i've never been able to comprehend the importance of formula one motor racing, a 'sport' in which the particpants appear to be paid salaries that would make soccer players envious and yet one which, like the scottish midge, seems to have no fathomable function. as an admittedly very poor driver, i can see that driving a missile at such speeds takes considerable skill, but given the inequality of the various cars, i fail to see how it qualifies as a sport. indeed, one of the long-running reasons for its existence always centred around that of technological development, but other than an engine and a wheel on each corner, i cannot see the connection between the average family saloon and a mclaren f1.
yet the uci's programme of mondialisation of cycle sport, is allegedly based roughly upon the formula one motor racing model. indeed, each world tour team is required to send a selection of riders to compete in sanctioned events, but the key phrase there is 'a selection of riders', one that need not consist of any who rode the previous event. thus, having won this year's giro d'italia, chris froome is perfectly entitled to take a break in margate during the tour de france. if you'll pardon me for saying so, formula one doesn't quite work that way. and though i am hardly a close observer of the pinnacle of the world's motor sport, they seem to have been able to add races to the season without losing the more iconic circuits.
of course, motor racing is considerably better funded than that of cycling; you need only witness the vast sums paid to some drivers to verify that. therefore, when the uci lusted after the arabian dollar, many long-established events fell by the wayside. many of us steeped in the milieu and heritage of road-racing are wont to mourn the passing of several of these events, including the fine chaps at prendas ciclismo, who, with the co-operation of italy's santini have introduced a series of jerseys, caps and socks commemorating three of those forgotten races: trofeo baracchi, omloop van vlaanderen and, under review here, bordeaux-paris.
i asked prendas' andy storey why create a forgotten races series in the first place? "The very start of the Forgotten Races collection was really born out of the success of the 20th Anniversary kit (2016) and the Grand Tour Kit (2017).Ê With both designs, we offered a number of garments that were exclusively made for us by primarily Santini, but in the case of the caps, socks and gloves, three other different Italian factories.Ê Although we are very well known for our retro cycling jerseys, not everybody wants to wear one and we felt that by offering a these special edition capsule collections, our customers would have more choice.
"We are also keen to offer the kits across multiple seasons, so that if you do spend your hard-earned money with us, the items are not obsolete within months.
"As you attended last year's Rouleur Classic, you know we have a vast array of old books and magazines like Winning and it struck us recently how many races are no longer on the calendar.ÊSo the collection is here to pay tribute to races that were once at the pinnacle of our sport and enjoyed by many."
if push came to shove, no doubt we'd all have a selection of forgotten races we feel deserving of a modern-day jersey or two, so i asked andy why those specific examples and were others planned for the future? "I picked six different races that were once popular, yet no longer in existence to give (Santini designer) Fergus Niland some choice on what he went for. I left it with him for a few months and he came back with the designs and very few amendments.
"We certainly plan to add to the collection; the Grand Prix du Midi Libre was always a favourite of mine, as was the Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme. And I wouldn't mind adding a six-day too, like Dortmund or Zurich."
of course, with regard to the bordeaux-paris jersey featured here, andy was pretty much honour bound to present the corporate response as to its origination, but in truth, i believe this jersey to be most appropriate to clothe the honed physique of yours truly. i base this observation on the glaringly obvious fact that the initials bp cover pretty much every square centimetre of the jersey torso and well we know to whom those refer.
as with pretty much everything leaving the santini factory, the jersey's fit is impeccable, sitting midway between a relaxed fit and that of the bona-fide racer. the short sleeves are of admirable length and the three rear pockets are almost large enough to contain a spare wheel (i may have exaggerated that last part). unceremonious stuffing of a waterproof in the centremost example was simplicity itself and aside from the bordeaux-paris graphic adorning one of the three, there is also the obligatory, fourth zipped security edition. the cap and socks are, as expected, a perfect match.
sadly, even regular wearing of any of the three jerseys on offer are likely to resurrect any of the events, but there's no doubt that they are part of a racing heritage worth celebrating and what better way than via such well-designed and crafted jerseys?
the prendas ciclismo 'forgotten races' series jerseys are available in sizes xs all the way through to a very impressive 8xl, at a price of £59.99 each. socks retail at £6.99 while the caps cost a very reasonable £7.99
prendas retro jerseys | prendas 20th anniversary jersey | prendas grand tour celebration jersey | prendas forgotten races collection
sunday 17 june 2018
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