Product News – Santini & the Giro d’Italia

The long tradition of sponsorship between the Giro d’Italia and Santini Maglificio Sportivo will be renewed from next Saturday with the start of the stage race in Liguria.

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Product News – Santini & the Giro d’Italia

Further information: http://www.prendas.co.uk/teams/giro-d-italia-grand-tour.html

In addition to the symbolic maglia rosa and the three other classification jerseys for the sprinters, climbers and best young rider under the age of 25 Santini has released a special capsule collection of commemorative jerseys highlighting four of the most evocative stages in this year’s race. Furthermore a special edition version of the legendary Maglia Nera (Black Jersey) has been produced.

The first edition of the Giro d’Italia dates back to 1909, however the historic pink jersey that has become the distinctive symbol of the race was actually introduced in 1931 as a means of clearly distinguishing the overall race leader. A jersey that over time has become one of the most coveted in the career of a professional cyclist; adorning it for just one day will provide a sense of accomplishment that justifies an entire season of racing.

The pink jersey is synonymous with tradition and carries a deep historical significance; a concept best translated into reality by a manufacturer with its very own deep-rooted legacy in road racing: Santini Maglificio Sportivo. A company that stands as a benchmark in world of technical cycling apparel, this year celebrating its fiftieth anniversary.
​For the last 20 years the Bergamascan company has developed the jerseys for the Giro d’Italia, guaranteeing that all the apparel of the Corsa Rosa continues to have a true Italian soul.

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The four leader’s jerseys

This year the jerseys were designed by Lebole, a menswear fashion brand synonymous with elegance and Italian style, whilst being produced by Santini. The garments represent a synthesis of know-how drawn down from over fifty years of experience by the Bergamascan company; employing the most modern techniques in terms of innovative textile solutions to ensure lightness, breathability and a perfect fit enhancing performance.

This year sponsorship of the four classification jerseys stands as follows – the Pink Jersey, distinguishing the overall leader, is sponsored Balocco; the Blue Jersey, denoting the leader of the mountains classification is sponsored by Banca Mediolanum; the Red Jersey denoting the leader of the points classification is sponsored by Algida and the White Jersey reserved for the best young rider under 25 is sponsored Eurospin.

SANTINI-GDI2015_Black-jerseyAll the jerseys utilise the exclusive Cyber Ryder fabric, a material noted for its enhanced elasticity and characteristic weave pattern producing a contrasting gloss and matt finish.

Additionally the cuffs of the jerseys are finished using a raw cut elastic gripper fabric enhancing the products overall aerodynamic efficiency.

The invisible zipper and contrasting coloured piping along the sides panels and rear of the jersey provide an additional technical look to all the garments, perfectly representing the essence of the Giro.

Aside from all four classification jerseys, Santini has created a special capsule collection of jerseys dedicated the Giro d’Italia. This collection features one very special garment: the legendary Maglia Nera – Black Jersey.

The legend of the Black Jersey
There was a time in the history of the Giro d’Italia when the competition to finish first was not the only prize on offer. The honour and glory justly reserved for the race winner was at one point curiously also handed out to the race loser.

The rider who obtained this “reverse” result was granted the honour of wearing the Black Jersey; an award that was instituted in 1946 and continued until 1951.

Within its short lived existence the race for the Black Jersey provided countless surprising and often charming strategies to obtain this prize. It was commonplace for riders to fake punctures, contrive mechanical problems and employ various other underhanded strategies designed to enable them to cross the finish line last.

The blurred line between truth and legend doesn’t matter, what is certain is that the Maglia Nera will always remain a true symbol of cycling history. An era that Santini wanted to honour by creating a version of the Black Jersey for all fans of cycling.

The special jerseys
In addition to the legendary Black Jersey Santini wanted to include in its new capsule collection a series of jerseys that paid homage to specific stages of the 2015 Giro d’Italia; basing the designs of these four unique garments around the history and landscapes associated with these special stages of the 2015 race.

In the first stage from LORENZO AL MARE to SANREMO, riders will be faced with a very challenging team time trial – running along 17.6 km of beautiful Ligurian coastline from San Lorenzo al Mare to San Remo. As such Santini has devoted a jersey specifically to this stage, referencing the colours of the sea while celebrating the unique and inimitable Italian Riviera.

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The first uphill finish of the 2015 Giro, stage five from LA SPEZIA to ABETONE, will see the athletes tackling 17.3km of climbing, the last part of which will see them face a finish into town of Abetone, sitting at a height of 928 meters above sea level.
The jersey commemorating the finish into Abetone not only references the beautiful mountain landscape but also notes the town’s relationship to Giacomo Puccini, the famous Italian composer who in 1903 whilst living in the area wrote a large portion of his masterpiece Madame Butterfly; referenced on the jersey by the red butterfly and subtle tree pattern.

The third jersey celebrates the return after 23 years of a Giro stage into Imola, centred on the truly prestigious venue of the Autodromo Ferrari. Stage ​eleven from FORLÌ to IMOLA will not be easy; before entering the velodrome the riders will have to negotiate the same roads as used for the 1968 World Championships won by Vittorio Adorni. The flame red jersey that celebrates this stage exudes references to true Italian style and speed, perfectly capturing the essence of the Giro d’Italia.

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Finally, the fourth jersey, is dedicated to stage ​fourteen, TREVISO to VALDOBBIADENE – the punishing individual time trial that covers 59.2km in total. The setting of this stage will leave you breathless. A combination of flat and hilly sections that wind through the vineyards of the beloved Prosecco landscape; a true symbol of Italian identity worthy of being celebrated. Therefore, the jersey dedicated to this stage plays on the colours associated with a bottle of Prosecco while the subtle design on the back pocket is a clever combination of a rider time trialling and prosecco a flute.

In total all the jerseys in this special collection draw on elements not just confined to the world of cycling but also to Italian passion and examples of the nations other great achievements, gained with commitment and dedication, stage after stage.

Further information: http://www.prendas.co.uk/teams/giro-d-italia-grand-tour.html

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