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Since 2015, Santini Cycling has been the title sponsor of the L’Eroica event. Eroica brings the best of vintage cycling to the white gravel roads of Tuscany, Italy.
Ten years later, Santini is releasing a clothing line to celebrate its historic partnership with the classic event. The new Santini X Eroica collection blends vintage classics with modern innovation for both on and off the bike.
Santini Cycling
Pietro Santini, Santini Cycling’s founder, took over a knitwear factory in Bergamo, Italy, in 1965. Initially, Santini was making general wool garments. However, because of his passion for cycling, he began to focus more on sport-specific clothing, including, of course, cycling apparel.
And Santini would make his mark on the cycling world. He was the first to introduce Lycra into the sport in the 1970s. Throughout the 70s and 80s, Santini Cycling continued to innovate, trying new fabrics that would decrease wind resistance and improve aerodynamics. In 1988, Santini began making the UCI’s famed rainbow jersey worn by the series leader.
Despite a legacy of innovation and bringing the best materials to the forefront of the sport, nostalgia runs deep in cycling. When Santini Cycling got the opportunity in 2015 to be the main sponsor of L’Eroica, the brand jumped at the chance. The Eroica event that taps into cycling’s heritage would be a wonderful excuse for Santini to bring back a piece of its own heritage.
The L’Eroica Event
Giancarlo Brocci founded L’Eroica in 1997. Brocci’s goal was to preserve the historic white gravel roads embedded in Tuscany’s cycling traditions. To do so, the Eroica Event was born, with a non-competitive race held annually, celebrating vintage cycling.
Steel frames, toe clips with straps, downtube shifters, and, of course, vintage clothing are the culture of L’Eroica. And that is precisely where Santini Cycles comes in, providing vintage wool clothing and acting as the title sponsor since 2015.
Now, Santini is introducing a new lineup of vintage wool clothing, technical garments, and casual wear inspired by L’Eroica. The Santini X Eroica Collection has a bit of everything.
Santini Cycling X Eroica Collection
The Santini X Eroica Collection is massive, from jerseys and bibs to socks, caps, gloves, and casual wear. Between style and color options, Santini Cycling offers 42 different items in the vintage lineup, with a variety of materials and uses.
Among the items in the lineup are the classic wool jerseys. However, knowing that traditional wool may not be everyone’s favorite, Santini also makes retro Eroica apparel with other material options. They also have poly/merino wool blend offerings, as well as high-performance microfiber jerseys.
New jerseys for this year are the Eroica Colnago and the 28° Gaiole. Both are made from fine wool with quarter-zip collars on the front. The back has classic jersey pockets, with mother-of-pearl buttons for that classic style.Â
The Eroica Colnago Wool Jersey comes in yellow and pays tribute to the Del Tongo-Colnago team jersey of the 1980s. The Eroica 28° Gaiole is offered in blue, burgundy, and white, colors that symbolize the extraordinary beauty of the Gaiole in Chianti.
Off the bike casual wear is also handled by Santini Cycling: hoodies — zip and pullover — crewnecks, t-shirts, and hats, all commemorating cycling’s heritage. To see the entire collection, head over to Santini Cycling’s website.