lapsed membership by 13th July.

Get more info here

Rudy Project’s new Egos helmet debuts in Tour de France

You might have noticed Bahrain Victorious riders wearing a new Rudy Project helmet in the Tour de France. It’s called the Egos and this is its final stage of testing ahead of a September launch.

Rudy Project says, “Egos has been designed to greatly increase the comfort and safety of the athlete through improved ventilation and a two-density construction of the inner shell,”

It says that you get a lot of ventilation at the top of the head, while a Fidlock magnetic attachment system handles closure.

The Egos also features an ‘Airframe Band’ that’s in contact with the forehead, allowing airflow to be channelled inside the helmet for cooling.

Rudy Project claims a weight of 250g for the medium size Egos. We don’t yet have a UK price but it’s €209.90 (around £178).

Get more info here  

Continental says limited edition Grand Prix 5000 TT TdF is its fastest-ever tyre

Continental says that its new tubeless-ready Grand Prix 5000 TT TdF is its fastest-ever performance racing tyre. Obviously, this means it comes with a statistical claim. Ready for it?

“The Grand Prix 5000 TT TdF gives racing cyclists the lowest possible weight and coefficient of rolling resistance, enabling a saving of 17 seconds over a 40km time trial when compared to Continental’s Grand Prix 5000 S TR.”

Did you enjoy that? Continental says that this time-saving has been achieved by “optimised tread thickness and construction to reduce material deformation at the contact point between road and tyre.”

At a claimed 215g per tyre, the 700x25 Grand Prix 5000 TT TdF is 35g lighter than Continental’s Grand Prix 5000 S TR.

The Grand Prix 5000 TT TdF uses Continental’s BlackChili Compound and Vectran Breaker liquid crystal polymers “for puncture protection and five-times greater tear resistance than a comparable nylon breaker”. It’s available with black sidewalls only.

The price is £89.95.

Get more info here

Showers Pass updates Spring Classic jacket

Showers Pass has introduced an updated version of its Spring Classic jacket to mark the company’s 25th anniversary in the bike industry.

The jacket includes Showers Pass’ new eliteAIR fabric in the underarm construction, which is designed to be stretchy and breathable. There’s also a limited release in the brand’s Goldenrod colourway.

Check out our review of a previous version of the Showers Pass Spring Classic jacket

Showers Pass says that the Spring Classic delivers 30k waterproof/20k breathability ratings – both of which are very high. It also features an, angled full-zip front, dual-core vents, and an upper back ‘exhaust vent’ that’s designed to improve airflow and prevent billowing.

You get reflective accents for improved visibility and a back pocket that can be used to stow the jacket when not in use.

It’s available now priced at £249.

Check out these slides from Suplest

In more not-cycling-shoes news, Swiss brand Suplest has these slides for you. They might be handy if you want to earn yourself a few cycling cred points when you’re in your civvies.

They come with a pre-moulded EVA footbed, rubber patches for grip on the outsole, and a microfibre strap.

They’re yours for €40 (around £34).

Muc-Off pledges 10% of pink cleaner profits in July to "breaking down barriers between women and bikes"

Muc-Off has announced that it will be donating 10% of profits from sales of its Nano Tech Bike Cleaner, refill ranges and Waterless Wash during July to non-profit organisations that help "break down barriers between women and bikes".

These include Cycle Sisters ,  Black Girls Do Bike ,  Homestretch Foundation ,  Women’s All Ride Collective , and more.

The move coincides with the return of Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift ( which we already mentioned up top) .

Muc-Off has also released a limited run of a ‘Move Over’ special edition takeover of the brand’s Nano Tech Bike Cleaner (1 litre, £10.99) , which features graffiti-style female-empowerment-themed quotes and illustrations. This is available direct from muc-off.com only.

Rapha introduces all-new Explore clothing collection

We started with Rapha and we’re going to finish with Rapha too because the brand has introduced its latest Explore collection that’s aimed primarily at bikepacking.

New for this season is the Men’s Explore Overshorts (£110)  and the Women’s Explore Overshorts (£110)  designed for off-road riding in warm weather.

The Men's Explore Zip Neck Technical T-Shirt (£75)  is new too. This is a polyester top with a permanent zinc antibacterial treatment that’s designed to keep it fresh.

Rapha has produced a short film to showcase the new clothing, following four riders in Costa Rica. Take a look…

In case you missed it earlier in the week...

