Blanco becomes Team Belkin ahead of Tour de France

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Proudly presenting the new Belkin colours (Image credit: Belkin Pro Cycling)

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Two Team Blanco riders relax before the start of the stage — Two Te🃏am Blanco riders relax before the start of 🦂the stage (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

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Belkin CEO Chet Pipkin at the pre-Tour de France launch — Belkin CEO Chet Pipkin at the pre-Tour de 👍France launch (Image credit: Bert Geerts/d𝓰cp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl)

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Team Belkin are presented with a new look and colours ahead of the 100th Tour de France — Team Belkin are presented with a new look and 🦋colours ahead of the 100th Tour de France (Image credit꧃: Bertꦦ Geerts/dcp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl)

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Belkin team Skoda and a fresh lick of paint for the Giant Propel team bike — Belkin team Skoda and a fresh lick of paint for♎ the Gia🐻nt Propel team bike (Image credit: Bert Geerts♕/d🥀cp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl)

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Team Blanco now has a real brand behind the logo

Team Blanco now has a real brand behind the logo (Im🔴age credit: Bert Geerts/dcp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl)

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Bauke Mollema will lead Belkin at this year's Tour — Baukeಌ Mollema will lead Belkin at this 🦩year's Tour (Image credi💜t: Bert Geerts/dcp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl)

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No room for Tjallingii at this year's Tour de France — No 🏅room for Tjallingii ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚat this year's Tour de France (Image ಞcredit: Bert Geerts/dcp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl)

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Rick Flens models the new Belkin kit (Image credit: Bert 🌜Geerts/dcp-bertg🥃eerts@xs4all.nl)

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Robert Gesink is hoping to turn around his fortune at the Tour — Robert Gesink is hoping to turn around h🌟is 𓂃fortune at the Tour (Image credit🐻: Bert Geerts/dcp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl)

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Belkin has committed to a two-year deal with the squad formerly known as Blanco — Belkin has committed to a two-year deal with the squad formerly 𒅌known as൩ Blanco (Im▨age credit: Bert Geerts/dcp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl)

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Robert Gesink and team sprinter Theo Bos in the new kit — Ro♛bert Gesink and team sprꦯinter Theo Bos in the new kit (Im♒age credit: Bert Geerts/dcp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl)

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Wilco Kelderman will skip this year's Tour after finishing 17th at the Giro d'Italia — W🌜ilco Kelderman will skip♛ this year's Tour after finishing 17th at the Giro d'Italia (Ima🙈ge credit: Bert Geerts/dcp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl)

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Belkin CEO Chet Pipkin, Wilco Kelderman, Michiel Elijzen, Maarten Tjallingi, Erik Dekker and Jetse Bole model their new kit ahead of the Tour — Belkin CEO Chet Pipkin, Wilco Kel๊derman, Michiel Elijzen, Maarten Tjallingi, Erik Dekker and Jetse Bole model their new kit ahead 🙈of the Tour (Image cr🔯e𒀰dit: Bert Geerts/dcp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl)

Team Belkin will replace the Blanco Pro Racing Team, making its debut at the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tour de France. The riders will wear the green colours of the new team sponsor in Corsica on Saturday for the start of the r🌄ace, while the contract will run for two and a half years.

“We have had a very hectic𝓰 period behind us, but in Belkin we have found a tremendous new 🌠sponsor. Right from the first contact, the discussions went very well. We have shared values: we want to win as a team but we attach a lot of importance to the manner in which we win. I also want to thank Rabobank: they provided for the continuity and gave us the opportunity to find a new sponsor. Now we are really underway," said team manager Richard Plugge.

The team's Tour de France leader Bauke Mollema echoed Plugge's comments. “I’ve believed from day one the management would be able to find a new sponsor despite the challenging economic period we face. Therefore, my focus wasဣ on training and racing. If we did not have sponso🐼r before the Tour began, that might have been cause for concern but happily that is not the case. I am very pleased that we can know continue to grow and become even more successful.”