As the Tour de France arrived in Paris and the Tour de France Femme began in the same city, French newspaper L'Equipe reported that the French capital is planning to become an important new player in cycling by lending its name to UCI pro team B&BHotels p/b KTM in 2023.

This project is the first of its kind in the world of cycling.

The project will reportedly expand the current pro teams to include both men's and women's teams, as well as an academy for young riders, although specific figures for the new budget are not yet available.

According to L'Equipe, the news will be officially announced this Sunday evening after the men's Tour de France ends on the Champs-Elysées.

The team's initial goal is to be in the top two in the professional team rankings, but they are also looking to strengthen their lineup. Mark Cavendish, whose contract with QuickStep-AlphaVinyl expires at the end of this season, is reportedly being looked at by the team as a potential 2023 signing.

However, another name mentioned in newspaper reports as potentially sparking interest, Michael Matthews (Bike Exchange-Jayco), has now re-signed with his current team for another three years.

Teams with major Western European cities as part of their team names in the past include Wallonie Bruxelles, Delco Marseille, and Telecom.

Didier Quillot, chief executive of the French Ligue de Football Professionnel and one of the brains behind the project, said that backing the team was at the request of the Paris City Council, which wanted to enhance Paris' image as the world capital of cycling and encourage citizens to use bicycles He told the newspaper that the team's backing was at the request of the Paris City Council, which wanted to enhance Paris' image as the world capital of cycling and encourage its citizens to use bicycles.

At the same time, the inspiration for this new sponsorship, which comes just ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, was drawn from the 2010 creation of Team Sky in England and the 2012 Games in London.

Kiyo was at pains to point out that while Paris provided the name and image for this expansion project, reportedly named the Paris Cycling Project, and the team will be headquartered in Paris, no financial support or public funding will be provided by the city.

The shortfall will be made up by private sponsors, who will also be featured on the team jerseys.