I told you guys to stop me before I wrote about Quick Step again, but nobody listened. So here goes. Our friend Patrick passes on the official Team OPQS photos for your fashion consideration. You've seen Tommeke in the general Kit thread so here's Peter Velits:
One more on the flip...
How about some American flavor?
The good: The side view makes it clear that they have balanced out the baby blue pretty effectively with black framing. The red accent is happenstance of Specialized, but a very nice effect. I'm kind of digging this.
The bad: The old Quick Step medium blue looks terrible from the front with the rest of the new color scheme. Also happenstance of the sponsor, and not at all a nice effect. Not sure what can be done about it.
The ugly: The American accenting is definitely NOT working for me. Old Glory Red and Old Glory Blue are far more flattering than the colors they used. Basically, the Quick Step Flooring Company has taken this otherwise nice kit hostage. Or maybe killed the hostage. I'll wait to see it in action before saying for sure.
All photos copyright of Tim De Waele, used with permission via Team Omega Pharma Quick Step
0 recs | 88 comments
yes, the sides are nice
umwolverine - January 2, 2012
Indeed
I like the black sides. Seeing Levi in the kit is weird. And the American armbands are impossible to make look good on a kit.
tgsgirl - January 2, 2012
well, a straight up band of red-white-blue would work. none of this stars crap.
umwolverine - January 2, 2012
srsly
that looks like bunting from a convenience store. The stars and stripes can look good if done with a little thought. I have a killer national team jersey from like 15 years ago.
Chris Fontecchio - January 2, 2012
Isn't that, like, the year before we stopped caring at all about national kits?
I haven’t seen a good one in a long time. Okay, Ben King’s Radioshack getup wasn’t bad, but others? blergh.
Douglas Ansel - January 2, 2012
Maybe Terpstra complained
because he has red-white-blue bands as well.
tedvdw - January 3, 2012
I hope he also complains to Bradley Wiggins.
blackswangreen - January 3, 2012
who's on a different team?
tgsgirl - January 3, 2012
+1 on the armbands
they just look silly in their current form.
muk - January 2, 2012
Shouldn't they use
American flag blue instead of QS blue?
Willj - January 3, 2012
American
cycling jerseys have never looked good to me. They’ve all just looked very awkward, if not just plain bad. Levi’s stripes on the sleeve remind me of a communist flag, maybe even the North Korean flag. My memory may be completely faulty, but I seem to recall an US Olympic kit of a very dark blue with small white stars. I thought that was the best I’ve seen. But how do you get the red in? Do you have to? The best US Olympic uniforms, I’ve always thought, were predominately blue. I’d like to see the US road race champion in dark blue jersey with small white stars. As imperfect as that might be, it definitely beats what’s been out there for a good while.
Le Sprinteur - January 2, 2012
I was thinking the same thing wrt the stars...especially the single one mid collar
I seriously dislike the OPQS-LeopardTrekish kit. My only accolade – at least it’s not Footon…
JustJoshinYa - January 2, 2012
I like it
I don’t mind the clashing blues, hell sponsors probably love it, makes the QS stand out. Cycling jerseys should be a bit gaudy, goes with the territory. I even like the stars, why be shy, and hell what’s wrong with convenience stores? I’ve wasted plenty of time hanging out outside of them, actually the stars to me make me think of a carnival or some kind of fair passing through town, just imagine he’s in a kermesse race. Also love Levi’s creepy smile, looks like he just pinched my ass.
plinytheelder - January 3, 2012
Hehe
+2
Willj - January 3, 2012
Ugly kit though :)
Willj - January 3, 2012
I like Omega Pharma's blue
So overall, it gets a thumbs-up from me. But I’m confused about the “American accent” – do all the jerseys have them, or just Levi’s?
Aly Edge - January 3, 2012
Velits doesn't
So I assume this is a former nat champ thing. Boonen of course has his little rainbow piping.
