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Don’t apologize if you do a double-take on Sunday. Yes, that is a 7-Eleven jersey you’ll see this weekend at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
The unmistakable green, red, and white of the legendary 7-Eleven cycling team will be back in the bunch on Sunday, as Uno-X Mobility brings the iconic kit back to life in a one-day-only homage to the past.
In perhaps the wildest iteration yet among teams rolling out special, one-off jerseys a few select times across the season, Uno-X Mobility is taking things to a new level with a complete makeover.
Gone is the team’s trademark red and yellow color scheme; in is a one-off throwback, 7-Eleven-inspired jersey.
It’s part homage to the ground-breaking American team and part tip to Eddy Merckx, the five-time winner of “La Doyenne,” who is celebrating his 80th birthday this summer.
“Team 7‑Eleven was a legendary team,” said Thor Hushovd, general manager of Uno-X. “My own cycling journey started watching Dag Otto Lauritzen, also from Grimstad, win Norway’s first Tour de France stage in that jersey. Seeing our riders wear it now is truly something special.”
One can assume the UCI signed off on this special-edition look. UCI rules allow alternate kit designs for up to three events per season, with a 60-day review period.
Going all in on 7-Eleven throwback
The through-line for this PR stunt?
In the 1980s, 7-Eleven broke barriers in the European peloton by becoming the first American squad to race the Tour de France. Merckx later supplied the team with his Eddy Merckx-branded bikes.
Racing in team colors, Lauritzen became the first Norwegian to win a Tour stage in 1987. He’ll be with the team Sunday as an honorary sports director.
There is also a connection to the team’s current DNA. One of Uno-X’s team backers operates the 7-Eleven franchises across Scandinavia.
Stitch it all together, and what comes out is this unique twist on “brand activation.”
The bikes and jerseys will be available for purchase online.
Special edition Ridley for Merckx homage
The tribute is more than just the kit.
Team cars will be wrapped in 7-Eleven livery, and every other detail of the team’s setup Sunday — helmets from Sweet Protection, gloves by GripGrab, and the OSPW system from CeramicSpeed — will see a retro makeover for the romp through Wallonia.
The team’s bikes will also see a one-day redo, with a special edition Ridley Noah Fast.
Produced by Belgian Cycling Factory, which now owns both Ridley and Eddy Merckx Bikes, the frameset is a tip of the hat to Merckx’s role in supplying bikes to the original 7-Eleven and Motorola teams.
“This is more than a limited edition bike or jersey,” said Frank Symons, Marketing Director at Belgian Cycling Factory. “It’s a heartfelt tribute to Eddy Merckx for his 80th birthday and to the legacy he’s built over eight incredible decades.”
