You’ve read the five of us discussing our thoughts on the 2012 season throughout the year. Now it’s time to make your voices heard as we open the voting for the inaugural VeloVoices Awards. Over ten days in ten categories – some serious, others less so – we’re asking you to select your choices of 2012. We’ll publish the final results in the run-up to Christmas. (Hopefully next year we’ll have a grand gala dinner in central London …)
Yesterday we revealed our shortlist for the Most Ridiculous Thing Said/Seen Award. Today it’s the turn of our nominations for our final category, Kit of the Year:
Jack: Having enjoyed wearing a gold-trimmed helmet since winning Olympic gold in 2008, Samuel Sanchez thought he’d go the whole hog in 2012, in what was the last year in which he could describe himself as reigning Olympic champion. In commemoration, therefore, Euskaltel created a rather dashing jersey specifically for the Asturian, which interspersed shiny gold lines with the usual Basque orange. He’d worn a similar affair last year, though the rather mesmerising golden glow was a new – and welcome – introduction.
Panache: The Belgian national team kit – for the 2012 version, this was a plain, light blue jersey with the black, yellow and red bands of the Belgian flag emblazoned across the front – should be kit of the year every year. It is the nirvana of kits, the crème de la crème, simple but beautiful. Nothing even comes close.
Sheree: Swiss national team. There’s nothing easier to spot at any World Championships than the Swiss national team kit. Provided by Assos, the jersey mimics the Swiss flag with a big white cross on a red background and it’s paired with black shorts. It’s simple, elegant, stylish and immediately identifiable. What more do you want? I wish trade teams would bear these points in mind when designing team kit.
Swiss national jersey in BMC guise, as sported by national champion Martin Kohler (image courtesy of BMC)
Tim: There was nothing fancy about Argos-Shimano‘s kit (in either its Argos or 1t4i guises), but it did everything you would want a kit to do without looking excessively like a mobile billboard. White with tasteful lime green bands, their riders were easy to identify in the sea of corporate black in the peloton, the sponsors’ logos were prominent without being jarring, and it was just a good, classic kit with clean lines and colourways.
Kitty: It has to be the flourescent fiesta that was Farnese Vini. With so many teams going for black, blue and white in some combination, it was refreshing to be able to immediately pick out the Farnese Glows! You couldn’t miss them in the sunshine, they offered a welcome eye-searing pop of colour in rainy conditions – and they were over-the-top fun at its best. Go with the Glow!
All ten polls will remain open until 9pm (UK time) on Sunday. Results will be published next week.
VeloVoices Awards 2012
Breakthrough Rider of the Year
Most Thrilling Moment of the Year
Argos Shimano????? Argos Shimano!!! The rest of you have to promise me that we’re never going to allow Tim to design Velovoices’ cycling kit!
Tee hee. I thought this might split opinion (i.e. me against the world) but I do like kits that stand out in the peloton. Just not in a Footon-Servetto kind of way.
On a more serious note, I also think it’s much tougher for trade teams than national ones, as they have to blend sponsor logos into the design. Much though I love the Swiss kit, they kind of have an easy time of it in terms of creating a neat design – although this year’s one was particularly fine.
You missed a strong contender!! http://www.boretti-ulysses-cyclingteam.nl/het-team.html
It looks even better irl.
You’re all wrong. The Rapha Condor Sharp kit is the best