New sponsor, same pink: Assos steps in as EF Pro Cycling’s new apparel partner

The new EF Education kit, made by Assos of Switzerland

(Image credit: Jered Gruber & Ashley Gruber | Gruber Images.)

At the end of 2025, Rapha and the WorldTour teams EF Education–EasyPost and EF Education–Oatly announced they were ending their seven-year relationship.

Sponsorships come and go, but in modern cycling, few apparel-team partnerships have been as iconic, or as instantly recognisable, as Rapha and the EF programme. Not just the trademark pink kits, but the Grand Tour changeout kits over the years: the boundary-pushing, culture-crossing collaboration with skate brand Palace in 2019, the colour-blocked “excess” kits or even the 2025 Giro switch-out that stood out because of its audacious whiteness. Each iteration distinct and highly collectable, with many drops selling out soon after launching.

Today, Assos of Switzerland announced it will take over from Rapha as the official technical apparel partner of EF Pro Cycling in a multi-year agreement spanning the men’s, women’s and development teams.

"This partnership with EF Pro Cycling represents an alignment of values," said Assos CEO Edwin Navez. "EF Pro Cycling is known for pushing boundaries—both in performance and in culture—and that mirrors Assos' own pursuit of innovation. Together, we will challenge convention, test limits, and create apparel that delivers real advantages in the most demanding race environments."

For EF Pro Cycling founder and CEO Jonathan Vaughters, the move is more than a change of logo on the jersey; it’s a full-circle moment.

"Assos has a long history of setting the standard for innovation in cycling. They’ve been pushing boundaries since before many of our riders were born," he said. "My first pair of bibs were Assos, and they were a revelation. Decades later, they’re still leading the way, producing the most technically advanced clothing in the peloton, and our riders can feel that every time they suit up. This partnership is rooted in creating the fastest and best-looking kit in cycling. We’re excited to keep pushing boundaries together."

Assos says the 2026 kit reflects a "forward-looking mindset" with a "bold colour palette" that evolves EF Pro Cycling’s unmistakable visual identity while introducing "a new, almost other-worldly energy to the peloton."

Whether the new kit lives up to that promise….and I’ll leave that to you. The first glimpses are below. Come May, though, I’m especially curious to see what Assos comes up with for the Giro changeout kit. I somehow doubt another Palace collaboration is in the works. Rapha sure set the bar high; now let’s see if Assos can meet it.

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Cycling Weekly's North American Editor, Anne-Marije Rook is old school. She holds a degree in journalism and started out as a newspaper reporter — in print! She can even be seen bringing a pen and notepad to the press conference.

Originally from the Netherlands, she grew up a bike commuter and didn't find bike racing until her early twenties when living in Seattle, Washington. Strengthened by the many miles spent darting around Seattle's hilly streets on a steel single speed, Rook's progression in the sport was a quick one. As she competed at the elite level, her journalism career followed, and soon, she became a full-time cycling journalist. She's now been a journalist for two decades, including 12 years in cycling.

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