The distinctive orange of Rabobank has been replaced by blue, black and white after the Blanco Pro Cycling Team was announced.
Rabobank withdrew its public backing of the team in the wake of the Lance Armstrong scandal, ending a 17-year association with cycling.
The Dutch bank’s sponsorship deal was due to run until the end of the 2013 season so it will continue to fund the team, which will be known as Blanco until a new title sponsor is found.
“When I first heard the team would be called Blanco Pro Cycling, I thought it was a good, clean and fresh start. It’s a a clean slate to start from,” said sprinter Mark Renshaw. “We want to bring cycling back to the fans.”
Grand Tour hopeful Robert Gesink, who won the 2012 Tour of California, added: “We hope that the rest of the cycling world will also understand that too much has happened and that it should go the clean and honest way, and that’s what Blanco stands for.”
The team also used the announcement at its pre-season training camp on the Spanish island of Fuerteventura to reveal Richard Plugge will replace Harold Knebbel as team director.
