Team jerseys and team bikes at the Tour of California

The best bikes and clothing at the Amgen Tour of California

When the speed is so great, a team jersey is the recognizable symbol that lets us know instantly which rider won by an inch over the finish line. When combined in mass, team jerseys create a blur of color symbolic of the pro peloton in movement. Together with the clatter of bikes on rough pavement and the sound of wheels slicing through the air, the colorful jerseys create the atmosphere of professional bike racing.

Inside that blur of color is a dynamic mental struggle and physical fight to stay at the front of the race. From the fan's perspective the jersey, helmet, sunglasses, socks, shoes, and particularly the bike of a professional cyclists gives the impression of a calm, well trained, well equipped, well prepared athlete.

The look is called pro, but being pro requires a legion of support staff and dedicated sponsors and partners. Team jerseys are the symbol of this sport. Team bikes make it all happen in a display of dream machines.

Let's take a look at what you will see as fans out on the road during the upcoming eight stages of the Amgen Tour of California. If you attend a start of any stage, be sure to walk by the team buses and check out the bikes lined up securely outside.

Getting the bikes ready. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer Photography®

Of particular interest to the amateur cyclist's price point (depending on the build) would be the bikes of Team Katusha, Team Giant-Alpecin, Novo-Nordisk, Holowesko-Citadel, Direct Energie, Trek-Segafredo and Rally. If you have no budget (or just want to drool over extravagant bikes) check out the bikes of Team SKY, Tinkoff, BMC, Etixx-Quickstep, United Healthcare, Axeon Hagens Berman, Dimension Data or the magnificent Team Wiggins team bike.

Guess whose bike this is? You will see it at the Tour of California in May. Peter Sagan's bikes. A very colorful Specialized Venge. Photo via tinkoffteam.com

Eighteen men's teams will compete in the 2016 Amgen Tour of California. These are the team jerseys and bikes, listed by: team website, country, jerseys, bikes and some of the equipment used on the bikes. Each team has a large group of equipment, goods and service suppliers (including cars!) which can be found on their team websites. Read more about the WorldTour sponsors: Pro Team Sponsors – What Do They Do? By Inner Ring (descriptions of the products sponsors make).

MEN'S TEAMS

UCI WorldTour Teams

BMC Racing Team (USA) - BMC bikes

BMC team equipment on the bike: BMC, Shimano, fi’zi:k, SRM, Continental.

BMC team BMC Teammachine SLR01 Dura Ace Di2. Photo via bmc-switzerland.com

Cannondale Pro Cycling Team (USA) - Cannondale bikes

Cannondale team equipment on the bike: Cannondale, Shimano, Mavic, Garmin, FSA, Rock Tape, fi’zi:k.

Cannondale team Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-MOD. Photo via www.cannondale.com

Dimension Data (South Africa) - Cervélo bikes

Dimension Data team equipment on the bike: Cervelo, Roto Uno / Shimano, ENVE, Continental, fi’zi:k, Speedplay, Rotor, Lizard Skins.

Etixx – Quick-Step (Belgium) - Specialized bikes

Etixx-Quickstep team equipment on the bike: Specialized, Shimano, HED, Rovel, FSA.

Giant – Alpecin (Germany) - Giant bikes

Giant-Alpecin team equipment on the bike: Giant Liv, Shimano, Vittoria, Pro, Pioneer, Polar.

Katusha (Russia) - Canyon bikes

Katusha team equipment on the bike: Canyon, SRAM, Zipp, Quarq. Katusha swapped from Shimano to SRAM this year, and from Mavic to Zipp wheels this years, they also ride Canyon bikes, all products continuing to grow in tremendous popularity in the United States among amateur cyclists.

LottoNL- Jumbo (Netherlands) - Bianche bikes

LottoNL-Jumbo team equipment on the bike: Bianche bikes, Shimano, FSA, Selle San Marco, Vittoria.

Sky (Great Britain) - Pinarello bikes

SKY team equipment on the bike: Pinarello, Shimano, PRO, Stages, fi’zi:k.

SKY team Pinarello Dogma F8. Photo via pinarello.com

Tinkoff (Russia) - Specialized bikes

Tinkoff team equipment on the bike: Specialized, Shimano, FSA, Roval, HED, Look, Prologo, SRM.

Trek - Segafredo (USA) - Trek bikes

Trek-Segafredo team equipment on the bike: Trek, Shimano, Bontrager, SRM

Trek-Segafredo team Trek Madone. Photo via treksegafredo.com

UCI Professional Continental Teams

Direct Énergie (France) - BH bikes

Direct Énergie team equipment on the bike: BH bikes, Sigma, Shimano, FSA, Vision, Prologo, Hutchinson, Look.

