Team Sky’s cyclists will wear white jerseys instead of their usual black for the Tour de France but the team insist that it is not a rebranding attempt after a year of controversy.
The new design is the team’s usual kit in reverse and a spokesman said that it had been suggested by the Italian designers Castelli last year, adding that it would not be a permanent change of colour and that many other teams had swapped colours for the Tour.
Sir Dave Brailsford, the team principal, said: “Castelli looked at different colours during the design process last year. We all loved the white. We are always up for doing things differently and decided the best time to unveil it would be at the Tour — the world’s biggest bike race. We can’t wait to get racing wearing it.”
Team Sky have been under pressure after a number of revelations over the past year. These included Sir Bradley Wiggins receiving a therapeutic use exemption to be given the powerful corticosteroid triamcinolone before three of his biggest races, including his 2012 Tour de France victory, to treat a pollen allergy.
It was also revealed that Wiggins’s medical notes were not saved properly by the team doctor Richard Freeman, and that there was very poor record-keeping of drugs being prescribed.
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The Tour begins on July 1, with Chris Froome looking to win his fourth title.