(As before, we borrowed this picture from Wielerjargon. Hope that's OK!)
From Italian cyclewear company Nalini, a collection of five really good looking bicycle jerseys (or at least four good looking, we're not entirely into the red one), celebrating five Classic bicycle races. Liège Bastogne Liège (or Liegi Bastogne Liegi, as Italians would spell it), started in 1892; Amstel Gold Race, started in 1966; Ronde van Vlaanderen (or Giro Delle Fiandre, in Italian), started in 1912; Milano San Remo, started in 1907; and Paris Roubaix (Parigi Roubaix in Italian), started in 1896. I have to say that I was a little wondering over the selection, what races Nalini considered to be Classics. Couldn't La Flèche Wallonne, first run in 1936, be considered a more Classic race, than Amstel Gold? Or Omloop Het Niewsblad? (OK, Omloop Het Niewsblad was first held in 2009, but its predecessor Omloop van Vlaanderen was first held in 1945.) But anyway it's a great collection, as well as celebrating the bicycle races, the jerseys are also made of recycled PET bottles. Good lookin and eco friendly, that's awesome. Unfortunately though, not available anymore.
And right here I just want to mention the Italian word "giro". If you say "giro" in Sweden, if they know at all what you're talking about, they will think that you're talking about the Giro d'Italia. But "giro" is just Italian for "round". For example, my Italian neighbour Rolando always refers to Tour de France as "Giro di Francia". But then he also see Tour de France as slightly inferior to Giro d'Italia... Which I, until the announcement of Giro d'Italia 2018, would agree upon. Giro d'Italia was a better looking, more exciting, more monumental race, filled with heroic efforts, drama and passion. (In short, the race was more Italian.) But I am most disappointed that the 2018 Giro d'Italia will start in Israel, as well as the weak attitude shown by the Giro d'Italia organisation towards the force politics and demands of the Israeli state. I will write more about this in the future, because I can't just stay quiet as the Israeli state continue to oppress the Palestinians and Palestine, while now trying to get goodwill and publicity by hosting the first three stages of Giro d'Italia.
But right now, let me get back to the cycling jerseys. Nalini released their Le Classiche jerseys a couple of years ago, and this year Swedish sportswear company Craft released three bicycle jerseys, celebrating three Classic bicycle races. Or Monuments. Craft's definition of Classics, Monuments are Milano San Remo, Paris Roubaix and Ronde van Vlaanderen, which made me wonder which races are considered Classics and/or Monuments. According to wikipedia, there is a problem with the definitions, since there is no consencus about what a Classic bicycle race is. And so the term "Monument" was introduced, and the Monuments (in cycling) are Milano San Remo, Ronde van Vlaanderen, Paris Roubaix, Liège Bastogne Liège and Giro di Lombardia. Was Nalini opting for Amstel Gold Race and omitting Giro di Lombardia because one of Giro di Lombardias official sponsors is Castelli? I mean, why else would an Italian company not consider an Italian race a Classic?
Anyway, the jerseys from Craft (with a pair of bib shorts matcing the Ronde van Vlaanderen jersey) are really good looking as well. Check out for yourself:
(The Milano San Remo, or La Primavera jersey)
(The Paris Roubaix, or L'enfer du Nord jersey)
(The Ronde van Vlaanderen, or De Ronde jersey)
(We borrowed the pictures from Craft. Hope that's OK!)
What's especially cool about the Craft jerseys is that they also have the pet names of the races on their jerseys (on the sleeves). Just a couple of questions. Will Craft release Liège Bastogne Liège (La Doyenne) and Giro di Lombardia (Classica delle foglie morte) jerseys as well? And if so, why not now? Or doesn't Craft want to intrude on a race sponsored by Castelli? As far as I can tell Ronde van Vlaanderen is (among other) sponsored by sportswear company Doltcini, if Paris Roubaix is sponsored by any sportswear I can't tell, because I can't find any sponsors page on their pretty messy web site, and lastly Giro di Lombardia is sponsored, again, by Castelli. And lastly, shouldn't the Milano San Remo jersey really be pink? Well, you could write to Craft and ask them. (I really am too busy to do it myself.) If not I suppose time will tell.
Anyway the jerseys Craft have made are sold in with really good looking photos on their web site:
(Milano San Remo)
(Paris Roubaix)
(Ronde van Vlaanderen)
(Again, we borrowed the pictures from Craft. Hope that's OK!)
Ride safe!
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