Team Sky’s partnership with Jaguar means their team car – the Jaguar XF Sportbrake – attracts almost as much attention in the paddock as their Pinarello Dogma F8 bikes.
Serving as the team’s mobile race HQ throughout the season, the Jaguar XF Sportbrake is in effect a rolling food and drinks station, wardrobe, hospital and mechanics’ workshop as it follows the peloton through the 2014 Tour de France.
The car is packed accordingly for the challenges faced by the team on the road on some of the most brutal stages cycling’s greatest race will throw at them.
From bad weather to testing terrain, nutritional needs to tactical race decisions, and punctures to crashes – and Team Sky have had their fair share of those – the car is packed to meet every eventually.
So what exactly gets squeezed into the Jaguar XF Sportbrake on race day? Check out this infographic (click on the photo to enlarge) to find out, or watch the time lapse video of the car being packed.
Inside Team Sky’s Jaguar XF Sportbrake
1) 1 x Jaguar XF Sportbrake with bespoke roof-rack (nine bicycle capacity)
2) 9 x Pinarello Dogma 65.1 racing bikes
3) 1 x Park Tool mechanic’s toolkit
– (a) Team Sky mechanic’s apron
4) 70 x CNP nutrition bars, gels, flapjacks
5) 9 x Rapha musette bags
6) 10 x CNP Peptide high protein mix drinks
7) 5 x Spare Shimano carbon wheels (C24, C30 or C50 depending on the stage)
8) 4 x Team Sky pens
9) 1 x iPad for navigation and online race tracking
10) 1 x Race notes notebook
11) 3 x Stages Power Meter head units
12)
– (a) 9 x Rapha Pro Team jerseys, gilets, rain capes, thermal jerseys and base layers
– (b) 9 x Rapha Pro Team bib shorts (various lengths), leg and arm warmers
– (c) 9 x Racing shoes – various brands
– (d) 9 x Rapha Pro Team caps, mitts and overshoes
– (e) 9 x Rapha Pro Team cold/wet weather caps, mitts, overshoes
13) 9 x Rapha Pro Team wet bags
14) 1 x Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset (with silver flight-case) including front chainset and rear cassette, brake hoods, brake levers, spare cogs, spare chain, cleats, additional fi’zi:k saddle and Pinarello seat post
15) 1 x KASK Mojito racing helmet
16) 70 x Elite bidons – for carrying water/hydration mixtures (number of bidons varies)
