Direct Energie succeeds Europcar as French team sponsor

PARIS (Reuters) - Electricity and gas supplier Direct Energie is taking over from Europcar as main sponsor of manager Jean-Rene Bernaudeau's cycling team from next year, the two parties said on Tuesday.

Europcar, which took over from Bouygues Telecom in 2011, had announced earlier this year that it would end its sponsorship at the end of 2015.

Direct Energie and Bernaudeau's team announced their partnership at a press conference.

The team features French crowd favourite Thomas Voeckler, who finished fourth overall in the Tour de France in 2011, as well as sprint specialist Bryan Coquard.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Neville Dalton)