Sir Paul Smith has this evening unveiled the maglia rosa that he has designed for this year's Giro d'Italia and that riders including Tour de France champion Sir Bradley Wiggins will have their eyes on winning in May when the race ends in the Lombardy city of Brescia. The jersey, still made by Italian firm Santini, was unveiled at an event at the Paul Smith showroom in Milan hosted in partnership with race organisers RCS Sport. The maglia rosa also has a new sponsor this year in the shape of confectionery firm Balocco.
From another picture in a gallery on the Gazzetta dello Sport website, it can be seen that the left sleeve bears signature Paul Smith stripes on the cuff, as do the red, blue and white jerseys that he has designed for, respectively, the points, mountains and young rider's classifications.
Sir Paul is also known for hidden detailing in his designs - remember the kerfuffle a few year's back when one of his shirts former Prime Minister Tony Blair wore was revealed to have a World War II bomber decoration-style pin-up picture hiding behind the cuff?
Well, there's hidden detailing in this year's maglia rosa, too, in the shape of a dedication inside the collar to Fiorenzo Magni, the 'third man' of the years of the Coppi-Bartali rivalry who himself won the Giro in 1948, 1951 and 1955 and who died last month at the age of 91.
The designer said that his design aimed to simplify the jersey - last year's version, with two shades of pink employed and white panels at the shoulder wasn't to everyone's taste - and that he'd sought to put something of the cyclist within himself into the jerseys.
As some have pointed out in the comments to the initial version of this story, a pink jersey is a pink jersey, so where's the design element?
Well, as the Gazzetta dello Sport's blog for its Giro per Ghisallo initiative shows, the maglia rosa has seen subtle and not so subtle reinterpretations over the years - sometimes just the shade of pink employed, sometimes detailing such as the collar, and some more radical departures from the traditional design (gallery here).
The Gazzetta's initiative aims to collect as many versions of the maglia rosa - ones worn by riders, not replicas - for the cycling museum that Magni himself was instrumental in setting up at the top of the Madonna del Ghisallo climb which features on the Giro di Lombardia route.
So far, more than 50 versions of the maglia rosa have been collected and are on display there. After this year's race, the one designed by Sir Paul Smith, with its singular features such as those stripes and the hidden tribute to the museum's former president, will join them and find its own place in Italian cycling history.
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Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Looks nice enough, to be honest I'm not sure what more anyone can expect. I like Paul Smith's clothes enough to have got married in a Paul Smith shirt, and he's a bona fide pro-cycling fan, so I'm happy with this (though not as happy as I'm sure PS himself is at being given the chance to do it).
Well I like it, just as your eyes are getting used to the pink, and taking in the striking rouge accents, you notice the subtle white zip which could have been an overpowering rouge, but it isn't. Then right of field, you are assaulted by the modern, searing, silver hoop on the left arm that leaves one pondering: Is this the race setting itself apart from the other Grand Tours? Does this 'link' represent a new phase? Pink, rouge and silver, genius.
C'mon guys as pink jerseys go it could have been worse and, it got the race some PR too!
It's a pink jersey, which is surprisingly mostly pink ! With the sponsors having to have there names on it, there is not a massive amount you can do with it.
hope they didn,t pay him much , my 6 year old grandaughter would have done a better job and only cost them the price of a bag of chocolate buttons !!!!
Ohhhh, they make the worlds nicest tasting Panettone.....Thats all I know about the sponsor, but I quite like the jersey, not much he could have changed to be fair.
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21 comments
I still like / prefer the "Centoanni" D&G version;
http://cycling-jersey-collection.com/browse-collection/giro-d-italia-200...
yes it's busy, but it's more "euro"
Where's my Dulux paint brochure? I can't decide what shade of pink it falls under
It's not pink, it's cerulean
http://youtu.be/1LVptO7o4L8?t=54s
Why is the Giro taking styling advice from someone who dresses like Chas & Dave?
Come on, it features his trademark stripes on the left sleeve! Actually I like the blue one which is ironic in relation to my climbing performance.
Where can I buy it and tut?
Looks nice enough, to be honest I'm not sure what more anyone can expect. I like Paul Smith's clothes enough to have got married in a Paul Smith shirt, and he's a bona fide pro-cycling fan, so I'm happy with this (though not as happy as I'm sure PS himself is at being given the chance to do it).
Well I like it, just as your eyes are getting used to the pink, and taking in the striking rouge accents, you notice the subtle white zip which could have been an overpowering rouge, but it isn't. Then right of field, you are assaulted by the modern, searing, silver hoop on the left arm that leaves one pondering: Is this the race setting itself apart from the other Grand Tours? Does this 'link' represent a new phase? Pink, rouge and silver, genius.
C'mon guys as pink jerseys go it could have been worse and, it got the race some PR too!
I'm so angry. My Dead Grandmother could have done better.
It's a pink jersey, which is surprisingly mostly pink ! With the sponsors having to have there names on it, there is not a massive amount you can do with it.
classic with a twist as they say
hope they didn,t pay him much , my 6 year old grandaughter would have done a better job and only cost them the price of a bag of chocolate buttons !!!!
Nice...basic....simple...pink. Like the young riders one a lot...
I could've done that.
Ohhhh, they make the worlds nicest tasting Panettone.....Thats all I know about the sponsor, but I quite like the jersey, not much he could have changed to be fair.
Maybe they could have tweaked the pannetone reference - geddit !
*clicks non-existent like button*
Well he certainly looks very pleased with it.
Which bit of a universal fitting pink cycling jersey with sponsors logos can one actually 'design'?
Emperors New Clothes
Yes it is.
But a different shade of pink from last year, without the white patches where the sleeve joins the chest, and with some red detailing.
Erm... that's it for now...
Well, blow me, it's pink.