Smith, while watching the race from the VIP caravan above the finish line, talked mostly about his customers and Brits, but explained what sets them apart from the other riders in the peloton. Below is Smith's top five list of the most stylish modern cyclists.
'Effortless' David Millar (recently retired)
David Millar...effortless sense of style, says Smith
"David's always been a very good customer and very stylish. His style is effortless, he just puts things together that are not contrived, not self-conscious...He just wears clothes well."
'Particular' Bradley Wiggins (Team Wiggins)
Wiggins has an eye for fashion, says Smith (Watson)
(Image credit: Watson)
"Bradley's always had an interesting fashion since he's been a young guy. He looks good, he enjoys fashion. He just doesn't just wear it, he enjoys it. He has a particular clear view of the clothes he likes. Ten years ago, it was a very English Mod style, and that's one of his nicknames Modster, and he's a big fan of The Jam and Paul Weller. More recently, he's been having suits made especially for him rather than just buying them from ready to wear."
'Casual' Mark Cavendish (Etixx-Quick Step)
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Mark Cavendish at the Dubai Tour presentation
(Image credit: Watson)
"Cavendish wears very casual clothes in a good way. Cavendish's a very laid-back character. Luckily again, he's a very good customer. He wears short zip up jackets and casual shirts instead of a more tailored look."
'Modern' Tyler Farrar (MTN-Qhubeka)
(Image credit: Richard Baybutt)
"Tyler Farrar's very fashion aware. He's very modern in the way he dresses, slim shapes, modern fabrics, mixing sportswear with more with what you call smart clothes."
'Easy-going' Ivan Basso (Tinkoff-Saxo)
Ivan Basso (Credit: Yuzuru Sunada)
(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)
"Basso buys a lot from our Paul Smith shop in Milan on Via Manzoni. He likes comfortable clothes, a soft Paul Smith suit. We launched a suit called a Suit to Travel in, which suits him well. Mark Cavendish also has one. His style reminds me of Mark's; those guys practice so much sport that when they're off the bike they want very easy-going clothes."
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Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
