Say what you might about all other sports physicality, strength and stamina requirements – but know that none is really as grueling a challenge as the Tour de France. A bike race that whittles its winners down to rail-skinny, crying fools.

Emotional, physical and spiritual battering come with every stage of the race.

Evidence? There are few other athletes who would keep charging forward when their scrotum has been rubbed raw and blood-red by constant seat pressure/chafing.

It makes this first-ever bike under the English Channel seem like a cakewalk.

But the Tour de France is not just won by a team or an individual. It is said that every man to finish is a winner, in the sense that the challenge is not just speed. It is a race to the bottom of the human psyche that just happens to be on a bicycle.

What better way to show support for these intense athetics than a pair of custom Jaguars? No bleeding or fainting will occur in the very dapper Jaguar Special Operations F-Type R Coupe and XF Sportbrake support cars as they keep pace with the speedy bikers across France’s scariest mountain roads.

One request for the spandex boys?

While urinating on the bike is certainly permitted, would they please request a pit stop before starting a tinkle inside the cars?

We can spare a few minutes to save this nice Team Sky blue leather!

See the Team Sky riders and Jaguars this Satruday the 26th of July.

JAGUAR Special Ops F-Type Coupe

 

 

 

JAGUAR Special Ops XF SportBrake

Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations Builds F-TYPE Concept to Support Team Sky in Tour de France Stage 20

Jaguar has extended its support as an Innovation Partner to Team Sky by designing, engineering and building a bespoke F-TYPE Coupé high performance support vehicle for the team to use during Stage 20 of the race. Stage 20 of the 2014 Tour de France will see riders traverse from Bergerac to Périgueux. 

Development of this bespoke F-TYPE Coupé by Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations follows the successful launch of the Jaguar F-TYPE R Coupé – the most dynamically capable, performance-focused production car Jaguar has ever built, which went on sale worldwide earlier this year. This unique F-TYPE concept vehicle is based on the F-TYPE R Coupé and will be supplied with the same 550PS/680Nm 5.0-litre V8 supercharged engine. 

Jaguar does not plan to place into series production any version of this unique F-TYPE Coupé. Engineers working in the new Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations team were briefed specifically to develop one vehicle for Team Sky, and this exciting version of the F-TYPE sports car is now set to support some of the Team Sky riders on Saturday 26^th July during the time trial (TT). 

Bespoke features include a new racking solution, which carries two of the team’s Pinarello Bolide TT bikes. The vehicle exterior is finished in Team Sky’s famous livery, with colour ways and other Team Sky graphic design features also present inside the car. Further specifications include a separate electric supply in the boot which provides power to the radios, amplifiers, microphones, horns and televisions which support communications between Team Sky’s Sports Director and the rider.   

Sir Dave Brailsford, Team Principal at Team Sky, said:”Jaguar is an iconic British brand that has been an integral partner for Team Sky for over four years. We have already benefited from their high performance credentials and expertise in technological capabilities and engineering innovations, particularly with the recent development of the Pinarello Dogma F8. This F-TYPE concept is a world class vehicle that will help get the best out of the team on the TT stages.” 

JLR Global Brand Experience Director, Mark Cameron added: “Jaguar has supplied high performance support vehicles to Team Sky since its first season in 2010. The development of this F-TYPECoupé is the latest example of our shared belief to push the boundaries and provide technologically innovative solutions, both on and off the bike.  The visual impact of the F-TYPE Coupéduring Stage 20 will also of course bring added attention to Team Sky and our unique partnership.” 

As an Official Supplier to Team Sky since its inception in 2010, Jaguar has been proud to support the team’s back-to-back victorious campaigns in 2012 and 2013, where the British engineering leaders supplied Team Sky with a fleet of all-new high performance Jaguar XF Sportbrakes.