Bjarne Riis, Team Deutsche Telekom Team Skin Suit c. 1998

Bjarne Riis, Team Telekom – Full One-piece, State-of-the-Art Aerodynamic Skinsuit

Acquired directly from Team Manager Walter Godefroot

Bjarne Riis was one of the defining riders of the 1990s, a tough Danish stage racer who reached the very top of the sport with Team Telekom. After years as a respected professional, he broke through in spectacular fashion at the 1996 Tour de France, where he ended Miguel Indurain’s five-year run and became the first Danish rider to win the Tour. He also finished third at the 1995 Tour de France and remained central to Telekom’s rise as one of the most powerful teams in the peloton. Riis later became an influential team manager, though his racing legacy is complicated by his 2007 admission that he used EPO, including during his 1996 Tour victory.

This extraordinary Team Deutsche Telekom Adidas skinsuit was acquired by Brett Horton directly from Walter Godegroot, Telekom Team Manager.  It is not a standard jersey-and-shorts combination but a full aerodynamic one-piece suit designed for speed. The suit carries the classic Telekom look: pink shoulders, white body, grey panels, black lower sleeves and legs, the large Telekom “T,” D1, ARD Radio & TV, and Adidas branding. The most fascinating detail is the aerodynamic treatment on the arms and legs, with raised, zigzag-textured strips running along the sleeves and lower legs. A feature intended to disturb and manage airflow over the body, a very visible example of the aero technology in elite time-trial clothing in the late 1990s. It is a rare, highly technical piece from the height of the Telekom years, from one of the team’s most important riders.

All jerseys are sold unframed. Framed images are display ideas only.