A Tour de France cycling scandal that caps them all MyZA

Chris Froome has lit up this year’s Tour de France, and remains the favourite to win in Paris, but his choice of hat is threatening to create the next big scandal in cycling.

Tour de France: A cycling scandal to cap them all – why are the world’s best riders refusing to wear the classic headgear? Photo: The Independent

Across the sport, purists are campaigning for winners to rescue the traditional cycling cap from the tyranny of its baseball counterpart.

Nearly all victorious riders step onto the podium wearing American caps bearing sponsor names. But for the leader of the “caps not hats” campaign, only cotton and short brims properly honour the sport’s heritage.

“One thing I love about cycling is the odd traditions that still exist no matter how hi-tech it get,” says Bill Strickland, a cycling writer. “The cycling cap is one of these so it seems a shame that on the podium, the showcase for the race, you always see baseball hats.”

Strickland’s campaign has taken off online and has had key support from Mark Cavendish and his teammate, Tony Martin.

Strickland is particularly disappointed with Team Sky, whose kit is supplied by Rapha, the London brand that helped create a boom in interest in cycling’s sartorial heritage.

But its boss, Simon Mottram, supports Strickland’s campaign. “We definitely favour caps and have sent the team hundreds of the things but it’s up to them what they wear,” he says. – The Independent