German Women’s WorldTour team Canyon//SRAM has long been known for having some of the most fashionable kit in the peloton. From the purple malliot with bright flashes of yellow last year, to this year’s light pink number inspired by meteorological displays and their associated human interpretations, it’s no surprise that the jerseys of the team are a fan favourite. In the 2023 edition of the Tour de France Femmes, Canyon//SRAM will wear an entirely new outfit, one that has been designed specifically to pay homage to the importance of this race on the women’s calendar.
Designed by Ultan Coyle, Canyon’s Global Creative Director, the kit is bright and eye-catching with bold pink and orange colours to tie in with Zwift’s #WatchTheFemmes campaign that they have been pushing ever since they took on sponsorship of the race last year. The campaign aims to be a call to action for cycling fans to support parity between men’s and women’s racing and empower more people to participate in watching women's racing. Zwift has long been a key sponsor of the Canyon//SRAM team.
The design itself is comprised of yellow, pink and orange with the words “allez, allez, allez” on the rear of the jersey – there’s no doubt that it will stand out in the peloton. The shorts remain Canyon//SRAM’s standard team edition, but the same can’t be said for the team’s Canyon Aeroad and Ultimate bikes. These too have been given a new lick of paint to tie in with the kit, now a bright orange with yellow logos, fading into a bright pink colour at the rear of the bike.
Canyon//SRAM’s team manager, Ronny Lauke, commented: “The design is highly recognisable thanks to Canyon, SRAM, Zwift, Giro and Elite and will stand out. But we also hope it raises attention to all of our partners that have invested in our team since the beginning, shown commitment to women’s cycling, and want to see the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift be an everlasting global event. We hope it encourages the fans on the side of the road and those watching the broadcast to cheer ‘Allez, Allez, Allez’ and contributes to raising awareness of women’s cycling.”
The German squad will come to the Tour de France Femmes with a formidable line-up, including last year’s third-placed rider, Kasia Niewiadoma. They also have the young, up and coming talent of Ricarda Bauernfeind who is expected to excel in the mountains, while U23 European Track Champion, Maike van der Duin, will also make the new jersey seen in some of the flatter, sprint stages in this year’s Tour. Soraya Paladin should relish the punching, rolling stages in the Massif Central as a rider who performed well in the Ardennes Classics last year and she notes that the team is extremely motivated to win in their fresh outfit.
“When Canyon makes a special edition change for us as riders, it definitely gives us a special feeling and makes us proud to have team partners like that,” she explains. The best thing will be to win in this design, to thank everyone and every partner for their hard work.”
Naturally, considering the design has been made in collaboration with Zwift, there is also an option for Canyon//SRAM fans to earn a kit for their avatar to wear on the virtual platform by joining one of the CANYON//SRAM Watch the Femmes rides between 23 to 31 July. For those more inclined to wear the jersey in real life, it’s also available to buy on the Canyon website from 21 July.
