It’s that time of year again, when having seen the sneak previews of the new team kits, we get a chance to see them in action during the first Pro Tour event of the year.
There are obviously going to be some nice looking kits in the mix, but you can always guarantee on some hideous creation being dragged into the limelight, especially when to all concerned, it should have been left on the drawing board.
Something which always seems to pop up in conversation when the team kits appear, are peoples views on which they think is the worst team kit of all time. There has been some heated debate in the office about which kit takes the top prize.
The only way we can think of settling this argument fairly is by putting it to the public vote; that’s where you come in. Please help us by putting your suggestions in the comment box at the bottom of the page and we’ll tally them up and get a top five together for your viewing pleasure.
If you’re really lucky we’ll find a prize or two to give away in some competition related poll to help you with your suggestions.
Don’t forget to put in the year of the team kit you’re suggesting to help us track them down!
Comments
Absolute rank kit!!! Flesh colour clothes on flesh never works.!!!!
I gotta say. Not sure if it's the ugliest kit ever, but the "most disappointed" award has to go to Radioshack (2010). Honestly, you could have done so much better!
Hey guys at PBK, I think that answering your question about wich kit is the worst of all time is a realy hard one, but i think that the worst one this year is AG2R, I was sitting down watching the Tour Down Under the other day and I winced in pain when I saw the design for the Footon-Servreto Jersey but when I saw it in the opening criterium I though it was ok. But then on the first stage I saw a AG2R go on the attack and saw that they had changed their bib shorts to a realy ugly morone. I thought that them changing it to that horrible Blue and black diamond clash thing was bad enough but this is truly shoching!!!.
CSF Group Navigare, 2008
http://cdn.media.cyclingnews.com/photos/2008/giro…
the radioshack jersey takes the cake this year, especially when the release of the jersey mentions 'after months of development' and this is what we get??!! Who put months into that garbage, I mean really, 3 colors, radioshack splattered all over and a strip across the chest, is months of development??? The Footen jersey, give it up, and give it away to someone else.
Kelme takes the ugliest in my recollection for some time, as does Columbia-HTC of last year. Honorable mention is also LPR, grey and bla bla bla.
good thread PBK
I personally think the mapei kit is up there….
however, if it counts, anything Cippolini has worn:
http://i48.tinypic.com/2nv5i5w.jpg
http://i46.tinypic.com/2v3jvxy.jpg
http://i48.tinypic.com/eep9k.jpg
agreed! these are HIDEOUS. but the oscar mayer weiners win hands down. that should be illegal :O)
Mapei. Worst. Kit. Ever.
Hands down, the worst team kit ever was the Carrera team's "denim" kit.
Any jersey with the name ‘jelly belly’ on it! Take your pick, they’re all rank!
Mapei were always pretty bad too. Looked like someone had vomited on them haha.
"I wish I were an Oscar Mayer weiner…."
http://www.collegeafterhours.com/content/media/12…
Mapei kit is a classic, as is Jelly Belly (any colour).
If it's bad kit you want check out Tonton Tapis.
Early to mid 90's, Carrera Jeans-Tassoni
Lycra that looks like denim was the low point for the sport.
Mapei rules!
No, no, no. You have the worst kit ever displayed already at the top of the page. Team Castorama's 1994 "overalls look". A bigger picture for those of you who want to etch the ghastly sight in your memory for ever: http://bicycling.com/blogs/boulderreport/files/20…
the colors are very dull not very exciting for a cycling team, there is no fire in the design well I guess it works for them.
willier sports bean kit 2008/09
Footon surely is a shocker & only 20 riders will ever wear it but its hard to work out if being that bad is as bad as the Radioshack & BMC kits which are just straight boring. How'd BMC come up with almost the same as the 'Shack' kit after having a pretty smart 'Factory' test strip from Assos.
By far the worst is “Le Groupement”
no the prize has to go lance armstrong's new team kit for radio shack bad enough sky copying his old team kit of discovery almost to the letter, but red and grey together just does not do anything for a sale sorry lance but dreamt up in a hurry this was with no designer in sight.
