The Total Direct Energie squad will be rebranded as Team TotalEnergies from the start of the Tour de France on June 26. The French ProTeam unveiled their new name and white, red and blue kit on Wednesday morning.
In a statement, the team said that the tweak to their name and colours is a nod to TotalEnergies’ "strong ambition to become the company of all energies, committed to carbon neutrality by 2050".
Jean-René Bernaudeau’s team have been in the professional peloton since 2000, when they began operations Bonjour. The team was later sponsored by Brioches La Boulangère, Bouygues Telecom and Europcar, before Direct Energie took over as title sponsor ahead of the 2016 season.
French energy major Total subsequently purchased Direct Energie and the team was rechristened as Total Direct Energie ahead of the 2019 Tour. The squad will race in the blue of Total Direct Energie for the final time at this week’s French Championships before displaying the new colours at the Grand Départ of the Tour in Brest.
"This change of colours is symbolic for us all. It's an opportunity to remind the riders and staff that the world, and in particular the world of professional cycling, is currently undergoing a major change," said Bernaudeau.
"On the Tour de France, the objective will be to do justice to this new TotalEnergies brand. To do that, we have to be worthy and consistent. Today, we have a team that has been strengthened thanks to the precious support of our sponsor."
TotalEnergies have yet to announce their team for the Tour de France, but it is expected that Edvald Boasson Hagen, Pierre Latour and Alexandre Geniez will all feature in the line-up. The squad have not won a stage of the Tour since 2017, when Lilian Calmejane soloed to victory at Station des Rousses.
