‘I thought It was a joke’ - Factor's SpongeBob bike turns heads at Tour de France Femmes

“At first I thought they were joking when they said, ‘We have a SpongeBob bike,’” the Dutch rider told WielerFlits at the Grand Départ in Lausanne. “Then I saw it in real life and thought, ‘Oh, they actually did it.’”

Jason Freeny’s XXRAY versions of SpongeBob and Patrick provided the starting point. Factor creative director Jay Gundzik then reworked the artwork for the ONE frame.

Human Powered Health rides one of the yellow SpongeBob version, while French team Ma Petite Entreprise has chosen one of the the pink and purple Patrick Star edition. SpongeBob’s best friend appears on the front fork.

Both bikes are covered with references to Bikini Bottom, the underwater city from the cartoon. The bright colours and oversized character details should make them easy to spot in the peloton.

Raaijmakers and her teammates had little influence over the surprise.

“It was more a case of, ‘Here is your bike,’” she said with another laugh.

Despite its visual impact, supporters should not expect to see the SpongeBob machine on every stage. Raaijmakers said the ONE is designed with a greater focus on aerodynamics than low weight. Human Powered Health will therefore use Factor’s lighter OSTRO on the Tour’s climbing days.

“The course does not really lend itself to riding the ONE every day,” she said. “There are a lot of metres of climbing. But you are going to see it, I am sure.”

For Raaijmakers, the attention around the bike also reflects the growing profile of the Tour de France Femmes. She said riders notice larger crowds, greater sponsor interest and a rising number of interview and podcast requests.

“People know now that the women have a Tour as well,” she said. “The attention is growing enormously, and that is exactly what we need.”

Factor hopes the unexpected collision of elite engineering and Bikini Bottom humour can help accelerate that growth.

“Super bikes don’t have to be monochrome to be fast,” Factor Chief Brand Officer David Millar said in a press release by the brand. “This project is about bringing joy and personality into elite racing without compromising performance.”