Nat Bromhead
| Santini and AusCycling have revealed the team kit to be worn by the 29 Australian riders competing in the 2022 UCI Road World Championships, which commence in Wollongong, New South Wales this weekend. Diversity and inclusion, and particularly the theme of reconciliation, are at the heart of the new kit. While referencing the traditional green and gold strip, the kit features a striking Indigenous pattern taken from an artwork commissioned by AusCycling to mark the beginning of its reconciliation journey. The full artwork will be revealed by AusCycling when it launches its Reconciliation Plan. AusCycling CEO Marne Fechner said the organisation is committed to embedding the principles of diversity and inclusion within our organisation. “A key part of this is to strengthen connections between First Australians and cycling at all levels, starting with our first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP),” she said. ”The first stage of this will be to set our vision for reconciliation. Hosting the UCI Road World Championships in Australia for just the second time in over 100 years is an amazing opportunity to acknowledge the commencement of our RAP process, in a really tangible way. “Now, every time our athletes compete on the world stage, they will be visibly highlighting our commitment to advancing reconciliation and inclusion.” The artwork was created by Chern’ee Sutton, a contemporary Indigenous artist from the Kalkadoon people. Chern’ee explained that the artwork is her interpretation of AusCycling and its reconciliation journey. The green and gold community symbol in the bottom left of the artwork represents the Australian cycling team, proudly representing our nation,” she said. ”The travelling lines within symbolise the athletes travelling around the world to compete and the U symbols represent the men and women; the U’s with coolamons and digging sticks are women and the U’s with spears are men. The community symbol in the centre represents our home – Australia.” The team kit has been produced by Italian brand Santini. Santini has been producing the Australian Cycling Team kits since 2001. |
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| From a technical perspective, the jersey has a sleek aerodynamic cut. The front, collar, sides and back pockets are in light, breathable Rudy fabric while the back sections and sleeves are made from Bodyfitwhich guarantees a superb fit. The sleeves are also raw cut to further improve comfort and the long zipper is almost invisible. The jersey also has a stand-up collar, while elastic around the bottom hem holds it gently but firmly in place, preventing it riding up. The bib shorts are made from New Monica, an innovative fabric which, thanks to silicone grippers extending over the entire side of the leg, creates a “tattoo” effect, hugging the skin brilliantly without feeling tight or restricting movement. The bib shorts are raw cut with seams reduced to a minimum. The braces are in a light comfortable elastic material that stretches effortlessly as the body moves, guaranteeing a superb fit to even the tallest cyclists. The exceptionally comfortable C3 chamois is constructed by using an innovative process called Carving. This special technique allows the pad maximum shock protection, incredible lightness, breathability, and perfect fit for long hours in the saddle. The kit will make its first public appearance at the UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong this Sunday 18 September, in the Elite Men’s and Women’s Time Trials. The fan’s version of the Australian team kit will be available online from the Santini website (www.santinicycling.com), on site throughout the Road Worlds in Wollongong, and in selected cycling stores worldwide from 18 September. |
