Tour de France: Alpecin-Fenix will wear special 'Poupou' jersey on stage one
The special jersey was originally just for the team presentation but social media urged the team to race in it for a day
The UCI has confirmed that they have given permission to Alpecin-Fenix to wear their special 'Poupou' jersey on the road at stage one of the Tour de France 2021.
Alpecin-Fenix made the jersey to wear at the team presentation as a nod to Mathieu van der Poel's late grandfather, Raymond Poulidor, who wore the colours when he rode for Mercier-BP-Hutchinson in the 60s and 70s.
It wasn't sure if the team would get all the kit in time for the start of the race in Brest but the kit makers, Kalas, managed to make a skinsuit for Van der Poel and get it over to Brittany in time for the race.
>>> Tour de France live: Updates from the punchy opening stage in the 2021 edition
This is Van der Poel's first Grand Tour and first Tour de France, 45 years after his grandfather’s last.
In a press release the UCI said: "The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is pleased to announce that it has exceptionally granted permission to UCI ProTeam Alpecin-Fenix to wear a special jersey in honour of Raymond Poulidor on today’s opening stage of the Tour de France.
"Although it had been agreed between the team, the UCI and organisers Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO), that the jersey would be worn at the Team Presentation only, the UCI has now allowed the riders to wear the jersey on Saturday’s first stage between Brest and Landerneau.
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"The UCI believes that the positive impact surrounding the special jersey in honour of one of the great names of cycling merits making an exception to the UCI Regulations by allowing it to be worn on the first stage.
"From stage two of the 2021 Tour de France, the Alpecin-Fenix riders will return to racing in their UCI-approved team jersey."
It is a stunning kit with the bright purple and custard yellow really brings another layer of colour with not many teams using those colours, purple especially. It also means that the kit won't clash with Ineos Grenadiers in the opening stage at least.
Unfortunately, the jersey will not be worn on stage two or the rest of the race as the team, UCI and ASO have decided that it will only be for the opening stage.
It may give Van der Poel even more power on the final climb as he rides in the same colours as his grandad as he goes for the stage win and the yellow jersey.
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Hi, I'm one of Cycling Weekly's content writers for the web team responsible for writing stories on racing, tech, updating evergreen pages as well as the weekly email newsletter. Proud Yorkshireman from the UK's answer to Flanders, Calderdale, go check out the cobbled climbs!
I started watching cycling back in 2010, before all the hype around London 2012 and Bradley Wiggins at the Tour de France. In fact, it was Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck's battle in the fog up the Tourmalet on stage 17 of the Tour de France.
It took me a few more years to get into the journalism side of things, but I had a good idea I wanted to get into cycling journalism by the end of year nine at school and started doing voluntary work soon after. This got me a chance to go to the London Six Days, Tour de Yorkshire and the Tour of Britain to name a few before eventually joining Eurosport's online team while I was at uni, where I studied journalism. Eurosport gave me the opportunity to work at the world championships in Harrogate back in the awful weather.
After various bar jobs, I managed to get my way into Cycling Weekly in late February of 2020 where I mostly write about racing and everything around that as it's what I specialise in but don't be surprised to see my name on other news stories.
When not writing stories for the site, I don't really switch off my cycling side as I watch every race that is televised as well as being a rider myself and a regular user of the game Pro Cycling Manager. Maybe too regular.
My bike is a well used Specialized Tarmac SL4 when out on my local roads back in West Yorkshire as well as in northern Hampshire with the hills and mountains being my preferred terrain.
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