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Gallery: Race tech at the Critérium du Dauphiné

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A round-up of set ups and novel ways to fix a race number from the WorldTour race

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Elegantand neat: Team Belkin go the stainless steel route

Elegantand neat: Team Belkin go the stainless steel route (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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One race number, one stainless steel twist and one cable tie – job done. No nonsense at NetApp Endura

One race number, one stainless steel twist and one cable tie – job done. No nonsense at NetApp Endura (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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The standard approach to dossard holding: a twisted length of stainless steel clamped between brake and frame

The standard approach to dossard holding: a twisted length of stainless steel clamped between brake and frame (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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The new Campagnolo rear derailleur on Sicard’s bike

The new Campagnolo rear derailleur on Sicard’s bike (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Back at Europcar, Romain Sicard was trialling Campagnolo’s new prototype groupset that was first spotted at the Giro d’Italia start in Belfast

Back at Europcar, Romain Sicard was trialling Campagnolo’s new prototype groupset that was first spotted at the Giro d’Italia start in Belfast (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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This FDJ.fr rider does away with the headset dust cap entirely

This FDJ.fr rider does away with the headset dust cap entirely (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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The new Campagnolo Super Record RS groupset on Thomas Voeckler’s Colnago C59

The new Campagnolo Super Record RS groupset on Thomas Voeckler’s Colnago C59 (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Ivan Santoromita (Orica-GreenEdge) has tricolore colours on his frame to celebrate last year’s Italian national championship win

Ivan Santoromita (Orica-GreenEdge) has tricolore colours on his frame to celebrate last year’s Italian national championship win (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Trek Factory racing’s bikes – even on this still-to-be-named bike – have a dossard holder that’s braised on before it is shipped to the team

Trek Factory racing’s bikes – even on this still-to-be-named bike – have a dossard holder that’s braised on before it is shipped to the team (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Neat removable dossard holder on the Giant Propel used by Giant-Shimano

Neat removable dossard holder on the Giant Propel used by Giant-Shimano (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Zdenek Stybar’s (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) on the Specialized Venge

Zdenek Stybar’s (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) on the Specialized Venge (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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A neat integrated dossard holder on the Canyon Aeroad CF

A neat integrated dossard holder on the Canyon Aeroad CF (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Darwin Atapuma (BMC) rides on a F’izi:k Antares R1 braided saddle

Darwin Atapuma (BMC) rides on a F’izi:k Antares R1 braided saddle (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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(Image credit: Sam Dansie)

There are numerous ways to stick a race number to a bike. From the sophisticated integrated approach from Trek to the rather less so at Team Cannondale, where cable ties and electrical tape suffice. It’s not pretty, but it is effective.

Stalking the team areas of the Critérium du Dauphiné stage starts, we kept an eye out for novel dossard holders. Check them out in this gallery of race tech from the past couple of stages.

Elsewhere, we spied Campagnolo’s new prototype groupset that first saw the light of day at the Giro being ridden by Romain Sicard (Europcar) and the Super Record RS gruppo, on Thomas Voeckler’s Colnago C59.

There were also a significant big number of custom paint jobs - we were particularly taken with Sylvain Chavanel’s (IAM Cycling) lurid Scott Addict and Daniel Moreno’s (Katusha) custom Canyon Aeroad CF.