Jaguar will set the pace for Team Sky this Saturday when a prototype version of the highly anticipated Jaguar F-PACE will support the team at the Tour de France Grand Depart in Utrecht.
The British car manufacturer's first performance crossover is due to be officially revealed later in the year and is currently in its final stages of development.
Final Testing
Part of final testing included sending a prototype to Team Sky rider Chris Froome's La Pierre-Saint-Martin training camp as a real-world test of the Jaguar crossover's performance, durability and clever packaging. The team then chose the same car to support them during stage one of the Tour de France – their most demanding and high profile event.
Support of Tour de France Stage One
The job of the support vehicle is to carry a crew of up to four people including the Team Sky SportsDirector, doctor, mechanic and another senior team member. The wide, spacious cabin of the F-PACE accommodates the crew in complete comfort while the boot space is the largest in class to help carry the team’s equipment including drinks, energy gels, clothing, tools and spares for the bike.
The Team Sky F-PACE Prototype will also sport a cutting edge bike racking solution, developed by Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations. The rack has a unique telescopic clamp, designed specifically to optimise the quick-release of Team Sky’s Pinarello Bolide Time Trial bikes.
A Camouflaged Appearance
To mark the reveal of the Team Sky F-PACE and because the car is under wraps until its global reveal later in the year, Jaguar has produced a special camouflage.
The soft wrap reflects the performance and design of both the F-PACE and Team Sky and has been inspired by the Tour de France and road racing bikes. It depicts unique carbon textures, rubber and chains interspersed with the iconic Team Sky design to create a stunning, rich, layered effect which will keep the exact design details of the F-PACE secret until later this year.
