Defending Tour de France champion wore Castelli's new Body Paint 4.0 Speed Suit - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
The shoulders and upper arms feature dimpled material, presumably as vortex generators to smooth air flow - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
A few Sky riders used the current Body Paint 3.3 Speed Suit - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Sky's Vasil Kiryienka took third on the treacherous course in the new 4.0 Speed Suit - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Rain clothing was used heavily by riders before and after the time trial - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
While staying aero was critical for the 16 to 19-minute race effort, staying comfortable before and after meant lots of layers - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Tour GC hopeful Nairo Quintana stayed casual and relaxed until about an hour before his start - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Compression socks are still favored by many riders before and after their efforts - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Riders rolled to the check-in just behind the start house with all manner of last-minute nutrition - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
TT bar extensions: also handy as a third hand in a pinch - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Hoping for some liquid wings ahead of the liquid-covered corners - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
World time trial champion Tony Martin warms up with a jersey on to hold his phone for music, and decongestant oil on cotton in his nose - Rob Arnold / Ride Media
An increasing number of riders use skinsuits with integrated number pouches stitched in - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
The Tour numbers stick on, but rider movement on the preferred lower placement for time trials means safety pins are a good idea - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Besides keeping numbers much smoother than pins, the integrated number pouches keep them flat and dry in the rain. This is Alberto Bettiol, the first rider to race a Tour time trial with disc brakes - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Castelli may have Body Paint Skin Suits, but this guy just uses paint - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Gendarmes on motos had more than paint protecting them - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Fans' clothing isn't always team-specific; it's often nation-specific. Here, Colombian fans go crazy for Orcia-Scott's leader Esteban Chaves - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
The Poles were flying their colors, too - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
This guy's man finished 58th - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Outside of the circus that is the Tour de France, these men would turn heads. Inside the Tour, it's fairly normal - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Aero booties served more than one purpose on the wet day - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Lens tint was debated by a few riders for the flat-light conditions - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Some riders needed a little hands-on help getting their visors attached - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Some guys went for clear sunglasses that could be adjusted if need be for fogging or greeting friends - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
And some riders raced the course with dark visors - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Integrated visors are probably better aerodynamically, but they don't yet come with integrated wipers - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Going without is one way to eliminate rain or fog or the lenses or visor - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
The Giro Aerohead visor can be removed and attached upside-down to the top of the helmet. It's an easy process, but still not something riders would want to do in the middle of a technical, rainy time trial - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Long, pointy helmets reached their elongated peak a few years ago, and TT lids are now trending more towards snub rear ends - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
POC's Cerebal Raceday is a good example of the new-school time trail helmet - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
The RH ZTT is another snub-tailed TT lid - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
BMC and Katusha riders have this new Giro Vanquish helmet, but Giro isn't talking about it yet - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Power divided by aerodynamic drag is a primary game in time trials, and clothing companies like Castelli pulled out all the stops for the opening TT of the Tour de France with brand new and tried-and-true aero gear.
Defending Tour champion Chris Froome and stage 1 winner Geraint Thomas raced in brand new Castelli Body Paint 4.0 Speed Suits.
“We have spent the last nine months working on this,” Castelli’s Steve Smith told BikeRadar. “We have gone beyond rider-specific designs to speed-specific concepts.”
By rider-specific, Smith was referring to the tailoring Castelli has done for top riders, adjusting fabric type and seam placement based on an individual’s shape in a wind tunnel.
The shoulders and upper arms feature dimpled material, presumably as vortex generators to smooth air flow - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Now, the Body Paint 4.0 suit is targeted for speeds around 50kph.
Most notable on the 4.0 are the textured patches on the portions of the upper arms and shoulders that face the wind. Presumably, these dots are there as vortex generators, smoothing the airflow around the body.
Smith said the 4.0 suit is actually marginally slower than the current 3.3 suit at slower speeds, but for a short effort it was the top speed that mattered. On July 1, stage winner Geraint Thomas average 52.3kph for 16 minutes and four seconds. And that was on a rain-drenched technical course with plenty of treacherous turns.
Click through the gallery above for a look at the various clothing strategies riders and even fans employed on stage 1 of the 2017 Tour de France.
An increasing number of riders use skinsuits with integrated number pouches stitched in - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Ben Delaney is a journalist with more than two decades of experience writing for and editing some of the biggest publications in cycling. Having studied journalism at the University of New Mexico, Ben has worked for Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, VeloNews and BikeRadar. He has also previously worked as Global Brand Communications Manager for Specialized. Ben covers all things road and gravel, and can be found logging big miles in the Rocky Mountains that nestle alongside his home in Boulder, Colorado. He has covered the most important bike races in the sport, from the Tour de France and Tour of Flanders, to the Unbound gravel race, and specialises in tech content, showcasing what the pros are riding and putting everyday equipment through its paces.
This website is owned and published by Our Media Ltd. www.ourmedia.co.uk
