Already one of the more distinctive kits in the peloton, with probably the first ever brown shorts in professional cycling, AG2R La Mondiale has embraced its sponsor’s colourscheme even more tightly for 2014. The French WorldTour team’s jersey, which has previously been predominantly white with AG2R La Mondiale’s brown and blue logo liberally scattered over it, will now have brown shoulders to match the shorts.
The new design also coincides with a change of kit manufacturer, as the team moves from Norwegian company Odlo to Japanese company Descente, and is modelled by 23-year-old French climber Romain Bardet.
“The basic design hasn’t been changed but the touch of brown colour added on shoulders makes us discover a new jersey,” said AG2R La Mondiale general manager Vincent Lavenu. “I think this is both an aesthetic and technical success with clothing designed by our new official technical sponsor: the brand Descente.”
Joining the team as co-sponsor to French supermarket chain Casino, AG2R La Mondiale is now one of the longest serving sponsors in the sport. As a mutual assurance group, which provides insurance, healthcare and pensions, the company’s brown and blue logo was created on the merger of AG2R Prevoyance and La Mondiale in 2009, and represents the land and the sky.
The previous blue, white and yellow jersey - which featured both company’s separate identities - was replaced by its now familiar design that year. While few riders dream of racing in brown shorts, and helmets, with a brown-accented jersey, the persistence of such a loyal sponsor in such turbulent times is surely welcome.