Mudguards, mechanical groupsets and miserable weather
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The lightweight, carbon Corimas have just 12 carbon spokes on the front wheel(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Early race leader Fabio Felline has a lucky horseshoe on his stem(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
As well as course notes, several riders opt for the stage profile so they know what's coming(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Katusha-Alpecin had their own light rear spray guards(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
SRAM's Red eTap wireless groupset ensures a clean front end(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The white, red and blue paint job is a subtle design(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The Russian national champion had his custom painted Canyon Ultimate on display(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Like Simon Yates, Jarlinson Pantano opts for a forward facing climbing switch (Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
If Shimano Ultegra chains and cassettes are good enough for WorldTour, then they're good enough for you(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Nikita Stalnov from Astana takes no heed from the #SlamThatStem crowd opting for 40mm of spacers(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The Mavic neutral service vehicles had a Canyon Aeroad and Ultimate on offer(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Many Pro Continental teams opt for mechanical groupsets, or lower spec Shimano Ultegra groupsets(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Pro Continental team Wanty-Groupe Gobert had mechanical Shimano Dura-Ace 9100 groupsets(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Primoz Roglic rode with sprint shifters equipped to the drops of his handlebars(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
As well as BMC, Team Sky also had the full team on 9100 series wheels(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
For the wet and cold race, Team Sky had extra chain lube on their drivetrains(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Owain Doull, Elia Viviani and Ian Boswell rode with Speedplay pedals, whilst the rest of Team Sky rode with Shimano Dura-Ace pedals(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Astana had the range toping Corima 47 MCC S+ wheels on display(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Trek-Segafredo had the new Sportful Stelvio jacket on offer for the conditions(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Orica-Scott had lycra overshoes on the wet stages, similar to those produced by VeloToze(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Sonny Colbrelli wrapped up warm in the wet and cold conditions(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Dimension Data's team for the race was made up entirely of African riders(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
This Sportful Fiandre jacket has the red flash on the rear of the jacket crudely blacked out(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Several riders wore non-sponsor cold weather clothing with the labels concealed (Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The national colours of Eritrea certainly catch the eye(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Eritrean national champion Daniel Teklahaimanot has a custom painted Cervelo S5(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Dimension Data continue to race and test the new Cervelo R5(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Chris Froome, who can suffer in cold weather, took no risks with overshoes, leg warmers and extra cold weather gear(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Team Sky wore an as yet unreleased Castelli jacket at the race(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The Team Sky riders have Stages power meters equipped with their cranksets(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The Tacx Uma Carbon bottlecages on the Lotto-JumboNL bikes weigh just 19 grams each(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Robert Gesink and Primoz Roglic were the only Lotto-JumboNL riders to be equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace 9100 wheels(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Albasini ran a standard gear combination of 53/39 chainrings and an 11-28 cassette(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Stage 1 winner Michael Albasini rode without a powermeter and was equipped with a full Shimano Dura-Ace 9150 groupset and 9100 wheels(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The spare bikes for BMC were last years race bikes(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
BMC rode with the slick looking Elite Vico Carbon bottle cages(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Irish champion Nico Roche has a distinctive top cap on his BMC(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
For stage 1 BMC Racing and Team Sky had the whole team equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace 9100 series wheels. The first time we have seen a full team on the latest wheels from Shimano(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The 1.59m tall Samuel Dumoulin rode a tiny 49cm frame(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The AG2R La Mondiale blue Factor O2 frames stand out in the peloton(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The Italian theme continues with a Dedacciai cockpit(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The Campagnolo EPS interface box is positioned under the stem(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Campagnolo Super Record Skeleton brakes weigh in at 272 grams(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The Italian frame is paired with a full Campagnolo electronic groupset and wheels(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Ben Swift rode his Colnago C60 in the UAE Team Emirates colours(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Albasini, Simon Yates and Roman Kreuziger were the only three riders on Orica-Scott to race on the Shimano Dura-Ace 9100 series wheels(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Warren Barguil opted for deep section 60mm rims, despite the hilly terrain of stage 1(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Warren Barguil was also equipped with a climbing switch on the tops of his handlebars for ease of changing gear on long, undulating climbs(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The specific spacers for the Vision handlebars offer a much neater finish(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The Vision Metron 5D handlebars don't look quite as slick with a standard handlebar spacer beneath the stem(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The most iconic bikes in the WorldTour peloton?(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Simon Yates opts for a forward facing climbing switch(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The Trek-Segafredo team rode on a mix of Emonda and Madone frames(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The Zefal Shield Lite is similar to an Ass Savers guard(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The team's tyre pressures are checked with an electronic pump and gauge ahead of the stage start(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
FDJ mechanics attached clip-on Zefal Shield Lite mud guards to protect the riders from road spray(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
A small Swiss flag sits in between the seat stays on the rear of the seat tube(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
'Valais. Engraved in my heart' is adorned on the seat tube(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Sebastien Reichenbach hails from the Valais region of Switzerland(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The red and white design featured stars on the forks and various Swiss climbs and passes on the top tube(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Sebastien Reichenbach had a special Swiss themed paint job on his Lapierre in his home race(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
An AG2R La Mondiale mechanic checks the bike setups ahead of the race start(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The Tour de Romandie has built a reputation for wet and miserable weather in recent years. Despite being on the cusp of spring and with the first Grand Tour just days away, the race can feel like a tough winter training ride, but it offers the general classification protagonists a chance to test their legs in the build-up to the Giro d'Italia and a solid racing block for those focused on the Tour de France.
With the famous wet weather of the race ensuring temperatures in the single figures, driving rain and even snow, the riders had an array of wet and cold weather gear on show in this year's race, where Richie Porte (BMC) claimed the overall honours.
Team Sky tested a 2018 version of an updated Castelli jacket, while many riders wore non-sponsor clothing with the exposed labels blacked out to prevent any sponsor grumblings or contract breaches.
Several teams opted to equip their bikes with lightweight plastic mudguards clipped onto their saddles. The guards offer extra protection from road spray, are quick to install or remove and add little weight to the bikes.
The usual custom frames were on show for the national champions, whilst Fabio Felline's lucky horseshoe on his stem seemed to work for the opening three days of the race after the Italian scorched to victory in the prologue time trial.
Wanty-Groupe Gobert were the only non-WorldTour team at the race, and the Pro Continental outfit's bikes were equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace 9100 mechanical groupsets. Several Astana riders were also seen racing with Shimano Ultegra chains and cassettes, showing that top-of-the-range components are not always necessary.
Following a mixed bag of old and new Shimano Dura-Ace groupsets earlier in the year, more and more teams are moving onto the latest 9100 series components. Team Sky and BMC Racing had their whole teams on the 9100 series wheelsets, the first time we have seen the full complement for a team at a race. Shimano have stated that all teams have enough 9100 wheels for the race programme. Despite this, several teams have saved the latest wheels from Shimano just for their top riders.
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