2012 ProTeam Kits – Part 1

2012 is here, and with the turn of the new year, contracts in the pro ranks renew and riders are free to present their new team kits for the coming season.  Let's take a look at some of the team kits that have been revealed thus far:

Astana pro cycling team

Pro Team Astana is sporting a look that is very similar to their kits from last year.  There is a lot of pastel/aqua/electric blue paired with bright yellow and white.  Of course, these colors intimately mimic the flag of the sponsoring nation.  Everyone will know that the team is the brainchild of Alexander Vinokourov, and is designed to fly the colors of (make glorious power of wonderful nation) Kazakstan.

The kit itself would benefit from some darker colors to separate the pastels from one another, but we've become used to seeing this design (it's basically unchanged from last year) so it's not a big deal.

Shrewd in the transfer market, you can look for  Vinokourov to be flanked by Janez Brajkovic, Borut Bozic and Roman Kreuziger.

Just announced today, Garmin-Cervelo is becoming Garmin-Barracuda.  Along with that announcement, the 2012 kit was revealed and in traditional Garmin fashion, it is a departure from last year's kit.  Gone is the black jersey with white panel and making a return is an updated version of Garmin's Tour de France kit from last year.  Thankfully, they're sticking with black bibshorts to protect the riders…assets.

As with last year, the team remains relatively unchanged, with the exception of the loss of Thor Hushovd.  Look for Dan Martin to have a banner year, Christophe LeMevel to impress in the Giro, and stalwarts like David Millar to make a splash against the clock and Tyler Farrar to sprint big.

GreenEdge pro cycling

Australia's first (successful) foray into the pro ranks shows off their “training” kits here.  Supposedly the squad will debut their full kits at Tour Down Under, but we'll have to see.  Strangely modeled after Leopard's jersey from last year with a splash of green and a logo it's simple, effective and sharp.

The squad itself has been built by transfer, with Robbie McEwen finishing his career on an Aussie team, the Meyer brothers, Luke Durbridge, new National Champ Simon Gerrans, Milano San-Remo winner Matt Goss and old sage Stuart O'Grady leading the charge, expect to see GreenEdge at the front of the peloton very often.

1T4I

1T4I is the latest incarnation of Skil-Shimano.  Gone is the red, white and blue striped kit, and it is replaced by the lime green, white and black…abomination…seen here.  Frankly, the original red/white/blue kit was not that pleasing to the eyes, but it was very well known in the peloton and had been the colors of Skil for the past half dozen seasons.  Oh well, time marches on I suppose.

Shooting for grand tour invites (they technically are not a ProTeam, but a Pro Continental outfit) look for John Denkenkolb to make a splash, along with speedster Marcel Kittel.  As a team with no GC contender, they'll be animating breakaways and races from the gun.

Katusha

Gone is last years blue/white/red kit with mismatched blue shorts, replaced by a sharp (and this year, uncommon) red kit with the classic white panels on the chest, side and side of the legs.  In my opinion, this is one of the few kits that will truly stand out in the peloton this year.

Also quite busy in the transfer market, 3 time World Champion Oscar Freire comes aboard along with the “Silent Assassin” Denis Menchov.  Joaquim Rodriguez will continue his assault on the hilly classics and Grand Tour stages.

Lampre ISD

Home of the aging speedster Alessandro Petacchi and 2004 Giro champion Damiano Cunego and perennial Giro contender Michele Scarponi, the pink and blue monsters return again.  It's not really classy and it hasn't changed since last year but we're used to the eye searing colors, so they'll remain very visibile in the pro peloton.

Lotto-Belisol

Lotto-Belisol is one of the two offshoots of the old OmegaPharma-Lotto outfit.  While they still have Jurgen Vandenbrocke, they don't have much sense of style.  The jersey and shorts don't match together well, the design is very 80s, and the colors just aren't anything that pops.  If they had gone with a single color shorts (either navy or white) there would be much more continuity between the top and bottom.

Either way you see it, they'll be on the front of the group with Jurgen and Jelle Vanendert, so we'll  have to grow to love the kit.

Keep an eye out for part 2, where we'll look at more of the new ProTeam kits.

Thoughts?  Comments?  Drop a line and start the discussion.