Much was made of the choice of many of the WorldTour teams to opt for black kits for 2014.
Stylish though they are, there is a lot to be said for individuality if you want to get noticed in the bunch. There’s no mistaking the lime green of Cannondale, or the bright yellow of Tinkoff-Saxo – but a clash of black kits does nothing for the spectator in the chaos of a bunch sprint.
Trek Factory Racing, Omega Pharma-Quickstep and Giant-Shimano all had riders at the front of the bunch, and while Mark Cavendish’s national champion’s jersey is unmistakeable, not every team has the benefit of leading out the current king of their country.
In the Dubai haze, created by both the sand blowing in off the coast and the heat, it made it even worse. Black jersey after black jersey, leading out black jersey after black jersey. OK, so the unmistakeable giant frame of Marcel Kittel crossing the finishing line was easy to spot, but come on kit designers – a little originality please!
