The wintertime can be a time when reworked kit designs are unveiled but FDJ has decided to run with a near-identical version of what its riders were wearing this season.
The team revealed the new jersey today, and once again it is predominantly white with blue colouration for the main logo. One change is the addition of the banner for BigMat, the new secondary sponsor which came on board in controversial circumstances.
Garmin-Cervélo chief Jonathan Vaughters has said that the French company had been in extended talks with his team, and had signed a binding agreement prior to leaving to hook up with FDJ. The American team is thought to be considering legal action over the matter.
The FDJ team had a big boost recently when it was confirmed as having got a UCI ProTeam licence. This will give it automatic rights of entry to cycling’s top races, including the Grand Tours, rather than having to rely on wildcards as was the case in 2011.
The team had previously been part of the WorldTour but lost out this season. Embarrassingly for the squad, it emerged that the documents needed to register for a top licence, “reached the UCI after the deadline of October 20th. The mistake was made by FDJ,” UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani told Velochrono last December.
Now back in the top ranking of teams and featuring a new sponsor, the squad is aiming for a strong 2012.