Market: As has been the case for many years, the jerseys for the Giro this year will come from the Italian manufacturer Santini (we reported). As the company from Bergamo has now announced, there will also be a total of five special jerseys for the fans, including the legendary black jersey.
Die-hard Giro fans will be familiar with the legend of the black jersey - the jersey actually existed for a few years, having been introduced in 1946, but five years later it disappeared. In a way, it was supposed to be an alternative to the maglia rosa: The black jersey was “allowed” to be worn by those who rode last in the overall ranking. But anyone who now believes that this was perceived as humiliation by the drivers is wrong: there were sometimes absurd and quite comical competitions for the maglia negra. Technical problems were faked, flat feet were run in on purpose and much more. In 2015, more than 60 years later, Santini now wants to bring this legendary jersey back into the consciousness of fans and drivers.
In addition to the maglia negra, there will be four other special jerseys, each of which is dedicated to what is perhaps the most formative stage of this year's Giro, which is also reflected in their design.
Special jersey 1st stage, Lorenzo al Mare to San Remo (to our preview)
Santini is dedicating a jersey to the team time trial along the Ligurian coast tomorrow, Saturday, which bears the colors of the sea and is intended to embody the spirit of the Italian Riviera.
Special jersey 5th stage, La Spezia to Abatone (to our preview)
The design of the second special jersey hides two references to the fifth stage from La Spezia to Abetone. On the one hand, some elements refer to the mountain arrival in the small village of Abetone at 928m altitude, but what is the meaning of the red butterfly, for example? The Italian composer Giacomo Puccini lived in the area around Abetone at the beginning of the 20th century. He composed most of his masterpiece "Madame Butterfly" there - the jersey is also a homage to him and his work.
Special jersey stage 11, Folrì to Imola (to our preview)
The stage finish in the Autodromo Ferrari is a real highlight of this year's Giro. After a 23-year break, the peloton is returning to the cradle of Italian motorsport, to Imola. Of course, the fiery red jersey is an allusion to these special circumstances, the design would also look good on a Formula 1 car.
Special jersey 14th stage, Treviso to Valdobbiadene (to our preview)
It doesn't take clairvoyant abilities to say that the almost 60 km long individual time trial on the 14th stage will at least provide a preliminary decision in the overall classification. The wavy route takes the riders through the vineyards of Veneto, which are world famous for their Prosecco. So it's hardly surprising that Santini plays with the symbolism of a Prosecco bottle and its label in this jersey.
All presented jerseys will be available for purchase on the respective race day at the starting point. It is not yet known whether the designs will also be available for free trade later on, but it is likely to be quite unlikely.
For more information, visit Santini's website: www.santinisms.it
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