UAE Team Emirates unveil white shorts for Tour de France 2019

Tour de France teams often launch new strips to mark the biggest race of the year, and 2019 is no different.

Looking to stand out from the pack in front of an audience of millions, squads change up their colours and kits to give them the maximum possible exposure.

But one team has opted for a new design that is likely to split opinion for the 2019 Tour.

UAE Team Emirates have unveiled white shorts for this year’s race to go with their usual white jersey.

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The team are well aware of the stir the strip is likely to cause, asking fans on Instagram “What do you think of the white shorts?” with a wink emoji.

UAE are taking a stacked squad to the Tour de France 2019, including two-time stage winner Dan Martin, former Vuelta a España champion Fabio Aru, and hard-as-nails sprinter Alexander Kristoff.

But the team’s star fast-man, Fernando Gaviria, has been forced to skip the Tour due to a persisting knee injury.

White shorts are considered a cycling cardinal sin by many, mostly due to the fact they can be almost see through.

But despite the controversy, plenty of pros have opted for white shorts in the past.

Peter Sagan, Adam Blythe in his British national champion’s kit, and formerly the entire Groupama-FDJ squad have all braved public opinion.

Most recently, 2019 revelation Mathieu Van der Poel opted for white shorts at the Tour of Flanders.

Even van der Poel’s father Adrie, a cyclocross legend and Flanders winner himself, said he was surprised by the decision to make the switch from his usual black shorts.

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But it was later revealed that Van der Poel has switched from his usual black shorts for tactical reasons, to distinguish himself from the Luxembourg champion Bob Jungels.

His Corendon-Circus team managers had realised at Dwars door Vlaanderen that it was difficult to pick Van der Poel out of the peloton when looking at helicopter shots.