Novo Nordisk (USA) - Orbea bikes

Novo Nordisk team equipment on the bike: Colnago, Maxxis, Selle Italia, Stages, Pioneer. Catlike helmets.

UnitedHealthcare (USA) - Wilier bikes

United Healthcare team equipment on the bike: Wilier, Shimano, Maxxis, Pioneer, Deda, San Marco, Rocktape.

United Healthcare team Wilier Trestina

UCI Continental Teams

Axeon Hagens Berman (USA) - Specialized bikes
The Directeur Sportif for the team is Jonkheer ("The Honourable") Axel Merckx, son of Eddy Merckx who has been made a baron in Belgium.

Axeon-Hagens Berman team equipment on the bike: Specialized, SRAM, Quarq, Zipp, Speedplay.

Axeon-Hagens Berman team Specialized Tarmac.  Photo via 2016.axeoncycling.com

Holowesko – Citadel Racing Team (USA) - felt bikes

Holowesko - Citadel team equipment on the bike: Felt, Shimano, Mavic, Michelin, Pro, Prologo.

Holowesko - Citadel team Felt bikes. Photo via twitter.com/TeamHincapie/

Jelly Belly – Maxxis (USA) - Argon bikes

Jelly Belly-Maxxis team equipment on the bike: Argon, Maxxis, FSA, Prologo, Speedplay, Tocktape, Cateye and Jelly Beans.

Jelly Belly-Maxxis Argon 18.  Photo via @JellyBellyTeam

Rally Cycling (USA) - Diamond Back bikes

Rally Cycling team equipment on the bike: Diamond Back, SRAM, Mavic, HED, Kenda, Speedplay.

Team Wiggins (Great Britain) - Pinarello bikes (Wikipedia)

Team Wiggins team equipment on the bike: Pinarello, SRAM, Zipp, fi’zi:k

Oh, and wait until you see the team cars and buses at Tour of California!

One of my favorite sponsor combos:

UCI WorldTour
BMC Racing Team (USA) - BMC bikes, Shimano
Cannondale Pro Cycling Team (USA) - Cannondale bikes, Shimano
Dimension Data (South Africa) - Cervélo bikes, Roto Uno / Shimano
Etixx – Quick-Step (Belgium) - Specialized bikes, Shimano
Giant – Alpecin (Germany) - Giant bikes, Shimano
Katusha (Russia) - Canyon bikes, SRAM
LottoNL – Jumbo (Netherlands) - Bianche bikes, Shimano
Sky (Great Britain) - Pinarello bikes, Shimano
Tinkoff (Russia) - Specialized bikes, Shimano
Trek – Segafredo (USA) - Trek bikes, Shimano

UCI Professional Continental
Direct Énergie (France) - BH bikes, Shimano / FSA
Novo Nordisk (USA) - Colnago bikes
UnitedHealthcare (USA) - Wilier bikes, Shimano

UCI Continental
Axeon Hagens Berman (USA) - Specialized bikes, SRAM
Holowesko – Citadel Racing Team (USA) - Felt bikes, Shimano
Jelly Belly – Maxxis (USA) - Argon bikes
Rally Cycling (USA) - Diamond Back bikes, SRAM
Team Wiggins (Great Britain) - Pinarello bikes, SRAM 

Bikes lined up before the stage at ATOC in 2015. ©Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer Photography®

More Pedal Dancer® race coverage 2016:

• The order of jerseys
• Taking photos at the race, and being Media 
• Top 22 tips to see the Amgen Tour of California
• How to watch the Tour of California Live in 2016
• Team jerseys and team bikes at the Tour of California
• Bikes, Equipment and Clothing at the Tour of California
• Classification jerseys for the 2016 Tour of California
• 10 UCI WorldTour Teams to compete in California
• Stage Route and Maps Tour of California 2016
• Profile Maps for the Tour of California 2016
• Tour of California Host City activities: Stages 1-4 PART I
• Tour of California Host City activities: Stages 4-8 PART II
• Tour of California Spectator Guide Page

Coming soon: Startlist and bib number Amgen Tour of California 2016;  National and World Championship jerseys at the Tour of California; and stories from the race.

Pro Challenge reports from the road Stage 5 - Breckenridge

Racing through National Forest Lands in Colorado

Today the USA Pro Challenge crossed the valleys and rivers in the land of the fourteeners. Those high mountains that reach above 14,000 feet in elevation. It can make a pack of even the best pro riders feel small in comparison. Today many of those high peaks were also shrouded in clouds. It rained again in Colorado today (although very lightly in Breckenridge), it is going to rain more tomorrow - on the individual time trial. For some but not for all riders, which should make finish times inconsistent, which means luck is a big factor for tomorrow. .

