Race Tech

Team Sky to wear Castelli kit in 2017

Castelli replaces Rapha as British WorldTour's kit supplier and 'innovation partner'

Team Sky riders will wear Castelli kit from January after the Italian brand was announced as the replacement for Rapha.

Rapha announced in November 2015 that the 2016 campaign would be its fourth and final year as supplier to Team Sky and Castelli have moved to fill the gap.

Castelli have a long history of supplying professional teams, most recently the Cannondale-Drapac squad, who will partner with POC for 2017, and introduced the first lycra shorts for racing in 1977. Meanwhile, the Gabba jersey, first developed for the Garmin team, has been one of the company’s major success stories in recent years.

Team Sky, will wear Castelli kit from January 2017 (Pic: Castelli)

And Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford described Castelli as an “innovation partner”, with the development of the fastest, next-generation clothing key to Brailsford’s marginal gains philosophy.

“They will be more than a kit supplier; they will be an innovation partner,” Brailsford said. “Castelli has a long history of breaking new ground when it comes to kit and design. We will continue to push hard to make sure our riders have the best clothing and equipment, and we’re already excited about some of the ideas Castelli are working on with us.”

The 2017 jersey is described as a “British-Italian fusion” and is said to celebrate the victories in Team Sky’s first seven seasons. The classic Breton style jersey served as inspiration for designer Richard Pearce but has been given a 21st twist in a data pattern, with each stripe on the jersey, short, mitts, socks and cap representing a specific Team Sky victory.

The longest lines represent Team Sky’s four Tour de France victories, with Chris Froome’s 2016 victory immediately below the Sky logo on the chest. The short dashes represent one-day races, while the medium-length lines represent multi-day stage races, with the number of stages determining the length of the line. WorldTour races are blue lines, while non-WorldTour races are white.

Each line is said to represent a Team Sky victory (Pic: Castelli)

Castelli say 15 “innovative performance products” have already been developed in partnership with the team ready for use at the beginning of the 2017 season, including the new Idro Pro, an “ultra-compact GoreTex jacket for racing and training in extreme conditions”.

Each athlete will receive 64 different on-bike products as well as “training in how to dress like a pro”, according to Castelli.

Andrea Peron, Castelli’s race performance director, added: “Castelli and Team Sky share the same drive for results-driven innovation in everything we do. Team Sky has a structure and the resources to help us to continuously give our athletes a performance advantage.

“Whether it’s aerodynamics, foul weather protection or solutions that let the riders train more comfortably, we’re looking at every opportunity for an advantage.”

Many of the same products used by Team Sky will be available to buy from Castelli dealers in January.

Website: Castelli