As race leader of the Tour de France, you’d expect the finish of Chris Froome’s Pinarello Dogma F8 to be slightly different to his Sky teammates’ bikes.

And while a now-predictable yellow colour scheme adorned parts of his ride for Friday’s stage from Muret to Rodez, Froome’s bike also featured some notable rhino artwork on it.

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“Growing up where I did, wildlife was a big part of my childhood, it’s special to me,” said Froome. “It was my mechanic Gary Blem who came up with the idea to personalise the yellow on the bike, so we put cartoon pictures of rhinos charging with their heads down.

“I’m pleased that I’m going to become an ambassador for Unite for Wildlife, who raise awareness for rhino and elephant poaching.

“If things continue at the current rate, there won’t be any more rhinos in the next few years. That’s really sad; I’ve got a kid on the way, and I want him to grow up and see wildlife in person.”

The decals feature on either side of the head tube, as well as the top and down tubes. It’s not known how many days Froome will ride this particular bike for in the Tour.

“Only the artwork is different to the bike that Chris has been riding so far in the race – it’s not a new frame, there’s no new equipment on it,” said Froome’s mechanic Blem.

Froome is not the first rider to feature an animal on his bike: André Greipel has ridden with gorilla artwork on his for many years, although that’s more to do with his nickname as opposed to anything philanthropic.

Chris Froome’s Pinarello Dogma F8