The Uno‑X Mobility team will become 7‑Eleven for Sunday's Liège-Bastogne-Liège to celebrate sponsor Reitan's links with 7-Eleven in Scandinavia and the 40th anniversary of the American team's Monument Classic debut.
Magnus Cort, Anouska Koster, and the rest of the men's and women's teams will swap their usual red and yellow race clothing for the iconic green and red colours that 7-Eleven raced in during the late 80s.
The Uno-X Mobility team cars will also be wrapped in 7-Eleven colours, in perhaps the most audacious kit change ever seen since the UCI allowed teams to change their colours for specific races and events.
UCI rules allow alternate team kit designs for up to three events per season after approval, but changes can confuse spectators and the team's rivals. Visma-Lease a Bike will again change their racing kit design for the Tour de France, with the Dutch team and Lotto recently changing their kit for the Tour of Flanders.
Reitan operates 107 7‑Eleven service stations that combine fast charging, fuel, and fresh food sales in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
The 7-Eleven team was the first American squad to ride the Tour de France and a full European season, with Andy Hampsten and Ron Kiefel taking breakthrough stage victories at the 1985 Giro d'Italia.
Sprinter Davis Phinney won a stage of the 1986 Tour de France, and Canada's Alex Steida wore the leader's yellow jersey for a day. Hampsten won the 1988 Giro d'Italia after excelling in the snow over the Passo Gavia and impressing during the three weeks. The team was sponsored by Motorola from 1991, but the pioneering success of the 7-Eleven team was never forgotten and inspired a later generation.
Dag Otto Lauritzen became a national hero when he became the first Norwegian to win a stage of the Tour de France in 1987 with 7-Eleven. Uno-X Mobility said that Lauritzen will be with the team Sunday as an 'honorary sports director.'
"Team 7‑Eleven was a legendary team. My own cycling journey started watching Dag Otto win Norway’s first Tour de France stage in that jersey. Seeing our riders wear it now is truly something special," Uno-X team manager Thor Hushovd said.
Eddy Merckx supplied the 7-Eleven team with bikes in the latter years of the team, and the Uno-X Mobility riders will use a special edition red and green Ridley Noah Fast bike, provided by Belgian Cycling Factory, which owns Ridley and Eddy Merckx Bikes.
Merckx won Liège-Bastogne-Liège five times during his career and will celebrate his 80th birthday this summer.
Helmets from Sweet Protection, gloves by GripGrab, and the OSPW system from CeramicSpeed will also see a retro makeover for Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
"This is more than a limited edition bike or jersey, it’s a heartfelt tribute to Eddy Merckx for his 80th birthday and to the legacy he’s built over eight incredible decades," Frank Symons of Belgian Cycling Factory said.
"By bringing the iconic 7-Eleven team back to life at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, together with Uno-X Mobility and our amazing partners, we’re reviving a piece of cycling history in a way that’s never been done before."
