The EF men's team had been clad in British brand Rapha since the 2018 season, but the partnership came to a close at the end of 2025. Now, the long-rumoured collaboration with Swiss brand Assos has been confirmed.
The first kit made for the team by Assos sees a move away from the previous argyle pattern, which harks back to the men's team's early days as Slipstream and Garmin almost 20 years ago. Instead, the 2026 kit features a grid pattern over a swirling jersey design while retaining the team's modern colourway of pink and white.
"Assos has a long history of setting the standard for innovation in cycling. They've been pushing boundaries since before many of our riders were born," said team CEO Jonathan Vaughters of the brand, which had manufactured cycling clothing since 1976.
"My first pair of bibs were Assos, and they were a revelation. Decades later, they're still leading the way, producing the most technically advanced clothing in the peloton, and our riders can feel that every time they suit up.
"This partnership is rooted in creating the fastest and best-looking kit in cycling. We're excited to keep pushing boundaries together."
The brand will provide kits to both the men's and women's EF teams, with the 2026 looks apparently "inspired by themes of exploration and discovery" while retaining the signature look of the WorldTour and Women's WorldTour squads.
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The new kit "[introduces] a new, almost other‑worldly energy to the peloton," Assos say.
"Designed as a complete performance system, the kit blends form and function, using colour, materials, and construction with the same purpose‑driven intent as Assos’ engineering philosophy – every element serving a role in the pursuit of speed."
The new look will be sported by team leaders Ben Healy, Cédrine Kerbaol, Richard Carapaz, and Kristen Faulkner next season.
What remains to be seen, however, is how Assos will handle the yearly change in kits during the Giro d'Italia following a series of eye-catching switch-out designs at the Corsa Rosa, including the off-the-wall 2020 Palace collaboration.
The argyle has gone but the pink remains for EF (Image credit: Jered Gruber & Ashley Gruber | Gruber Images)
Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor, later being hired full-time. Her favourite races include Strade Bianche, the Tour de France Femmes, Paris-Roubaix, and Tro-Bro Léon.
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