Team Sky RSS

Thanks to some of the best cycling photographers we are able to share some highlights of recent races. Enjoy a small selection. Images by Tim De Waele 1st Toward Zero Race Melbourne / Cadel Evans – Albert Park GP 1st Toward Zero Race Melbourne / Cadel Evans – Albert Park GP 1st Toward Zero Race Melbourne / Cadel Evans – Albert Park GP 1st Toward Zero Race Melbourne / Cadel Evans – Albert Park GP 4th Tour Dubai 2017 / Stage 1 4th Tour Dubai 2017 / Stage 2 4th Tour Dubai 2017 / Stage 2 4th Tour Dubai 2017 / Stage 2 68th Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana 2017 / Stage 1 68th Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana 2017 / Stage 1        

Recently, I spent some time with Team Sky during their annual Mallorca training camp. I’ve concluded that it’s in no way different from my annual training camps. On second thought, other than the massages, hotel, mechanics, personal chef, shiny Pinarello Dogma F10, roving press core, and coffee whenever I want it, my training camp is exactly the same. I ride in the same snow (yes, sunny Mallorca indeed) and wear the same Castelli aero bibs and jerseys as they do. — Alas this was not to be a cycling trip but more of a reportage look at what makes Team Sky tick. I had the help of my Leica cameras, including the new bells and whistles Leica SL. Normally, when doing my photo essays, I choose to ride and take pictures of riders with a Leica camera dangling from my neck. This I find to be a great skill training exercise, and fine when you’re just out with a group of Cat 5’s. However, Team Sky are not Cat 5 riders so I opted to ride in the fast Ford car with Team Sky DS Gabba (think the jacket) and mechanic Filip. For this journey, we opted for 60’s hits to keep us ...

With 13 grand tours under his belt, Christian Knees is one of Team Sky’s strongest domestiques. His tireless work has contributed to 14 race victories, including, most notably, the yellow jersey won by Brad Wiggins in the 2012 Tour de France, Christian’s seventh consecutive Tour. His personal palmarès includes victory in the German national road race championship in 2010 before joining Team Sky. When Christian was a young cyclist watching pro races on television, he was intrigued by the sacrifice of the domestiques and their selfless devotion to their team leader. They’d give up wheels when key riders punctured, collect food and bottles from the team car for teammates, chase down early attacks and keep breakaways in check, ensure that the riders they were looking after were well positioned heading into key sections of races, and provide shelter for them to make sure they conserved their energy for as long as possible. In other sports, it’s rare to see athletes completely sacrificing themselves like this to help another athlete win. OFF-SEASON During the off-season, Christian enjoys spending time at home with his wife and two daughters near Cologne, Germany. With today’s long race calendar, professional cyclists have only a few ...

Highlights of the Tour Down Under as Team Sky got the 2017 season underway in Australia (Photographer: Beardy McBeard).  

The 2017 jersey design brings a sort of British-Italian fusion. Designed by Richard Pearce and refined and implemented to cycling garments by Castelli’s senior designer Enrico Ubezio, the graphic celebrates the victories in Team Sky’s first 7 seasons. The classic Breton shirt served as inspiration but has been reimagined in a data pattern with each stripe on the jersey, short, mitts, socks and cap representing a specific Team Sky victory. The longest lines are the 4 Tour de France victories, with Chris Froome’s 2016 victory immediately below the Sky logo on the chest. The short dashes represent one-day races, while the medium-length lines represent multiday stage races, with the number of stages determining the length of the line. WorldTour races are blue lines, while non-WorldTour races are white. Perhaps most significantly, the gaps represent the ambition for future victories. The front of the jersey is made up of victories by 2017 team members, with the exception of Sir Bradley Wiggins’ 2012 Tour win, which has a special place in Team Sky history. The victory lines at the front of the jersey … 234. Tour de France, Chris Froome 220. Vuelta al Pais Vasco – Stage 2, Mikel Landa 223. Liege-Bastongne-Liege, Wout ...