Photo gallery: bike tech from the 2017 Tour de France - Road Cycling UK

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Photo gallery: bike tech from the 2017 Tour de France

Geraint Thomas' Pinarello Bolide TT and more Tour de France tech

The Tour de France is a test of endurance for both world’s best cyclists and the team of mechanics working tirelessly behind the scenes to meticulously prepare their bikes day-in, day-out.

Team mechanics work countless hours through a Grand Tour, ensuring every bike is in perfect working order – and, of course, spotlessly clean for the television cameras. And that’s not to mention the time spent building bikes ahead of the Tour and the clean-up option once the winner has been crowned in Paris.

The tools of the trade for Tour de France team mechanics

We stopped by the Grand Départ in Dusseldorf to see what’s new and interesting for this year’s race, including Geraint Thomas’ stage-winning Pinarello Bolide TT bike, oversized chainrings and jockey wheels, disc brake goodness, next-level electronic tech and more.

Take a closer look at the photo gallery below to see some of the bike tech on show at the 2017 Tour de France.

Geraint Thomas became the eighth Briton to pull on the yellow jersey after winning the opening time trial in Dusseldorf - and the Welshman did so on this Pinarello Bolide
The Pinarello Bolide TT bike was launched ahead of the 2016 Giro d'Italia and, needless to say, it's designed to be as aerodynamic as possible. The front brake is neatly integrated into the fork and headtube, while the rear is protected by a fairing
Thomas' time trial bike is equipped with a custom 3D printed cockpit, designed specifically for the Team Sky rider's position
Thomas powered to victory on a set of 56-44t chainrings
It's common to see riders use grip tape on the TT handlebar extensions, helping to keep their hands locked in place, fingers ready to hit the electronic shifter buttons
Team Sky are among the squads using the new Elite Fly bottle. The 550ml bottle is said to be the lightest in the world at just 54g. Marginal gains, right?
Team Sky announced a renewed two year partnership with Ford ahead of the Tour de France and brought this new Ford RS with them as a result. The car has a custom bike rack and is used on TT stages and for recon
Tony Martin went for a forward-thinking single-chainring setup for the flat time trial
Martin went into the time trial as favourite but had to settle for fourth. Note the lack of a chain catcher, but the German had no mechanical issues in Dusseldorf
The Ag2r-La Mondiale squad is sponsored by Factor Bikes, with the new Slick time trial bike only launched in March this year
Factor Bikes was born in Norfolk in 2007 and while the brand is now owned by Australian Baden Cooke, a former winner of the Tour's green jersey, this Union Jack graphic is a nod to that heritage
The O2 is Factor's lightweight climbing bike and team leader Romain Bardet's machine received a special white paintjob ahead of the Tour
A box-fresh Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9150 groupset for Bardet, who has two Tour de France stage wins to his name
Yorkshireman Scott Thwaites is making his Tour de France debut, riding for Team Dimension Data
We're not sure these jockey wheels are quite big enough. The oversized setup from Ceramic Speed, used by a number of teams, is claimed to save... three watts
It's common to see oversized chainrings on TT bikes and that was certainly the case for the flat Dusseldorf course. Team Sunweb's chainrings ranged from 54t to 58t
French rider Warren Barguil was the only rider to opt for a 58-tooth chainring
Ever wondered how mechanics charge multiple electronic groupsets in one hit?
Power meters need charging, too
What do you call a group of Bianchi Oltre XR4s?
Mechanics are tasked with keeping team bikes pristine throughout the three-week race, so they'll get through plenty of handlebar tape
Pro riders are notoriously particular about their position on the bike
To the extent that LottoNL-Jumbo's mechanics use a digital spirit level to get the saddle angle just right
Cleat position matters, too, and mechanics are also tasked with fitting new cleats when a rider changes shoes
BMC Racing use this nifty gadget to replicate cleat machine. It's made in Italy and, we're told, isn't available commercially
BMC Racing will be hoping to add another yellow jersey here, with Richie Porte the team's big hope
When we stopped by the BMC mechanics' truck, this delivery of bottles had just arrived from Elite. It's not a box of regular Elite Fly bottles though, like those you see on the kerb, but a stash of yellow bottles to be used in the hope Porte takes the maillot jaune
Porte is riding the new, third general BMC Team Machine SLR01 at the Tour. Keep your eye out for a full pro bike gallery featuring Porte's bike
Enough cassettes to last the entire Tour de France
Will we see more and more disc brake thru-axles kicking about on team trucks at the Tour de France in years to come?
Marcel Kittel has been using a disc-equipped Specialized Venge ViAS Disc at the Tour and the rotors don't seem to be slowing the German sprinter down so far, with three wins to his name in the first week
Is this yellow ladybird on a Team Sky stem an omen for who will be in the yellow jersey come Paris?
A 14cm stem for Luke Rowe's Pinarello Dogma F10 XLight. Look out for a closer look at Rowe's machine later in the race
Even Team Sky's race number holders are made from carbon fibre
This is a really neat piece of integration, with the junction box for Shimano's new Dura-Ace Di2 groupset housed within the end of the Michael Matthews' handlebar
Team Sunweb and FDJ took a delivery of Shimano's new Dura-Ace power meter ahead of the Tour de France
Peter Sagan may have left the race, having been disqualified on stage four, but the Slovak had been riding Specialized's brand new Tarmac SL6. These dropped seatstays have been borrowed from the aero Venge
Meanwhile, Mark Cavendish, who abandoned the Tour with a broken shoulder following the incident which saw Sagan disqualified, was riding a custom Cervelo S5 with a special paintjob said to add just 26g to the frame and fork. We'll show you more of Sagan and Cavendish's bikes on Monday
Most teams have their own kitchen truck for major races, allowing their chefs to prepare Tour-worthy food in a familiar environment. With Sagan's team sponsored by kitchen appliance brand Bora, the truck represents a valuable sponsorship opportunity. Turns out Sagan likes his rack of lamb well seasoned
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Tour de France 2017 Tour de France 2017 Tech

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