Peter Sagan and his Slovakian team-mates lined out at the Qatar start of the 2016 UCI Road World Championships wearing the Slovakian national cycling team skinsuit developed specifically for them by Santini Maglificio Sportivo. The garment is positioned as ‘a perfect compromise of the need to deliver breathability and comfort in the sweltering heat of Qatar and the need to keep it aerodynamic to combat Doha’s strong, gusting winds.’
The Body Custom version of the skinsuit is available for retail sale to individual cyclists and also to teams wishing to customise it with their own colours and logos. A version in the UCI rainbow colours is also available as part of the UCI collection.
After its success in the UCI Worlds at Richmond in 2015, the Slovakian national cycling team decided to wear a new iteration of the Santini skinsuit at the start-line in Doha this year. The original choice was made a year ago in the US and dictated by ‘various factors that proved even more relevant at the Road World Championships in Qatar’. And two key elements wielded influence on the week of racing in the Doha desert: wind and high temperatures.
The latter in particular concerned both athletes and coaches alike, to the extent that Santini, the official supplier to the Slovakian team, suggested Peter Sagan (and his two team-mates) try an evolution of the skinsuit that saw him dominate the Richmond event last year.
Santini notes that the skinsuit is made of different fabrics with body mapping used to decide which material to use on the various sections of the body to meet the specific requirements of each area. The upper part of the skinsuit is made from Spider, a polyester micromesh that’s breathable. The lower part of the suit incorporates two fabrics: anti-slip Vergelle is used for the groin area to help the rider maintain his position in the saddle for longer, while Grip400 is adopted for the thigh areas. According to Santini, this means that an uncomfortable elastic band is not required and will not put pressure on the cyclist’s most important muscles, keeping the suit comfortably in place above the knees.
The resulting skinsuit is aerodynamic, ‘acting like a second skin thanks to the way it effortlessly hugs the body, even though air penetration was not a priority in the choices made by the Santini technicians and the Slovakian team.’
“We’ve put together a piece of kit that is a compromise between the need for maximum possible breathability in high temperature conditions and a need for it to be aerodynamically correct,” commented Monica Santini who heads the family firm. “Seeing Peter Sagan raising his arm in victory for the second time was a great reward for the work we’d done with the Slovakian team’s technicians.”
Detailing of the Slovakian team skinsuit further aimed to improve performance. The Santini C3 chamois is made using Carving Technology which involves sculpting two overlapping foams to reduce overall volume and build up layers without any need for stitching or gluing.
‘A double opening zipper is also convenient when nature calls during a competition that lasts almost six hours. Lastly, there are two back pockets large enough to hold gels or bars, etc. but which won’t impact on comfort or air penetration.’
The skinsuit is available for sale as part of the Santini Body Custom collection, which spans kit that professional and amateur teams can customise with their own logos and colours.
In the UK, a custom order can be discussed via distributor ZyroFisher – contact jonathan.sangan[at]fisheroutdoor.co.uk. The skinsuit can be purchased through the company website or in the rainbow UCI colours from leading specialist retailers (SRP £179.99).
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www.zyrofisher.co.uk
