The Geox-TMC Kit. The other shoe drops on Menchov.

///The Geox-TMC Kit. The other shoe drops on Menchov.

The Geox-TMC Kit. The other shoe drops on Menchov.

Menchov. The Geox footwear kit.

Do you feel bad for Denis Menchov? Can you understand his agony?

First, he signs for Geox-TMC only to discover they don’t get a ProTeam license and an invite to the Tour de France — even though he was third last year and Spanish roadblock Alberto Contador is taking a meat-induced vacation.

Then adding insult to injury, the Russian is forced to wear an outlandish Geox kit featuring a large black dress shoe with kooky air jets coming off the sole bottom. Danilo di Luca plans to ride for Katusha for free but at least he’s not embarrassed to slip on his jersey.

And yet, Denis Menchov stillĀ isn’t ready to walk. It takes plenty to irritate this man. If Twisted Spoke was a rider agent, we’d put an exit clause in the contract if our rider found the team kit too ugly to wear. No professional should have to ride around Europe with a dress shoe on their chest.

Geox: black foot now in black shoe. Progress

Cycling fans survived the hideous Footon-Servetto giant black foot and you could argue this is an improvement of sorts. Now the giant foot is inside a giant shoe. That’s a thoughtful evolution and does keep the odors down.

The kit was designed by Diadora but really nobody should be taking credit for this.

Team manager Mauro Gianetti is now responsible for two of the ugliest team kits in recent history. No wonder they didn’t get a Tour invite — the French appreciate a certain level of style and a giant shoe tramples on their sense of good taste.

The UCI likes to legislate things and in this case, we do wonder: should there be some kind of review board in cases of extreme and flagrant disregard of design principles? Pat McQuaid, please step in and fix this thing, willya?

By |2019-02-03T16:22:12-08:00February 7th, 2011|Denis Menchov|5 Comments

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5 Comments

  1. RideLikeaGirl1 February 7, 2011 at 5:42 pm - Reply

    My stock in Menchov is increasing … don't know how he can manage to wear this.

    • TwistedSpoke February 7, 2011 at 8:32 pm - Reply

      I think I'd rather have more Apple stock myself. I bought at 124 and sold at 306 and I'm still kicking myself. Matt

  2. Mick February 7, 2011 at 9:50 pm - Reply

    I think the assorted sponsor logos on this kit are just a ruse…It looks like Gianetti scored a bunch of clear out pieces from Nashbar & produced these kits at home with a inkjet printer and a few boxes of iron on transfers…
    Even with the improved color palette This kit is only a lateral move from last yrs kit….At this rate, the Geox '12 kit will be knitted Tea Cozy just like my late Grandmother used to knit…
    I take back any bad things I may have said about Garmin or LEopard's kit…

    In my eyes, Gianetti can only redeem himself by scoring a 7 figure Title sponsorship deal with EXTENZE and put the Kit design up for open competition…

  3. Bill Rupy February 9, 2011 at 1:19 pm - Reply

    How is a pic of a threatening steam iron seen through a ship's porthole cycling-related? And how is that possible with an Italian sponsor? I thought they knew fashion. Makes me think that billboard of disparate sponsors that serves as another Italian team's jersey isn't the worst one out there now. I hope that team sends Geox a thank-you card.

    • TwistedSpoke February 9, 2011 at 1:28 pm - Reply

      Yes, it's the steam iron meets leather dress shoe look. Poppular in some parts of Europe. Matt

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