Which WorldTour team has the best kit for 2020? A considered ranking
We take a closer look at the peloton's new looks
New team kits for 2020 (Background image: Getty)
As the 2020 cycling season beckons, many riders and teams will remain the same, albeit with a few having switched places in the annual off-season reshuffling, with new storylines now waiting to be built on top of all the racing that has come before it.
The other change you may notice the next time a heli shot above the peloton appears on your screen is the kaleidoscope of colourful jerseys will be ever so slightly different.
Title sponsors change or teams fancy freshening up the kit for an arrival of a new superstar rider. For 2020, a few kits are yet to be announced (which we will update accordingly), a number remain mostly unchanged but there are a few great new offerings. Here is a closer look at the WorldTour jerseys for 2020, accompanied by ratings for each.
Ag2r La Mondiale (Fra) - 2.5/5
As one of the longest running teams in the peloton, the stability of Ag2r La Mondiale means they rarely chop and change the brown, white and blue of their distinctive strip. Distinctive is another way of saying 'nice kit, but maybe a bit too much brown'.
British fans will be keeping a keener eye on the French squad than usual in 2020, as Harry Tanfield has joined their ranks after departing from the now defunct Katusha WorldTour outfit.
Astana (Kaz) - 3/5
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Astana have also kept their light blue strip barely changed, except for the added logo of their sponsor Premier Tech to the front of the jersey.
At the team's 2020 presentation, manager Alexandre Vinokourov said his squad need to get back onto the podium of Grand Tours next season, with Jakob Fuglsang and Miguel Ángel López only managing top 10 finishes in 2019. If this goal isn't realised will Astana look to shake things up kit-wise in 2020? Hopefully not as the bright blue of the Kazakh team is one of the peloton's classics.
Bahrain-Merida (Brn) - 4/5
Alongside the arrival of McLaren as a title sponsor, Rod Ellingworth as team principal, and Mikel Landa, Mark Cavendish and Wout Poels as star riders, it would be rude to not also update the kit.
The result is a love it or hate it offering, with the red of the previous jersey pushed to the side with an orange triangle bursting through, as well as bright blue sleeves. The red to orange fade on the Le Col kit works well and Ellingworth hopes that it will be stepping up to the top place on the podium at the Tour de France this year on the back of Mikel Landa.
Some people will love the kit, others will say its mental. Kind of a bit like signing an ageing Mark Cavendish, or Mikel Landa as your GC leader, you're really hoping it works.
Bora-Hansgrohe (Ger) - 4/5
The Bora-Hansgrohe strip remains largely unchanged, apart from the Hansgrohe logo has been slightly altered and the chevrons updated to be the tiniest bit mismatched. Peter Sagan will once again be wearing the standard team strip after a number of years spent either in the rainbow bands or jersey of the Slovakian national road champion.
The green seems a bit softer and the updated colour scheme of their bikes complements the whole look. Overall, good stuff from Bora.
Deceuninck – Quick-Step (Bel) - 5/5
Deceuninck - Quick-Step's 2019 strip will surely go down as one of the most iconic of this era. Alongside the blue and stylish trimmings, including the yellow Lidl badges on the arms, the Belgian team had the results to match, winning more often than losing (probably) in a campaign where Julian Alaphilippe's Tour de France was surely the highlight.
For 2020 they've kept things fresh by adding a white upper half, designed to make the bottom half resemble the shape of a wolf. It's great, they're great, and just imagine how good Sam Bennett's Irish national champs jersey is going to look.
EF Education First (USA) - 4.5/5
EF Education First broke new ground last year when they announced their partnership with Rapha and unveiled a tie-dye blue and pink shock to the system. Their swirly, laid back jersey inspired a Big Lebowski-esque response among their riders, who waxed philosophical about the ups and downs of EF's alternative racing calendar on a series of entertaining YouTube documentaries.
They've updated it slightly this year, made it a bit crazier, and it looks good.
Lotto-Soudal (Bel) - 5/5
Like Deceuninck - Quick-Step's slight alteration, Lotto-Soudal's minor update is fantastic, and with Philippe Gilbert and John Degenkolb joining the Belgian squad for 2020, expect to see the black shoulders of Lotto-Soudal near the front of the pack often during the spring Classics.
Movistar (Esp) - 3/5
Movistar's strip will remain largely unchanged despite switching kits suppliers, partnering with Alé after the end of their deal with Endura. Alejandro Valverde will be back wearing their light blue strip after a year in the rainbow bands, which is a good thing as other talents such as Mikel Landa, Richard Carapaz and Nairo Quintana have left the Spanish team.
The Movistar strip is clean and inoffensive, and hopefully with fewer team leaders this year their racing tactics will be equally as uncomplicated.
Team NTT (RSA) - 2/5
After changing name from Dimension Data to Team NTT, the South African squad will be hoping to leave behind an unremarkable 2019 season. The Qhubeka hands on the back are a nice touch but this jersey isn't an instant classic.
Team Ineos (GBr) 3/5
After reincarnating as Ineos from Team Sky at the 2019 Tour de Yorkshire, Ineos have decided to not update their red strip just yet.
However, with the signing of time trial world champion Rohan Dennis the British squad will be sporting the rainbow bands for the first time since Vasil Kiryienka won in 2015 for Belarus and their time trial skinsuit looks smart.
Israel Start Up Nation (Isr) - 2.5/5
With added sponsors as Israel Start-Up Nation step up to the WorldTour level, the team's jersey is a busy affair. Despite the number of logos dotted around, the design is fairly simple, and the signing of Dan Martin, Alex Dowsett and André Greipel will mean a number of familiar faces will be sporting the blue and white kit.
Sunweb (Ger) - 4.5/5
Sunweb were unlucky to move away from their black and white stripes last year at the same time a number of teams also opted for red, but their updated jersey for 2020 hits the spot. Instead of incorporating a gradient, which many teams currently opt for, Sunweb have complimented the red with subtle stripes.
The German team will look the part as they try to bounce back from a disappointing 2019 that saw star rider Tom Dumoulin succumb to injury and eventually leave the squad to sign with Jumbo-Visma.
Trek-Segafredo (USA)
Trek-Segafredo's jersey for 2020 incorporates navy sleeves and will be worn by Vincenzo Nibali who arrives to lead the squad.
However, it does feature some interesting changes in the material. Santini have opted for two sustainable fabrics – one made using yarn recycled materials discarded in the environment, the other made from recycled fibres and yarns without using any polluting chemicals in order to reduce the consumption of natural resources and use of non-renewable power.
Teams yet to release their 2020 jerseys:
Groupama-FDJ (Fra)
CCC Team (Pol)
Cofidis, Solutions Credits (Fra)
Jumbo-Visma (Ned)
Mitchelton-Scott (Aus)
UAE Team Emirates (UAE)
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Jonny was Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor until 2022.
I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.
Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab and I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).
I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.
-
Claims against bankrupt Sir Bradley Wiggins’s estate double to £2mWiggins’s efforts to pursue money through the courts have been paused
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Prologo Nago R4 PAS 3DMSS saddle review: Lightweight, supportive and not as costly as you may thinkWeighing just 150g, the saddle uses 3D printing technology alongside nano carbon rails to keep comfort high and weight low.
By Andy Turner Published
