...a small Koala strapped to the back of Manuele Boaro's Limar helmet - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
All Deceuninck - Quick-Step riders were using Specialized helmets fitted with its ANGi crash detector - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Stage notes taped to the top tube of an AG2R rider's bike - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Sometimes you don't want all the data available to you - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Matthieu Ladagnous still runs a Dura-Ace R9000-series crankset fitted with an SRM power meter - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Adam Hansen is still running a previous generation Super Record groupset as... - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
....we assume the new 12-speed crankset is not yet available in his preferred 180mm length - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Adam also runs his setback seatpost... set forward - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
A hot espresso in 40c heat before a race? These riders are braver than us - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
The effects of riding in the heat for over an hour were clearly showing on Michael Woods after the Down Under Classic - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Pöstlberger was involved in the crash toward the end of the opening event - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Danish champ, Michael Mørkøv, was also involved with the crash - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
KT tape is sometimes used by pros to help with recovery - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Soigneur's were kept busy lathering pros in sunscreen in the sweltering heat - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Stuffing stockings filled with ice down the back of a jersey is a popular way to keep core temperatures down - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Team Sunweb is one of a number of teams to use branded ice vests - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Team Dimension Data also had its own stash of ice vests - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Rally UHC Pro Cycling riders were also seen using the vests to cool down following the race - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
So intense was the heat that some teams went as far as bringing their own parasols to the start line - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Bumping into a greasy towbar is just as annoying for mechanics as it is in day-to-day life - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Astana Pro Team has not one… - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
not two… - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
not three… - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
not four… - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
not five… - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
...but six different types of computer mounts on its team bikes! - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Dimension Data uses computer mounts from Rotor, who also supplies its cranksets - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Bryton supplies Deceuninck - Quick-Step with computers - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
There's no missing these sparkly kicks - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Former Australian-champ, Alexander Edmondson, gets a pair of custom Shimano S-Phyre shoes - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Berk Composites, which is better known for its high-end, lightweight saddles, also produces shoes, though details on its offerings are slim - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Italian champ and stage one winner Elia Viviani gets his own custom DMT shoes - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
This UAE Team Emirates rider opts for Mavic's $1,000 Comete Ultimate shoes - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Team Jumbo-Visma was seen riding Shimano S-Phyre RC09 shoes in an unreleased colour - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
EF Education First opts for a simple strip of tape to keep radios in place - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
CCC Team race in Giant's own helmets - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Luft is life - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
We spotted someone we never expected to see at the start of stage one - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
We’re at the 2019 edition of the Tour Down Under and have visited the start and finish of the Down Under Classic — the precursor to the race itself — and stage one of the race to bring you the latest and greatest race tech from the first event of the WorldTour calendar.
With temperatures rising to over 45 degrees Celsius during the first two stages of the 2019 edition, teams have had to go to great lengths to keep riders cool.
Dedicated ice vests are more popular than ever, but the good ol’ stockings filled with ice trick and bringing a giant parasol remains the most popular ways to make sure the top talent keeps its cool.
Rally UHC Pro Cycling riders were also seen using the vests to cool down following the race - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
105 and alloy in the peloton
The news that Sagan was to race on an alloy Specialized Allez Sprint fitted with tubeless tyres near enough broke our little corner of the internet.
Clearly not wanting to be outdone, the same bike with a budget focussed Shimano 105 build was, for some reason, seen being loaded up as a spare to the roof of Decuninck - Quick-Step’s team car at the start of stage one.
105 in the pro peloton! - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
All the computer mounts
Several teams in the WorldTour have partnerships with brands to provide mounts for the computers. By far the most prominent is K-Edge, alongside proprietary mounts from the computer brands themselves.
However, somewhat unexpectedly, Astana Pro Team lined up for stage 1 with a different computer mount on each bike, two of which we've never even seen before!
In a sport where teams are so frequently uniform, this was a somewhat bizarre way to open its 2019 WorldTour account.
Dimension Data uses computer mounts from Rotor, who also supplies its cranksets - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
ANGI and a koala
From Bang & Olufson earpieces and ANGi crash detectors to a Koala on the back of Manuele Boaro’s helmet, 2019 is shaping up to be the year of the on-helmet accessory.
High-end HiFi manufacturer Bang & Olufson supplies Quickstep with radio earpieces that neatly integrate into the team's Ekoi sunglasses - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
...and Cipo
We spotted someone we never expected to see at the start of stage one - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
Click through to see our full race tech gallery from the 2019 edition of the Tour Down Under.
Jack Luke is the digital editor at BikeRadar and has been utterly obsessed with riding and bike tech for his whole life.
Jack can primarily be found whizzing about at a moderate pace on his array of road bikes from his home in Bristol, but his greatest passion is for cycle touring, bikepacking and ill-advised gravel-flavoured long-distance hike-a-bike-peppered adventures. Jack is also interested in fixed-gear bikes, tandems and anything else that’s a wee bit weird.
With a near-encyclopedic knowledge of cycling tech – ranging from the most esoteric retro niche to the most cutting-edge modern kit – Jack takes pride in seeking out stories that would otherwise go unreported.
After years spent working in bike shops, and as a photography technician and tutor, Jack joined BikeRadar in 2016. He’s now responsible for shaping the overall output of BikeRadar, editing, planning and – when he gets the chance – writing content for the site.
Jack’s also a regular host on the BikeRadar YouTube channel and BikeRadar Podcast, and has contributed to articles for the Guardian and been a guest on BBC Radio Scotland.
Height: 181cm
Bike size: 56cm/Large
This website is owned and published by Our Media Ltd. www.ourmedia.co.uk
