EF Education-EasyPost will ride the men’s and women’s Tour of Flanders in a retro-style black and white kit, with special edition black Cannondale bikes, in a homage to Flemish racing.
The switch-out kit is a dramatic change from their usual standout pink colours and launches 20th anniversary campaign by Rapha called ‘Past Forward’ inspired by classic racing jerseys.
The so-called Flandrien Collection will be available for purchase from April 2, 2024.
“It is an homage to all of the riders who have rattled over the cobbles and pushed through wind and muck to win glory in the northern classics—and to future generations of Flandriens,” the team said in a press release, revealing the kit with black and white images.
The logos have a seventies-style design, with EF Education across the chest in a white band, decorated with pink trim. Riders should still be easy to see in the peloton due to their pink POC helmets. The men’s and women’s teams will also have new black and pink Cannondale race bikes, with a black Momo design cockpit.
Alberto Bettiol will lead the men’s EF Education-EasyPost team at the Tour of Flanders, while 2017 winner Coryn Labecki and Kristen Faulkner lead the women’s team.
"Flanders represents the truest essence or meaning of road cycling,” Labecki said.
“It is just a cool frickin’ race. This is the standard and the highest level of racing. There is just so much history in the classics. They are some of the hardest and most technical road races in the world. I love cobbled climbs. I love the challenge and the technicality of it and then fans just add an extra dimension to it that not all races have.”
Bettiol recently suggested to Cyclingnews that he is ‘last of the romantic racers’. He won the Tour of Flanders in 2019 and seems back to the form of that success.
“I’ve won the Tour of Flanders; I feel it's where I belong. So I’m not under any pressure, but it’d be great to be up there again.”
“If you have the privilege to win this race, then you really understand the importance of it. It's a masterpiece of cycling, something sacred for the Flemish people. I love the passion that they have. They wait for one year for this race, and I feel a sense of responsibility to do my best for them, because of the history, because they write my name on the asphalt.
“I am one of the few guys in the peloton who have seen what it means to win the Ronde van Vlaanderen."
Keepin' it classy for the Classics 🎩 @rapha and @RideCannondale delivering on the fresh goods once again! 🤌#EFProCycling pic.twitter.com/cwjZaTa0CvMarch 29, 2024
