American WorldTour team changes jersey to make riders more identifiable in overhead TV shots
The Garmin Sharp team has unveiled the jersey its riders will wear this year as they push for success, with the previous blue, white and red being retained but the rear being updated with a new design.
In addition to that, the 2014 jersey will bear the logo of the global conservation organisation WWF, which the team will collaborate with.
It said that that relationship has been built as a result of the peculiar incident at the end of Liège-Bastogne-Liège when, immediately before the attack which won him the race, Dan Martin was chased by a spectator wearing a panda suit.
Martin joked about the moment several times since then, and at the Tour of Beijing was pictured with others wearing panda suits. The team describes the animal as its ‘spiritual mascot’ and, as a result of the WWF collaboration, now has it pictured on the 2014 kit.
“We are honoured to partner with WWF and help its critical mission of creating a future where people live in harmony with nature,” said team CEO Jonathan Vaughters in today’s announcement. “We’re thrilled to contribute to WWF’s efforts to ensure that cyclists, cycling fans, and everyone else have a healthy, thriving planet to enjoy for generations to come.”
The WWF works in more than 100 countries in order to conserve biodiversity and to ensure that the resources that sustain life on Earth are used wisely. Team Garmin-Sharp expects to compete in nineteen countries during the 2014 season, helping to spread that message.
WWF International’s Director of Corporate Partnership Maria Boulos explained the relevance. “This collaboration is a natural fit for WWF because athletes and fans can be great advocates for the environment,” she stated. “Cyclists do the sport they love outdoors, and they want to have beautiful landscapes and clean air and water to enjoy – not just today, but forever.”
The 2014 team kit will also include the New Balance logo, with the company’s presence stepping up after three years as the official off-bike athletic footwear sponsor.
“Since 2011 New Balance has enjoyed a successful sponsorship with Team Garmin-Sharp,” says Jeff McAdams, Head of the Global Strategic Consumer Group at New Balance. “Last year we released a Team Garmin-Sharp 890v3 running shoe that sold out around the world and in 2014 we look forward to having our NB logo added to the team kit. As one of the world’s fastest growing athletic brands we see our sponsorship with Team Garmin-Sharp as a natural reflection of our shared vision for innovative performance.”
Meanwhile the team has said that its new Castelli jersey will have improvements in aerodynamics and body temperature management in order to further help the riders’ performance. In addition to that, the riders will test five new models of clothing during the year ahead.
The redesign of the kit is more pronounced at the back of the jersey; according to the team, this is to make the riders more identifiable from helicopter shots.