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Direct Energie announces partnership with Wilier Triestina

By Josh Evans

published 10 October 2017

New time trial bike developed for French team

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Post-ride dust from the local roads and the fittings for direct-mount brakes (Image credit: Simon Withers)

The Direct Energie squad are also a wild card entrant to the Vuelta(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

The down tubes of Pozzato Wilier Triestina Cento10 Air(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)

Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie) wins stage 8 at the 2017 Tour de France

Adrien Petit of Direct Energie has a custom painted BH G6(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)

French Pro Continental team Direct Energie has announced that it will race on Wilier Triestina bikes next season. The French squad has spent the last two seasons on Spanish brand BH.

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Wilier Triestina is also the sponsor of the Pro Continental team Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia, though it has been confirmed to Cyclingnews that the brand will continue to be the headline sponsor for the Italian team next season.

"We're delighted to be back in the world of high-tech bikes with Wilier Triestina, the possibility to work together on the development of a new time trial bike has been a key point of our choice," said Direct Energie's general manager Jean-René Bernaudeau.

The team has confirmed that it will race on the Wilier Triestina Cento10AIR road bikes and it is expected that the time trial bike will be an update of the Twin Air frameset.

Direct Energie, formerly known as Team Europcar, is no stranger to Italian bikes, with Thomas Voeckler spending 10 days in the yellow jersey at the 2011 Tour de France aboard a Colnago C59. The team rode Time bikes when starting out in 2000, switching to Colnago in 2010 and then BH in 2016.

Voeckler ended his 17-year career at this year's Tour de France, while compatriot Bryan Coquard also departs to join Jerome Pineau's new French Pro Continental team, Vital Concept.

Andrea Gastaldello, CEO of Wilier Triestina added: "We're happy to team up with a successful pro cycling team like Direct Energie and we look forward to start work with Jean-Rene Bernaudeau's group. Together we're confident of a return to the Tour de France."