Explaining the decision to swap kit colours, Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford said: “We have always admired Castelli given their heritage and our shared passion for innovation.

“That’s why our kit this season reflects our history as a team and our ambitions for the future – with Italian flair and design. And our riders love it.

“Castelli also looked at different colours during the design process last year. We all loved the white.

“We are always up for doing things differently and decided the best time to unveil it would be at the Tour – the world’s biggest bike race. We can’t wait to get racing wearing it.”

Castelli brand manager Steve Smith added: “One of the designs we looked at for the 2017 season was a white version of what eventually became the 2017 Team Sky kit.

“We all knew that we wanted to use the new design, and the Tour is the perfect opportunity to do that. The kit looks so modern, and yet classic at the same time. We can’t wait to see it being worn by Team Sky.”

Fans have until June 13 to apply for the chance to see their name featured on the presentation jersey, by entering their details at teamskypromotions.com/whitejersey.