David Gaudu, Thibaut Pinot and Arthur Vichot show off the new Groupama-FDJ colours(Image credit: FDJ)
The FDJ team have unveiled their new Groupama-FDJ colours during a special team presentation in Paris, where it was confirmed that Thibaut Pinot will ride the Giro d’Italia before also going on to target the Tour de France.
Groupama will become the lead title sponsor, with French newspaper L'Equipe estimating that the team's budget will rise to somewhere in the region of €16 to 20 million per year, which would surpass that of AG2R La Mondiale, the only other French WorldTour team.
The partnership will come into come into full effect in March when the riders race in the new kit for the first time at Paris-Nice.
FDJ also confirmed that the women’s FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine-Futuroscope team will continue until at least 2020, with a doubling of the team budget.
The front of the jersey is white to show off the Groupama and FDJ logos, with sets of stripes on the hips giving a modern look. One sleeve is blue and the other red, while the shorts are blue, with white inserts and red edgings.
Team manager Mark Madiot believes that national champions’ jerseys should not carry any sponsorship logo and so French national champion Arnaud Demare has a plain blue, white and red kit, while Dutch national champion Ramon Sinkeldam has the same colours in an inverse pattern.
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