Image 1 of 4 Marcel Kittel relaxes in the team van before the stage (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 2 of 4 Kevin Pauwels (Sunweb-Napoleon Games) flanked by Lars van der Haar and Philipp Walsleben on the podium in Namur. (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 3 of 4 John Degenkolb gives Giant-Shimano another big win (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 4 of 4 General Manager Iwan Spekenbrink (Image credit: Bert Geerts/dcp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl)

Dutch-owned tour operator Sunweb have joined Giant-Alpecin as a major sponsor for two years the team has announced. The online travel company have signed a deal that keeps them with the team until the end of 2016 but have hopes to continue beyond that. Sunweb already sponsor the Sunweb-Napoleon Games cyclo-cross team of Kevin Pauwels.

"It needs no explanation how excited we are about this partnership with Sunweb," team manager Iwan Spekenbrink said in a press release. "We are extremely thrilled that cycling in a broad sense and our elite sports team in particular are amongst the driving forces of the international marketing strategy of such an absolute first class brand, Sunweb."

The team has gone through a number of big changes this winter after taking on new title sponsor Alpecin and switching to a German WorldTour licence for next season. Home to rising German stars Marcel Kittel and John Degenkolb, Giant-Alpecin will be the first team at WorldTour level to be registered in the country since Milram folded in 2010. Frenchman Warren Barguil is targetting his debut at the Tour de France where he will mount the team’s first attack on the race’s general classification.Tom Dumoulin is another stage race contender with his time trialling capabilities.

The new team jersey and official roster will be revealed at the team presentation in the French Embassy in Berlin on January 7.