2021 is a special year for Lapierre, one of the historic brands of French cycling founded way back in 1946 by Gaston Lapierre. Since then the Dijon-based company has continued to design and build high-quality bicycles and just these days it celebrated its 75 years of activity.
The anniversary was doubly special as it coincided with 20 years of collaboration with Marc Madiot and with his Groupama-FDJ.
A special livery
To celebrate the double anniversary at Lapierre they decided to do things in a big way. From the beginning of the Tour de France There is gold graphics on all the team's vehicles, from the team managers' cars to the food trucks and mechanics'.
The same graphic was used on the seat tube of the two very special bikes used by the team, theAircode DRS and the new Xelius SL. We're talking about two top-of-the-line models. The Aircode DRS was designed for sprinters like Demare. The Xelius SL is the perfect bike for climbers like Pinot e Gaudu.
The front of the shirt… And the rear one On the inside of the collar is the commemorative writing of the 75th anniversary The shorts seen from the front… And on the side… Lapierre clothing is branded Alè
The front of the shirt… And the rear one On the inside of the collar is the commemorative writing of the 75th anniversary The shorts seen from the front… And on the side… Lapierre clothing is branded Alè
A commemorative uniform
On the first rest day of the Tour, the Groupama-FDJ boys wore a special uniform made especially by Alé, technical partner of the team. Gaudu and his teammates showed off a special outfit during their recovery training (here (the launch video). This outfit consisted of a sweater and bib shorts in which the gold color blended perfectly with black, gray, and white for a final result of maximum elegance.
The uniforms used by the team were then put up for sale and the proceeds donated to charity. For those who wish, it is still possible to purchase the same kit on the official Lapierre website or at the main retailers of the French brand present in Europe at a cost of 119,00 euros for the jersey and 129 euros for the bibshorts respectively.
