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TECH NEWS

Rapha launch Pantani jersey

Special edition Super Lightweight jersey commemorates 10th anniversary of Il Pirata's death

Rapha have launched a special Marco Pantani edition of their Super Lightweight Jersey which comes complete with a bandana, the Italian rider’s signature headgear.

Pantani won both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France in 1998, becoming the first Italian rider since Fausto Coppi to secure the double. The jersey commemorates the 10th anniversary of his death in 2004.

The design has been approved by the Pantani family and the little story on the label inside a rear pocket was written by Marco’s mother. One of the logos on the chest is for the pizza place that she runs.

The logo on the other side says ‘Angelo della montagna, maestro e allievo,’ which means ‘Angel of the mountains, teacher and student.’

The Pantani jersey is based on Rapha’s existing Super Lightweight Jersey (£100), coming in Giro d’Italia pink with Pantani’s nickname, Il Pirata – The Pirate – printed on each shoulder. The graffiti-style pattern on the fabric is based on the messages of support written on the roads by fans during Pantani’s racing career.

The jersey is made from very lightweight polyester that’s designed to be super-breathable, with mesh panels down the sides.

The Pantani jersey will be available from 30 April at www.rapha.cc.

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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22 comments

Avatar
Simon E | 9 years ago
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There is a review of the Pantani film in The Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/recreational-cycling/10827554/Marc...

pantanifilm.com has cinema listings.

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ilderracer | 9 years ago
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I don't normally comment on these things. But this is utterly disgusting to me. Whether it's approved by the family or not, this is cashing in on someone elses death.

Never buying anything Rapha again. The quality lately has been questionable anyway...

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bikeandy61 | 9 years ago
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While I agree that Lance was probably the worst of a bad bunch I still have a problem with the Pantani love in. Having read "The Death of Marko Pantani" I didn't come away thinking he was a particularly nice bloke. But then this is a trait shared by the majority of top athletes and one off the reasons they get where they do.

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andyp | 9 years ago
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'I simply don't get how Lance is vilified when Europeans who did the same '

They didn't do the same. Pantani doped. I can't remember him doing any of the other sh1t that Armstrong pulled.

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nicstevenson | 9 years ago
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Ahhh but if they made a Tom Simpson one...

ps I think one reason this looks a bit crap is that it doesn't seem to fit their model... Ironically given the fat shaming on here, he either needs to be bigger or it needs to be smaller.

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wwfcb replied to nicstevenson | 9 years ago
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nicstevenson wrote:

Ahhh but if they made a Tom Simpson one...

ps I think one reason this looks a bit crap is that it doesn't seem to fit their model... Ironically given the fat shaming on here, he either needs to be bigger or it needs to be smaller.

Like this ?

http://road.cc/content/news/79874-rapha-release-bordeaux-paris-jersey

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Neil753 | 9 years ago
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I don't mean to knock Rapha, but this garment looks some sort of support vest that might be worn by a pensioner, that's been dunked in the boil wash so many times that almost all the colour has faded. And that liberal scattering of logos look decidedly like hospital tags and washing instructions when viewed from a distance  4

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Some Fella | 9 years ago
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Will Rapha being doing a jersey to commemorate all the riders who tried to become pro cyclists but failed because they refused to dope?
Doping was, and is not, a victimless crime.
This is just cynical opportunism exploiting the misguided reverence for a cheat and parting fools from their money.
A fools paradise.

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Fipzee | 9 years ago
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So how many years till we get the Lance jersey in his signature bs brown? I like Rapha but this was not a smart move.

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cub | 9 years ago
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Wasn't trying to bitch, I'm genuinely curious to hear why someone might buy this. Any suggestions?

Besides, It's road cycling, if you can't be faster than someone up hill at least you can smirk at their fashion faux pas. This is the new golf after all.

 3

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Northernbike | 9 years ago
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''A nice day in june I spot one on the left as I climb box hill, the cafe is packed so no suspicion is raised as I sit next to him, the jersey is a nice shade of blood pink, 60% hue with extra material added to make armband lines in case we didn't know it was Rapha. The owner was lucky to get one of the few XXL ones left to tribute the "Angel of the mountains". I then casually ask him about it, trying to look at his face and not the "very lightweight polyester" (read transparent) front of his jersey. I'll try my best not to spit out my tea if he uses the word "suffering".