Do you get a special pair of beige socks for each pair of nicks?
Le Groupment………………………..it's like a technicolour yawn
1. Acqua Sapone (Geez that was the ugliest Zebra I ever did see)
2. Mapei (What were they thinking! Must have got it from a Kindy)
3. Radio Shack (God that was creative NOT!)
I know its meant to be the worst, but I always liked Cippolini's Muscle Suit http://bit.ly/7aiD5v
But totally agree with the "overalls" and RadioShack being bad
Seriously, if you think the mapei kit looked good, you need to see a Shrink!
as great as its riders were, nothing can excuse the following…
http://www.dailypeloton.com/article_images/manuela/oro/03_Cancellara.JPG
At least you wouldn't get lost in the crowd (or peloton) with the Mapei kit, as you would with the RadioShack one….
Le Groupement – crap team , crap sponsor, crap kit.
With out a doubt "Le Groupment" the winners of worst team kit ever. Those old photos of the team training camp, guys skiing in full awful kit burnt my retinas. The Footon-Servetto kit looks beter in real life, and is actually supposed to be "gold" and black. Have a look at the gold Fuji bike Cardoso won on yesterday ….awesome!!
I thought at first they were crash test dummies.
when one of the footon guys was chasing a break in the crit before tour down under mum thought that it was a streaker from the crowd just joining in…
That's hilariouis!!!
Well I have both a Carrera denim top which I only use on the turbo and a what I always thought to be a very nice blue Jelly Belly top so I am not maybe in a position to criticise based on the above comments.However I always thought Mapie tops a bit naff and the pink Millram ones are horrid
Whoever created the paint job for the Radio Shack bikes should have been in charge of the kit. How do things like these happen. Isn't there one person near these design projects that says "Are you fu*king kidding me?"
Definately Acqua Sapone Zebra kit – Black & White is normally a safe bet or it was until this team appeared……..!
The Carrera kit with the jeans look was very cool as was the Mapei stuff. My favorite today is Liquigas. Looks great when the riders are on the bike and riding which is how it should be. Next best are Caisse, Lotto, Katusha and Saxo Bank. As for the worst it's hard to pin that one down, because as long as Armstrong is involved that bar will continue to be lowered. But here's a list of if not the worst, then certainly very very bad and at best boring kits.
1. Foot On- porno goes cycling in the flesh.
2. Radio Shlock- Boorrrring…BMC copy
3. BMC- Boorrring…Radio Schlock copy. Last year was even worse.
4. AG2R- Brown shorts?
5. The USA National Team (any year)- Cool flag and national colors, but no style whatsoever…yuck!
6. Castorama- Nah, it made Fignon look like a fool. A fool in overalls. And he isn't a fool, ok?
7. Le Groupement- No. Just no. Not then and certainly not now.
8. Radio Schlock- Did I mention them already?
9. Aqua Sapone- Bear Grylls would kill guys dressed like that, gut them and eat them for lunch.
10. Sky- The only people dressed worse than the Americans are the Brits…Sorry, but the Sky kit just doesn't fly.
radioshack and footon plus the tdu ochre jersey they’re simply criminal
Well the Mapei kits in years gone by were pretty inventive however this blog is asking us to focus on the new 2010 pro teams. I am a keen cyclist racing local A grade crits for a local club in Australia, when the opportunity to watch the Tour Down Under presented itself I was glued to the TV. Watching the very first stage I freaked out when what I thought I saw was a 'streaker' taking things to a whole new level (by jumping on a road bike and riding out the front of the peloton). My admiration for this next level of streaker soon was lost when Phil Liggett started making comments about the Footon-Servetto-Fuji team rider. For skin on skin design and color, the Footon-Servetto-Fuji has got to win this years worse pro tour team jersey… fa sure!
Footon by a country mile with Carrera denim bib short a distant second. AG2R is also pretty naff especially when you see the riders in brown/maroon tights.
These are great articles, I really appriciate your work.
I have been trying to find a picture of the Big Mat jersey which is like dungarees. That kit is terrible.
Motorpoint 2011. They all look like they're wearing bras.