The local Colorado rule of off the summit by 1pm should apply to a bike race if they want to avoid the typical weather patterns all Rocky Mountain cyclists know all too well. It rains in the afternoon here (very rarely all day). But television broadcasting schedules rule the roost and determine start and finish times, and then the storms come and television is unable to broadcast due to the weather and the world doesn't get to see our spectacular landscape - darn it.

Stage 5 crossed magnificent Rocky Mountain Colorado scenery from Woodland Park, west of Colorado Springs, across the newly pave Terryall Rd and Hoosier Pass (highest point in this stage race at 11,550ft and a low 49 degrees when the peloton hit the summit) into beautiful Breckenridge, Colorado.

It is tough to begin a race in the rain but today the riders had to do just that. The break took three attempts to finally stick. Thirteen rider were let go with BMC controlling the pace for much of the day. The lead pack began to break apart over Hoosier Pass when Laurent Didier was able to break free on the descent in a solo effort. Soon Britton, King and Acevedo joined him as these four entered Breckenridge. Didier attacked on the climb toward Boreas Pass and was able to hold his lead to the finish line. Ben King earned most aggressive rider jersey for the day, the other jerseys remained the same.

RESULTS

Stage 5 Results
First - Laurent Didier (LUX) of Trek Factory Racing
Second - Janier Acevedo (COL) of Team Garmin-Sharp
Third - Rob Britton (CAN) of Team SmartStop

Laurent Didier

Janier Acevedo (bottom) and Rob Britton (top)

GC Standings
First - Tejay van Garderen (USA) of BMC Racing Team
Second - Rafał Majka (POL) of Tinkoff-Saxo
Third - Serghei Tvetcov (ROM) of Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis

Jersey Winners
Leader Jersey – Tejay van Garderen (USA) of BMC Racing Team
Sprint Jersey – Kiel Reijnen (USA) of UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
King of the Mountains Jersey – Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) of Jamis-Hagens Berman
Best Young Rider Jersey – Clement Chevrier (FRA) of Bissell Development Team
Most Aggressive Rider Jersey – Ben King (USA) of Team Garmin-Sharp
Best Colorado Rider Jersey – Tejay van Garderen (USA) of BMC Racing Team

Ben King today in orange

Yes Tejay is again in yellow, but I like this photo today - the Colorado National Guard Best Colorado Rider Jersey

Kiel Reijnen, Clement Chevrier, Tejay van Garderen, Ben Jacques-Maynes, Ben King

General Classification after Stage 5 (via Steephill.TV)
USA  1  VAN GARDEREN, Tejay (BMC RACING)                           16:55:56
POL  2  MAJKA, Rafal (TINKOFF-SAXO)                                 +    20
MDA  3  TVETCOV, Serghei (JELLY BELLY P/B MAXXIS)                   +    37
USA  4  DANIELSON, Thomas (GARMIN SHARP)                            +    39
USA  5  BUSCHE, Matthew (TREK FACTORY RACING)                       +    51

A nice photo of podium girl Heidi Golznig today

PHOTOS FROM THE ROAD

Today was a different kind of day, I got delayed leaving my home in Denver and was late arriving into Breckenridge which meant I hit traffic. I relearned why it is I always advise to go early to a stage, ugh. Lots of people were gathering in Breckenridge and the city looked colorful and lively.

Water games in the river in Breckenridge before the race arrived in town

The town waits

I walked by the VIP tent and noticed the mayor of Breckenridge, calling out to him, I introduced myself and asked if I could take his photo

Mayor John Warner has been Mayor of Breckenridge since 2008, he is a Dentist serving the small-town community since 1981.

Happy VIP people in Breckenridge where I heard they served Filet Mignon

I met more friendly fans in the festival area and up the first section of the climb in the town of Breckenridge.

I am hoping they were watching Tour Tracker!

Jens everywhere you look

Friendly Fans on Wellington Rd

Then a bike race came by ...

The breakaway finally climbs Wellington Rd, with a gorilla

The race Leaders in Breckenridge

The peloton hits the climb

Did you know that Marcel van Garderen's Dad drives the Medical Moto in this race? Yes that is Marcel driving (with a big smile!).

Marcel van Garderen

The area just after the finish line is a really interesting routine, where soigneurs wait to great their riders after a hard race. Today it was to offer clean dry warm clothing.

