Team Sky and Katusha-Alpecin have been showing off their new jerseys ahead of the 2017 Tour de France.
British WorldTour outfit Team Sky have swapped their traditional black kit for white, allowing the riders to keep cooler on hot, sunny days during the Tour, which starts this Saturday in Düsseldorf, Germany. Rider surnames are displayed clearly on the back of the jersey, reflecting a UCI rule change for 2017 which allowed teams to do so.
>>> Tour de France 2017: Latest news, race info and more
Sky posted photos of the new white kit on Twitter on Thursday morning, as Luke Rowe and Michal Kwiatkowski were among the riders heading out for a training ride for the first time in the new strip.
Defending Tour de France champion and Sky leader Chris Froome had previously shown off the jersey when it was launched on June 1. The white kit will only be used during the Tour, and not any other races.
Swiss-registered squad Katusha-Alpecin have gone for a reworking of their red-and-white jersey, with German shampoo brand Alpecin's logo right across the chest with red underneath and white above.
The back of the jersey retains the distinctive large 'K' logo of Katusha, which will show up nicely on those sweeping aerial TV images of the peloton.
>>> Tour de France route 2017: stages and key climbs
The cuffs of the Katusha jerseys and red shorts are light blue with branding for the team's bike supplier Canyon.
The team's Tony Martin and Alexander Kristoff will lead their hopes of stage victories.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-EZCxjri8A
Dutch team LottoNL-Jumbo also unveiled a new kit, where the black and yellow panels are reversed compared to pre-Tour kit. This prevents potential confusion with the Tour leader's yellow jersey.
The 2017 Tour de France kicks off in Düsseldorf on Saturday, July 1, and concludes three weeks later in Paris on Sunday, July 23.
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, n exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
-
New Specialized S-Works 7 Lace shoe: classic style, lighter weight, lower price
The fourth offshoot of Specialized's flagship road shoe is one for the connoisseur - here are all the details plus a 'first ride'
-
Israel-Premier Tech seek to 'improve the world' as well as winning bike races
Co-owner Ron Baron says cycling team aims to 'continue to put Israel on the map'
-
Will Richard Carapaz ride the Vuelta a España 2021?
The Ineos Grenadiers rider is third overall in the Tour de France, but may already be looking ahead to his next goal
-
Early GC time gaps don't make much difference to eventual Tour de France podium, argues Ineos' Michał Kwiatkowski
The Polish super domestique says the British team were prepared to spend more energy early to keep GC riders safe, but even that can prove insufficient at the Tour de France
-
Luke Rowe explains why he was handed fine on Tour de France stage three
The British rider was fined by commissaries for 'assault, intimidation, insults, threats, improper conduct'
-
Tour de France 2021: Geraint Thomas ‘gutted’ as Richie Porte and Tao Geoghegan Hart lose time
The Ineos Grenadiers leadership debate was upended on stage one of the Tour
-
Michael Woods leads team at Tour de France but says 'I don't deserve to be in the conversation for the win'
The Canadian has been one of the best climbers this season but his time trial form has let him down
-
A closer look at the Ineos Grenadiers squad for the Tour de France 2021
The team has promised to bring more exciting racing to the Tour this summer
-
Dan Martin confirmed for Israel Start-Up Nation's 2021 Tour de France squad
The Irishman joins Froome and Woods in the team after racing a strong Giro d'Italia
-
Chris Froome to ride the Tour de France 2021
The Briton will return to the race after a two-edition absence
