The Jumbo-Visma team of defending Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard revealed a special jersey for this year’s French Grand Tour with the limited edition kit also on sale to the public on pre-order.
The Jumbo-Visma women‘s team will also wear the special jersey during the Tour de France Femmes in July.
The design is a collaboration between the team, clothing maker AGU, and Efteling, a fantasy-themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel.
One of the past features of Efteling is an antique bicycle-themed merry-go-round called The Vélodrome. The ride has been moved back to a section of the park, Anton Pieck plein, in tribute to the founder of the Efteling this year.
The design of the ride and the jersey are inspired by a fairytale written by Sander de Bruijn – a designer at Efteling – that is about the power of dreams.
“It tells the story of a little cyclist who, under a sparkling starry sky, breaks free from the merry-go-round called The Vélodrome and, as if in a dream, finishes on the Champs-Élysées,” the press release states.
Similar to last year’s Rembrandt-inspired design, the darker design distinguishes the Jumbo-Visma team’s jersey from the yellow jersey that the leader of the Tour de France wears.
The limited-edition jersey is largely black with a smattering of stars. The map of France lies in a hexagon in the centre of the chest above the Jumbo-Visma logo.
Fans who pre-order before May 1 can “add a personal moment and the corresponding star position map – a unique opportunity to immortalise a fulfilled or future dream on the jersey”.
Each rider – if the UCI condones it – “will carry a personal star chart to the finish line”.
“Winning the Tour de France last year was a long-cherished dream come true,” said Jumbo-Visma’s general manager, Richard Plugge.
“By daring to dream big and setting a deadline for ourselves, we made our dream come true. With this jersey, we hope to inspire people worldwide to pursue their dreams.
“We will wear this jersey with great pride in the upcoming Tour de France, and, of course, we will do everything we can to make our dreams come true once again.”
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