Tour Tech 2017: The kit you're not supposed to see

It’s no secret that most components used by professional riders in the Tour de France come from team sponsors, but occasionally we spot examples of riders using non-sponsored kit that has been disguised.

This doesn’t happen as much as it once did. Sponsorship is big business, especially in the world’s most important bike race, and social media means that it could be a PR disaster if a big name rider is seen using components from a rival brand.

Here are some examples of riders using non-sponsored kit from this year’s Tour de France.

Team Dimension Data’s wheel sponsor is Enve. However, Enve doesn’t make a disc wheel so if the team riders want to use one in a time trial they need to go elsewhere. This is Edvald Boasson Hagen’s bike and we’re pretty sure that’s a HED wheel on the back there.

The Hed sticker is still visible at the centre of the rear wheel of the bike on the left.

Edvald Boasson Hagen’s TT saddle isn’t from team sponsor Fizik either.

Although the logos have been blacked out you can still make out that this is actually a Pro Aerofuel saddle.

This is Mark Cavendish’s Cervelo S5 with tape covering the logos on the Shimano chainset.

Team Dimension Data does use Shimano groupsets but Rotor is the chainset sponsor, hence the tape. It’s not the neatest job ever though, is it?

Specialized doesn’t make a disc wheel either, hence this logo-less model fitted to the bike of Quick-Step rider Matteo Trentin.

Two-time world champion Peter Sagan uses a stem from Zipp despite the US brand not being a Bora-Hansgrohe sponsor.

A nice bit of work with insulating tape there.

Shimano sponsors Team Sky but three-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome famously uses twin cam shaped O.Symmetric chainrings that are designed to reduce the effort needed to get through the dead spots in a pedal stroke. The Team Sky hierarchy isn't convinced but Chris Froome believes he rides better with these chainrings. He gets to use them but O.Symmetric doesn’t benefit from any logos on Froome’s bike.  

We’re not entirely convinced that Geraint Thomas’s Pinarello Dogma F10 X-Light is entirely what it seems. While the ‘F10’ on the seat tube looks like it has always been there, the ‘X-Light’ is an added sticker. 

There is currently no F10 X-Light in Pinarello’s range. We could be wrong but we reckon that there will soon be a press release from Pinarello saying something along the lines of: “The new Pinarello Dogma F10 X-Light, as ridden by Team Sky in the Tour de France”. Or something

It’s a Bontrager wheel on the rear of this Trek Segafredo Team Concept, right?

Nope, it’s a Zipp. The dimples in the surface of the wheel give the game away, and you can even see the Zipp logo.

If you look closely – really closely – at this line of Look 796s belonging to the Fortuneo-Oscaro team you can see that the one on this end is fitted with Shimano Di2 shifters whereas all the others have SRAM Red eTap. 

Here you go: a bit closer in.

Lotto-Soudal’s Adam Hansen eschews his team’s Campagnolo Super Record cranks in favour of these from Lightning with the logos removed. Hansen probably gets away with it because the maximum length Campag offers is 175mm whereas he goes for a whopping 180mm.

There’s some major taping going on there to disguise the identity of that chainring too.

Check out our other Tour de France tech stories here.