Is this the Team GB cycling kit? New jersey gives clues about Paris Olympics design

Images of the new Team GB Olympic kit were revealed by clothing partner Adidas on Thursday evening ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer.

So far, only the kits for some sports have been released, including track and field, gymnastics and diving. Additionally, Adidas has released its 'Village' and 'Podium' casual clothing, which will be the same for all athletes.

Alongside the release, Team GB added a new cycling jersey to their online store. This jersey appears to be a fan-oriented jersey, with a loose fit, relatively basic construction, and no sign either of a matching pair of shorts or a skinsuit. That said, it could be a first clue as to what kind of design the British riders might be wearing in the velodrome and in the road and time trial events.

Across the board, the competition kits are navy blue, with a white Adidas logo, white Team GB logo, and 'Great Britain' emblazoned across the chest of the designs in red font.

© Team GB

Team GB athletes displaying the new kit

Design Director Jacqueline King says the new kit is “grounded in simplicity”, using the “classic British red, white and blue” as the foundation for the design.

The kit has received a mixed reaction online, with many calling it dull and unimaginative.

The decision to play it safe is unsurprising. In recent weeks, the British Olympic Association found themselves on the receiving end of criticism when they released a Union flag with alterations to the traditional red, white and blue colours. The incident followed the discourse caused by the new England football kit, in which Nike altered the colours of the Saint George's cross on the collar.

© Team GB

The Team GB supporters' flag, which added new colours and patterns to the Union flag

Traditionalists will be pleased to see that the new Adidas clothing makes no attempt to alter any British symbols. Instead, the kit celebrates history and heritage. It features a deep navy base colour, accented by white and red. The font for the uniform is inspired by the Olympics kit from 1924, which Adidas says is there to celebrate “100 years of British sporting heritage”. The loose-fitting podium jacket feels straight out of the 1990s. Finally, to add to the 'retro-fever', the kit was released via a set of grainy film-style photos on a classic ‘school portraits’ backdrop.

© Team GB

British Freestyle BMXer Charlotte Worthington shows off the new kit

The release of Team GB's kit follows the release of Canada's Lululemon kit earlier this week, and the release of Team USA's controversial Nike kit, which many criticised due to the scant women's leotards.

For now, we can only guess what the skinsuits and jerseys the British cyclists will wear on the track, road and mountain biking will look like. However, given the uniformity across the range released so far, it seems likely that the kit will mirror those we've seen already with a simple navy design.