Lotus recently helped design new two-wheel rides for the British cycling team, and there’s another European car company that’s involved with racing bikes as well. Since 2011, Skoda Design has created the trophies for the Tour de France.
Based in the Czech Republic, Skoda designers say they were inspired by Bohemian crystal art and that the trophies reflect “what cycling is all about: Nature and clean energy.”
The 108th edition of the famous bicycle race finishes July 18 on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
“This year we have taken shapes from nature,” Skoda Auto head of interior design Peter Olah is quoted in the automaker’s news release. “The motifs are reminiscent of blades of grass or flowers growing up the trophy. They give the trophy a distinctly natural character. Our design addresses issues that are of great importance to society and that we also devote a great deal of attention to in our design.”
The trophies, produced by Lasvit, a Czech crystal manufacturer, are nearly 2 feet tall and weigh nearly 9 pounds.
Skoda calls the trophies “true works of art. The refraction of light and the interplay with shadow create a fascinating spectacle of intersecting lines. Accurately cutting the crystal requires the skilled glasscutters to have a steady hand and years of experience.”
In addition to designing the trophies, Skoda supplies around 250 vehicles to the race management with an all-electric Enyaq iV as the command vehicle and mobile control center for the race director.