Chris Fontecchio - January 3, 2012
Definitely former nat champ arm bands
tedvdw - January 3, 2012
That's what I assumed, but I figured why call attention to them
I also didn’t know off the top of my head that Levi had ever been a US champ.
Mmmkay.
Aly Edge - January 3, 2012
You have to have them, I think
Unless your a former world champ. World champ trumps national champ.
tgsgirl - January 3, 2012
Yep, it's in the UCI rulebook
tedvdw - January 3, 2012
Ha, just looked it up yes
see below. It’s mandatory.
tgsgirl - January 3, 2012
For the jerseys
broerie - January 3, 2012
I couldn't find anything specific about the priorities of the bands
I looked it up because I thought I had seen jerseys in the past with rainbowstripes on one arn and the national band on the other.
broerie - January 3, 2012
I think I remember someone stacking them atop each other too
To the google!
tgsgirl - January 3, 2012
the google knows nothing
tgsgirl - January 3, 2012
Up to the rider, I guess
1.3.064
1.3.068
tedvdw - January 3, 2012
That's weird
tgsgirl - January 3, 2012
You'd think it would be the other way around
broerie - January 3, 2012
i think its an attempt to upgrade the value of nat champs.
Uphill - January 3, 2012
So now all of this is cleared up, only one question remains
When was Levi the national champ of Chile?
Jens - January 3, 2012
don't mess people up
clearly he’s puerto rican
plinytheelder - January 3, 2012
+1
Strange. Who wouldn’t want to keep the rainbow cuffs and collar?
Aly Edge - January 3, 2012
probably the "Lance Clause" or something...recall how he didn't where the rainbow bands and then suddenly decided to do it again...
It was weird…
JustJoshinYa - January 3, 2012
ugh ... wear, not where
JustJoshinYa - January 3, 2012
wow I didn’t know that, why would anyone not want the rainbow bands? one of the coolest things in cycling if you ask me
plinytheelder - January 3, 2012
Cyclists
have varying ways of motivating and presenting themselves. But clearly most guys want to display the bands.
Chris Fontecchio - January 3, 2012
Simple explanation
When it comes to the UCI’s brand, the UCI gives you a choice. When it comes to national teams, the UCI tells you what to do. Makes perfect sense.
Chris Fontecchio - January 3, 2012
Helps fans, reporters, and maybe even riders ID figures of interest even in bad conditions, at a glance?
Anyone who was world champ, you ought to recognize anyway…whereas some nat. champs and especially ex nat champs, you might need a bit of help spotting them. “You” not meaning “you, Ted,” of course. But a fan, potential fan or reporter, it’s a help.
JFS_PGH - January 4, 2012
Yeah I suppose if you're taking photos and don't happen to catch dossard numbers
The national champion bands can help narrow down who’s who.
Aly Edge - January 4, 2012
The Quickie boys will have to do a deal with the camera crew to keep
taking shots from the side of the rider. Could get messy in a busy peloton.
Its an improvement for Omega, but a setback for Quick-Step compared to last year.
Uphill - January 3, 2012
Former Nat. Champions don't need special jerseys.
It’s just stupid.
Matthew Busche won this year, he get the honor.
Everyone else should just ride in the normal team kit.
Ok, yeah if you are a former WC then it looks cool to have the ‘rainbow accent’ ’cause it really is a big deal.
If I were Levi, I’d just ask for the normal kit .
Ryan_Liles - January 3, 2012
Perhaps velcro is the solution.
Uphill - January 3, 2012
Aren't we getting a bit too close to all the superhero stuff already?
Monty. - January 3, 2012
The Phantom wears his underpants on the outside of his suit. I bet he would have liked
a velcro option.
Uphill - January 3, 2012
harumph!
swells - January 3, 2012
Been a while since I perused the UCI rule book
tgsgirl - January 3, 2012
Poor Levi
USA road race champ ’07
USA time trial champ ’99
Aly Edge - January 3, 2012
After they see this, I think they will make an exception.
