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Mitchelton-Scott announce deal with Pirelli ahead of Tour de France

Tyre manufacturer focusing on technical partnerships

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Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott)

Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) (Image credit: Pirelli)
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Simon Yates with Sean Bratches, Piero Misani and Mario Isola

Simon Yates with Sean Bratches, Piero Misani and Mario Isola (Image credit: Pirelli)
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Simon Yates is taken on a hot lap of the Paul Ricard circuit

Simon Yates is taken on a hot lap of the Paul Ricard circuit (Image credit: Pirelli)
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Simon Yates gets ready to ride the Paul Ricard circuit

Simon Yates gets ready to ride the Paul Ricard circuit (Image credit: Pirelli)
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Simon Yates tests out his new tyres

Simon Yates tests out his new tyres (Image credit: Pirelli)
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(Image credit: Pirelli)
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Simon Yates rides the Paul Ricard circuit

Simon Yates rides the Paul Ricard circuit (Image credit: Pirelli)
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Simon Yates does a lap of the circuit at the French Grand Prix

Simon Yates does a lap of the circuit at the French Grand Prix (Image credit: Pirelli)
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Simon Yates trying out his new tyres

Simon Yates trying out his new tyres (Image credit: Pirelli)
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Simon Yates on the grid at the Paul Ricard circuit

Simon Yates on the grid at the Paul Ricard circuit (Image credit: Pirelli)
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Simon Yates stands behind Fernando Alonso's car at the French Grand Prix

Simon Yates stands behind Fernando Alonso's car at the French Grand Prix (Image credit: Pirelli)
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Simon Yates shows off his new wheels

Simon Yates shows off his new wheels (Image credit: Pirelli)
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Mitchelton-Scott will use the Pirelli Tubular tyres from the 2018 Tour de France

Mitchelton-Scott will use the Pirelli Tubular tyres from the 2018 Tour de France (Image credit: Pirelli)
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Simon Yates gets ready for a hot lap of Paul Ricard

Simon Yates gets ready for a hot lap of Paul Ricard (Image credit: Pirelli)

The Mitchelton-Scott WorldTour team will ride Pirelli tyres from the Tour de France onwards after a multi-year deal was announced at the French Formula One Grand Prix on Saturday.

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The event was attended by Giro d’Italia star Simon Yates, who later presented Lewis Hamilton with an award for posting the fastest lap in qualifying.

Mitchelton-Scott has been testing with Pirelli products since the turn of the year, totting up thousands of kilometres in racing and in training with the team set to use the PZero Velo range on a full-scale level at July’s Tour, where Adam Yates will lead their GC chances.

We’re like a start-up

Pirelli has a global workforce of around 26,000, and while the cycling branch of the company is able to tap into the resources surrounding research and development, they are still just a small piece of the company’s footprint. That said, the 20 or so full-timers on cycling, have already made a significant impression.

“We have been really happy with the development of the tyres. Pirelli has been excellent in the way they’ve communicated with our athletes and taken on board their feedback. We have ended up with a fantastic fast, grippy, comfortable tyre that handles incredibly well.”

Sponsorship

Given the fragility within the cycling world, and that several teams including Mitchelton-Scott are looking for long-term investment, the inevitable question for Pirelli is whether they see this as a test for future collaborations with other teams, or the chance to see if a title or sub-title sponsorship of a squad is desirable.