I'll try my best not to spit out my tea as I picture a bunch of people in some posh cafe in Surrey bitching about each other's jerseys

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ChancerOnABike | 9 years ago
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I could be wrong but the reason Pantani isn't villified like lance is that he wasn't a control freak who bullied anyone who dared show any challenge to him doping. Did Pantani make anyone like Bassens quit? Or sue anyone for writing things he didn't like about him?

Doping is wrong but bullying and doping is a whole different league. The effects of bullying are far more reaching than 'simply' cheating.

While i'm on the soapbox, people on here need to lighten up. So many judgemental daft comments on so many artickes. This is why so many people are against cyclists in the first place. Just let people live
 102

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gbzpto | 9 years ago
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is it me or are Rapha losing the plot a little since their association with Sky ?

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Simon E | 9 years ago
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To me this jersey provides no genuine association with Pantani or his achievements and just feels like opportunism, trading on the mythology built around Il Pirata.

That criticism is aimed solely at Rapha. If other people, XXL or any other size, like it and buy it I have no problem with that. I don't think it's for me to judge whether they are right or wrong, 'genuine' fans, misguided Mamils or fashion victims.

I don't think pink really goes with my hair colour anyway but if I wanted to wear pink I'd prefer to get one of the Giro jerseys from Prendas (there are blue, red and white too)... or take part in a sponsored ride for a Breast Cancer charity  3

There's no such veneration for Casartelli, Wouter Weylandt and others who died or whose careers were tragically cut short like that of Mauricio Soler.

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daddyELVIS | 9 years ago
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Nice jersey, but the only bloke who looks cool wearing pink on a bike is the actual leader of the Giro, so I'll not be purchasing.

Pantani - legend. RIP.

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joemmo | 9 years ago
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Includes free bandana you say? Is there also a stick on beard to complete the outfit?

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Beefy | 9 years ago
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I simply don't get how Lance is vilified when Europeans who did the same but were not as successful when the field was levelled by drug use are lorded? Either it was ok then because drug use was every where or they are all as bad as each other!

IMO it is over the top the way Lance is being treated (though I'm not a USA fan).

Jersey is not very nice, and I don't dislike rapha though Ido think you can get as good or better kit for slightly less hard earned cash. May be a yellow LA jersey would look better  41

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surly_by_name replied to Beefy | 9 years ago
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Beefy wrote:

I simply don't get how Lance is vilified when Europeans who did the same but were not as successful when the field was levelled by drug use are lorded?

IMO it is over the top the way Lance is being treated (though I'm not a USA fan).

Jersey is not very nice

Is Lance vilified to the same extent in non-English speaking countries? I am shamefully monolingual, hence my question. I wonder whether he gets a much harder time in English speaking countries reflecting the fact that we understand what he says (and what he says gives the impression he's a nasty piece of work) and also that English speaking countries are relatively new to professional cycling and so a bit naive.

I think the jersey is horrible. Made up inconography, a nasty shade of pink and some random words. Most Rapha stuff looks good (even if its not necessarily good value) but this jersey is ugly even before you get to the point where you decide you can't afford it.

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Gkam84 | 9 years ago
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I didn't like the idea when I first heard about it, as I expressed on the forum, but I am ok with that, because it looks SH*T, cheap and tacky.

They could have done something tasteful.  24

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Fixie Girl replied to Gkam84 | 9 years ago
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Gkam84 wrote:

I didn't like the idea when I first heard about it, as I expressed on the forum, but I am ok with that, because it looks SH*T, cheap and tacky.

They could have done something tasteful.  24

+1

I like Rapha, I REALLY like them, this is appalling..

How about a Kickstarter campaign to raise the money to buy them all and the burn them all?

FG

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wwfcb | 9 years ago
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Didn't take long, did it?
 41

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cub | 9 years ago
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So a jersey made by none other than Rapha to commemorate a confirmed doper, surely they're trolling us?

I've taken a few minutes but cannot think of any reason somebody could buy this other than irony, but I shouldn't have to wait long to find out. I can picture the scene: A nice day in june I spot one on the left as I climb box hill, the cafe is packed so no suspicion is raised as I sit next to him, the jersey is a nice shade of blood pink, 60% hue with extra material added to make armband lines in case we didn't know it was Rapha. The owner was lucky to get one of the few XXL ones left to tribute the "Angel of the mountains". I then casually ask him about it, trying to look at his face and not the "very lightweight polyester" (read transparent) front of his jersey.

I'll try my best not to spit out my tea if he uses the word "suffering".

Rubbing my hands in anticipation, can't wait.

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