This BMC Soigneur happens to be Kate Ochowicz-Hogan, the team's Marketing Director

Here UHC staff Soigneurs rush to help Kiel Reijnen change and get warm immediately after the finish

The hectic area after the finish line where riders, soigneurs and fans merge into one mass

After getting in the way of an approaching moto in the extended finish line area, and feeling like an idiot, I had a horrible experience trying to struggle through (and feeling awful for trying to push my way through) the jam-packed crowd to get to the photographers designated pen in front of the podium stage to take photos. Ugh.

But it was worth getting there to see The Jensie's new look. The town of Breckenridge gifted him with a free vacation to Tiger Run Resort for he and his large family, presented by the town Mayor (featured above).

Could be a new trend

The rain meant lots of washing of bikes and buses after the stage

The BMC bus gets washed

Every bike had to be washed by the mechanics post race

I visited with the Mavic Men. Did you know that between these 9 men they have 100 years of experience in support service.

The Mavic Men working to clean and store their wheels for the next day

They do this every day

NEXT STAGE

Start order (start list) of riders for the time trial in Vail, Stage 6 USA Pro Challenge, Saturday
2014 Pro Challenge Stage 6 Time Trial Start Order.pdf

The riders go off at 1 minute intervals until the final 20 riders, who will go off at 2 minute intervals.
The course record from 2013 was Tejay's with a time of 25:01

Trek TT bikes waiting to be built. There will be no special custom painted time trial bike for Jensie tomorrow

Stage 6 activities and schedule for the day: 
Saturday, August 23, 2014, Vail ass Individual Time Trial!

SATURDAY, STAGE 6 : 10 miles Stage 6 Map PDF  Stage 6 Profile PDF
Individual Time Trial up Vail Pass bike path (same route as previous years).

Stage 6 Start time: 1:05pm
Stage 6 Finish time: 3:50pm
Stage 6 Timetable.pdf

State Highways Impacted: I-70,  USA Pro Challenge Road Closures 2014

VAIL - Saturday, Stage 6
Recommended road rides near Vail, Colorado
Saturday: 11:00-5:00pm - Festival in Vail Village 
Saturday: 11:30am - Road Closures
Saturday: 1:05pm - first racer, 3:50pm - last racer finishes
Saturday: 4:15pm - podium presentation in Vail Village
Best Viewing: Starting ramp in Vail Village, from the gate on Vail Pass bike path to the finish line near the top.

My tips on where and how to see the stage On the path of the 2014 USA Pro Challenge - Vail by Pedal Dancer®

2014 USA Pro Challenge - Stage 6 route map

USA PRO CHALLENGE  Race, travel and fan guide by Pedal Dancer®.

A Day at the Race in Aspen

A Day at the Race in Aspen - 2012 USA Pro Cycling Challenge

Although the day started in a light rain this morning in Aspen, by the time Jens Voigt reached the finish line in Beaver Creek the sun had some out. The crowds were large in Beaver Creek and I got the feeling that a number of fans started the day in Aspen along with me and joined to caravan of cars traveling to the finish to end up on the mountain top finish at Beaver Creek Resort. It was wonderful to see fans line the route to the top of the hill, riding their bikes or taking the convenient shuttle buses available free to spectators. What a day it was for the fans - our favorite Jens Voigt won! I bet it was quite a day for Jensie as well. Photos from the day by Karen at Pedal Dancer®
 

At the stage start in Aspen

Aspen, Colorado

Christian Vande Velde arrived - he greeted the small group of fans around him with a "good morning" and said he "felt good"

Jens in Aspen this morning before his big day and big stage win. How could he have known he was about to win the stage.

Chris Horner signing autographs for young fans

Joe Dombrowski, better then the best, maybe even a great young rider

This is the Mavic support crew the fans see out on the road on motorcycles and in cars. (That is Marcel van Garderen 2nd from Left, Tejay van Garderen's Father).

George Hincapie wows the crowd every time he appears

Christian Vande Velde all smiles and ready for another hard ride

Green Jersey wearer Damiano Caruso ready to race

Cadel Evans smiling on Day 4 of a tough race

Tom Danielson knows how to work the crowd of fans

The call-up: Cadel, Tommy, Francisco, Damiano, Christian, Tommy, Joe

It is hard to believe that this will be George's last race. Christian, Tom and George have known each other for a long time. George is the rider everyone likes and respects. He will be so missed by the fans and the riders.

The race was on and Jens was in a solo breakaway over Independence Pass!

Somewhere near here Jens Voigt thought he "could see all the way to Canada"

Jens came screaming down the pass

The rest were left to chase

Rory Sutherland

Follow the race as we head to Beaver Creek .... A Day at the Race in Beaver Creek

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