• Movistar races new Canyon Ultimate at Tour de France and Giro Donne
• Oakley releases four pairs of Tour de France 2022 special edition glasses
• Five cool things coming soon from Specialized, Garmin, MAAP X Apidura, Universal Colours and Redshift

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Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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11 comments.

Crocs on an adult are just code for " Yes, I have given up; thank you for asking !"

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Crocs do seem to have made something of a comeback after their rise and fall.  One thing I would say in their favour is they seem durable.  Mrs K still wears the pair she got in around 2007.  (She'd also rib me mercilessly if I did buy a pair, as I have always taken the mickey out of hers.)

£35 for a pair of flipflops? I'll just stick to my local flipflop dealer that sells a few pairs at £5 each.

Just wait until you see the price of the crocs!

Oh and for anyone else ignoring science, thinking crocs aren't cool and generally hating on foam cushions for your feet.. the big brands are all 'hold my beer' -  https://www.flightclub.com/collections/yeezy-foam-runner

The only people who don't like crocs are people who've not worn crocs (that's a science fact). 

I'd rock those crocs! (but obviously only proudly in the comfort of my own home... I'm not mental.)

Great for the beach. And as you say oh so comfy.

No, I won't be wearing the crocs, as I am an adult.

I actually want a pair of the crocs.  Shoot me now.

Steve K wrote: I actually want a pair of the crocs.  Shoot me now.

There's no accounting for taste, but if you like them, then go for it.

They're definitely too garish for my liking

Lucifer Morningstar, S2E2, about Mr. Richards' crocs wrote: Oh, goody. They come in more colors. There’s only one body part rubber should be worn on.

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Most Popular News

Revealing our 2023 kit

Our latest collaboration with Rapha is a salute to the past, present, and future of the team

January 5, 2023

Today, EF Education-TIBCO-SVB and EF Education-EasyPost revealed our kit for the upcoming 2023 season, proudly designed in collaboration with Rapha.

At our recent training camp, we took to some of our favorite roads in Girona to show off our new threads. Seeing our new kit in action, the pink dancing against the winter sky, left us inspired.

Our classic pink remains present in our updated kit, but with each panel of the jersey incorporating a different shade, a nod to the past, present and future of the team. This year’s design, a cleaner, sleeker look, is sure to turn heads.

Both our women’s and men’s squads will pair black bibs with the iconic pink jersey. With proven-in-the-peloton performance technology and a new, exciting roster of riders, get ready for a whole new year.

Since the beginning of the Rapha and EF Pro Cycling partnership, we have jointly sought to enliven our sport and to encourage new perspectives. Today, the partnership has evolved the essence of its ethos; performance with character.

The men’s and women’s EF 2023 kits will be available for purchase later this year on rapha.cc

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Cycling star Evenepoel targets June return from crash ahead of Tour de France and Paris Olympics

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BRUSSELS (AP) — Two weeks after crashing heavily in Spain, two-time world champion Remco Evenepoel said on Friday he’s on track to race again in June ahead of the Tour de France and Paris Olympics.

The Belgian needed surgery after breaking a collar bone and shoulder blade in a crash while descending in the Tour of Basque Country.

Evenepoel will train at high altitude before a planned return to racing at the Critérium du Dauphiné in France from June 2-9 or the week after at the Tour de Suisse, he said in an interview broadcast by his team Soudal–Quick-Step.

He won the worlds time trial last year and the road race in 2022, and should target both Olympic events on the streets of Paris on back-to-back Saturdays — July 27 and Aug. 3. First, he will make his Tour de France debut on June 29.

“It’s going to be something special. Especially the Tour,” Evenepoel said. “It makes it a bit easier to do Tour-Olympics because it’s in the same country, not too far like it was three years ago to go to Tokyo. That was more difficult for a lot of guys.”

Evenepoel raced in both Olympic road events in Japan. He placed ninth in the time trial, more than one minute out of the medals and trailing 2 minutes, 17 seconds behind gold medalist Primož Roglič.

Roglič was caught up in Evenepoel’s crash in Spain and also will miss the one-day classic Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday. Evenepoel won the past two editions of the storied race.

Evenepoel said the early spring injury gave him time to recover like it was a midseason break. It let him spend the Eid al-Fitr holiday last week with his wife Oumi Rayane and her family.

“That was a very beautiful day,” he said. “It’s better to have the injury now than in a couple of weeks. It’s a bit of luck in my bad luck.”

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports