Santini presents its new collection dedicated to the iconic Ardennes Classic, La Flèche Wallonne. Available in both men’s and women’s versions, the Italian cycling wear company’s latest range takes its inspiration from the colors of the Belgian flag and also celebrates the grueling final climb in the Belgian event, the Mur de Huy.
April 20th bring the start of La Flèche Wallonne and La Flèche Wallonne Femmes, which are characterized by the epic final Mur de Huy climb.
This stretch of road, also known as the Chemin des Chapelles because seven chapels are dotted along what is a relatively short climb, inspired Santini Creative Director Fergus Niland’s designs for the Flèche Wallonne collection.
Although the climb is just 1,300 meters, it is incredibly grueling because it has a passage with a stretch up to 19%: “The Mur de Huy name is spray-painted graffiti-style on the asphalt on the last treacherous climb and that’s what we have put on our jersey which also has an asphalt effect,” explains Fergus. “Another unusual detail of this kit is a logo with seven chapels, a reference to the climb’s other nickname: Chemin des Chapelles”.
The seven chapels along the climb are depicted in a round logo on the back of the jersey, the base layer, and several of the accessories. All of the items in the collection also sport the red, black, and yellow colors of the Belgian flag.
The men’s jersey and bib shorts have a yellow and black background with the Flèche Wallonne moniker in red, while the women’s versions also have the red script but a black and grey background. The accessories, technical t-shirt, baselayer, and vest are also color-coordinated.
The new Flèche Wallonne collection is another addition to emerge from the agreements signed by Santini and A.S.O. to further strengthen a partnership that also includes the supply of the leader jerseys for the Tour de France and capsule collections for all of the other races on the A.S.O circuit.
The collection will be available from the Santini website from March 21 and also from select cycling stores worldwide.
La Flèche Wallonne
La Flèche Wallonne was created to boost the sales of a newspaper Les Sports during the 1930s and was first run in 1936. While perhaps not as revered as one of the Classic ‘Monuments’, the race is widely regarded as a Classic cycling race and featured on the UCI Road World Cup and UCI ProTour. It became part of the UCI World Ranking calendar in 2009.
About Santini Cycling Wear
Santini Cycling Wear was founded in 1965 by Pietro Santini who spotted a market for technical cycling clothing as a result of his abiding passion for the sport and competition. In what would seem like a revolutionary and contrarian choice today, the Bergamo-based company made the pivotal decision to design and manufacture all of its products exclusively in Italy. Each item is designed and developed by a design team with a deep-rooted passion for the two-wheel world to meet four key requirements: fit, performance, comfort, and durability.
Santini currently produces 5,000 items of clothing per day and exports 80% of its output. It is deeply committed to ongoing investment in researching and developing innovative textiles and new production methods. However, people (athletes) remain its central focus as it continues to refine its creations to allow cyclists to pursue their sporting passions in a comfortable but inimitably stylish kit.
- Top 18 fastest Paris-Roubaix editions - April 7, 2024
- Col de Tourmalet [Amazing photo from the 1953 Tour de France] - January 11, 2024
- Bernard Hinault and Francesco Moser, 1981 Paris-Roubaix - December 8, 2023
