Arashiro’s chainstays, handlebars and fork all carry Japanese script(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
GPS specialist Bryton arrives in the peloton on the AG2r-La Mondiale bikes(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
A quick fix with some red sticky tape turns the O in Colnago into the rising sun for Japanese champion Yukiya Arashiro (Europcar) (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Big and powerful though he is, Hansen’s frame choice today’s stage 7 was the lightweight Ridley Helium(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Hansen (Lotto-Belisol) is using a straight alloy seatpost with the seat slammed forward and the brand taped over(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The bikes of Lotto-Belisol’s Adam Hansen (front) and Marcel Sieberg display some serious drop (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
RadioShack-Leopard use the Shimano Dura-Ace Dual Mount brakes. Other teams using the system are FDJ and Lampre-Merida on the aero Reacto frames(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Jerome Coppel (Cofidis) is also using the QXL rings, but they’re unbranded versions.(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
David Millar (Garmin-Sharp) is using the new Rotor QXL chain rings which are 15 per cent more ovalised than standard Q-Rings used by some of his teammates(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The shallow carbon top cap the Cane Creek headsets on the Saxo-Tinkoff Bank bikes(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
And on today’s stage 7, another SRAM-sponsored team, Cannondale, used standard derailleurs on their spares(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
On yesterday’s stage 6 Saxo-Tinkoff Bank’s spare bikes SRAM Red featured the Wi-Fli extended rear derailleur arms – preparation for the mountains ahead?(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
On yesterday’s 176km stage into Montpellier, Imanol Erviti (Movistar) opted for a full carbon Selle Italia SLR Tekno saddle(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
An Astana rider with a kinked alloy FSA SL-K stem (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Arthur Vichot’s (FDJ) Lapierre decked out in the colours of the winner of the French National Championships(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The brakes are attached to the frame at two points and are a halfway house between standard caliper and brakes integrated into the fork.(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Lapierre’s Xelius Efi frame is running an aerodynamic new fork with Shimano /Dual Mount/ brakes – one of three teams using the brakes (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) is riding an iridescent gold accented Canyon Ultimate CF (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Japan national champion Yukiya Arashiro’s (Europcar) has a Colnago to match his jersey(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Today’s Tour de France stage was classic, both in profile and region. The 206km stage 7 would cover four categorised climbs before the fast finish into Albi taken by Peter Sagan (Cannondale). It’s the last day in the (relatively) flat country before the 2013 Tour de France heads into the Pyrenees tomorrow for the category 1 summit finish at Ax-3-Domaines.
Bikeradar’s gallery from stages 6 and 7 checks out some of the adventurers’ and sprinters’ bikes before the race heads for the hills.
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Sam started as a trainee reporter on daily newspapers in the UK before moving to South Africa where he contributed to national cycling magazine Ride for three years. After moving back to the UK he joined Procycling as a staff writer in November 2010.