Ryan_Liles - January 4, 2012
I really like it. I saw it in person at Baal on Sunday and thought it looked exceedingly nice.
Albertina - January 3, 2012
Oh drat, why didn't that work? Hmph.
Albertina - January 3, 2012
Albertina - January 3, 2012
Bah. I give up.
Albertina - January 3, 2012
Redirects to a private facebook page
you used the page address, not the direct image url.
tedvdw - January 3, 2012
I did what I usually do...no idea why it picked up the wrong address
I right clicked the picture and copied the address in the box, which has always worked before
Albertina - January 3, 2012
Maybe facebook changed
(websites may remove/edit entries on the right-click menu) or maybe you used a different device/browser or an updated version. Some browsers comply fully with requested right-click changes, some don’t, some allow some control over it in the settings.
Anyway, the address should be something like http(s)://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/(lotsandlotsofnumbersgohere)_n.jpg
Crucially, ending in “.jpg” and no “photo.php?fbid=” parts anywhere inside.
tedvdw - January 3, 2012
Albertina - January 4, 2012
Like that! See, I did exactly the same thing and it worked.
Anyway, back to the original point, I thought the kit looked good.
Albertina - January 4, 2012
- " Did you forget to change out of your pajamas this morning?"
- " Shut the fuck up little pixie"
Jens - January 4, 2012
Hahahaha :)
It was quite funny, just before this all the riders round Stybar (Sven, Niels, Simunek mainly) were peering at his pink bike and having a right good laugh. Styby took it all in excellent humour.
Albertina - January 4, 2012
Chavanel's kit is good
I’d say “hard to mess this up”, but kit designers seem to be messing up everything this year, so…
tgsgirl - January 3, 2012
class
Uphill - January 3, 2012
great teeth
Monty. - January 3, 2012
as long as the shorts aren't red
thebongolian - January 3, 2012
that dude’s awesome, can’t wait til he wins Flanders this year
oh and get some red shorts in there
plinytheelder - January 3, 2012
Black! Pleeeaaase!
Albertina - January 3, 2012
Black!
tgsgirl - January 3, 2012
winnar
Jens - January 3, 2012
Meh
I’d have gone darker on the bleu.
Chris Fontecchio - January 3, 2012
lousy shorts nice shirt, great rider
Willj - January 3, 2012
Yep
Seahorse - January 3, 2012
although
given the regulations about wearing Nats colors, maybe France has a reglement on exactly what color to use.
Chris Fontecchio - January 3, 2012
would like to see a tricolor helmet, but it's classy to me.
JustJoshinYa - January 3, 2012
just waiting to unveil red ones at Omloop
plinytheelder - January 3, 2012
That's really nice. Class.
Albertina - January 4, 2012
This should be sent to Movistar to show them how to integrate a flag into a jersey...
JustJoshinYa - January 3, 2012
The bands are a little wider this year! It's not QUITE so bad....
Albertina - January 4, 2012
Improved certainly
Not super but not disgraceful like last year.
Jens - January 4, 2012
Like
Chris Fontecchio - January 4, 2012
I rest my case
Jens - January 4, 2012
1st impression of levi .....Old Groelstiener photo...
..arm bands not doing it for me,
Side view rocks!
LooseHorse - January 3, 2012
More QuickSteppies here
tgsgirl - January 3, 2012
Willj - January 3, 2012
The whole jersey green with an FDJ-like clover on it would have done it for me...
I guess I like their logo placements lower too. Damn, I am picky.
JustJoshinYa - January 3, 2012
needs more stars
plinytheelder - January 3, 2012
But he doesn't need more potatoes
tedvdw - January 3, 2012
har!
plinytheelder - January 3, 2012
Boonen on ZIPP
Picture… PR and Cance riding ZIPP (303s or 404s?) and Boonen on alu w/ tons of spokes. Curious to see what Boonen uses at PR this year.
kit… contrasting blues work for me. Levi is hopeless, either way.
phantom_51 - January 3, 2012
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