The team, formerly known as Bigla-Katusha, has rebranded to Équipe Paule Ka after the French fashion house agreed to sponsor the team until the end of 2024, ahead of the re-launch of the 2020 season with a new appearance and team name (opens in new tab).

The new sponsorship deal was announced in mid-July after Bigla and Katusha abruptly withdrew their funding for the team at the end of April. The team then began crowdfunding and accessed a UCI bank guarantee in April to pay the wages of the riders and staff.

New sponsor Paule Ka, a luxury ready-to-wear brand founded by Serge Cajfinger in 1987, has 90 stores worldwide and a strong online presence.

"We are very proud to announce that as of today we are changing our team name from Bigla-Katusha to Équipe Paule Ka.

"Since forming a long-term partnership with one of France's leading independent fashion brands, the team has been working towards a new look, and we are very proud to announce that we will be changing our name from Bigla-Katusha to Équipe Paule Ka," said Équipe.

While the team colors will remain navy, orange, white, and aqua green, the kit's design will do a 180-degree turn, with white as the main color, blue and orange trim on the sides, and aqua stripes on the chest. The team car and van were similarly rebranded.

"As we embark on our journey with Paul Ka, we also bid farewell to our valued partner since 2005, Bigla," the team statement continued.

"The support of Fritz Besch and the entire Besch family has contributed deeply to the development of countless talents in the women's peloton. Without them, the team's many successes over the years would never have come to fruition.

"With the racing season about to resume soon, we are excited to work with our valued partners and supporters to write a new chapter in the team's history and achieve even more ambitious goals in the current and upcoming seasons.

In announcing the deal with Pawluka, the team, which races at the women's continental level, said it will apply for a women's World Tour license for 2021.

"This partnership opens another chapter for the team," said team CEO Prisca Doppmann Campana. 'We will be seeking a World Tour license and developing a master class project.'

The team, which will return to racing on August 1 in Strade Bianche, started the 2020 season with a victory, with Emma Norsgaard-Jorgensen and Leah Thomas taking two stage wins in the Vuelta Comunidad Valenciana Feminas. New Zealander Niamh Fischer-Black won the national road race title and the Gravel & Tar La Femme.