Garmin bring back argyle for the Tour

The argyle is back! Garmin-Cervelo has ditched the sombre black and white kit and will ride the 2011 Tour de France in an argyle-inspired kit, harking back to the US-based team's original kit.

"We're really excited about the Tour de France kit," said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports and director sportif of Garmin-Cervelo.

"The lighter colour is perfect for hot weather and our signature argyle is more prominent."

It's not just a style statement. Before the the Cervelo Test Team amalgamated with Garmin the end of the 2010 season, the squad would swap from black to white for the hotter months - and Garmin-Cervelo have taken on the same cooling tactic.

The new jersey design by Castelli will please many fans of the team who were disappointed that the 2011 Garmin-Cervelo jersey unveiled at the beginning of the year was largely devoid of argyle and was very similar to other teams' kit. The proliferation of black, white and blue jerseys made it hard to pick out individual teams in the peloton.

Garmin-Cervelo's 2011 Tour de France squad consists of Tom Danielson (USA), Julian Dean (NZ), Tyler Farrar (USA), Ryder Hesjedal (Can), Thor Hushovd (Nor), David Millar (GB), Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu), Christian Vande Velde (USA) and David Zabriskie (USA). 

The 2011 Tour de France starts on Saturday, July 2, and finishes in Paris on Sunday, July 24.

Related links

Tour de France 2011: Cycling Weekly's coverage index

Team Garmin confirms Cervelo deal

Garmin-Cervelo team reveals 2011 kit

Tour de France 2011: Who's riding?