Designing a team kit for one of the best teams in the pro peloton isn’t just about printing a load of logos on any old jersey.

For Sportful one of the most important parts of our partnership with Tinkoff Saxo is the feedback we get from the team. Whether it be suggestions for new products, adjustments to little things like zips, seam placement or seatpad preference it’s all taken in to account when we design not just the team clothing but the whole Sportful collection.

For most races the team wear items from our BodyFit line.

BodyFit is probably the collection that has the most development input from Tinkoff Saxo as it is designed to excel in race conditions.

Whilst we’ve simplified the overall design of jerseys and shorts to make sure there isn’t extra weight from things a racer doesn’t need the fabric & details are highly technical.

BodyFit Pro Race Jersey

Across the shoulders there is our AirMesh material, a super lightweight mesh that provides excellent breathability without letting dangerous UV rays pass through, this is done by carefully controlling the amount of stretch in the fabric to prevent the pores becoming large enough for the specific UV wavelength to enter.  On top of the breathability the stretchy fabric is also very form fitting making the frontal area of the rider much more aerodynamic whatever position they are riding in, the sleeves of the material are raw cut to further improve the airflow in this area.

The main body of the jersey is our DryPROLite – a light material that excels in breathability and has a high degree of stretch, again to keep the jersey close fitting for improved aerodynamics. Perhaps one of the DryPROLite’s best qualities is the extremely fast drying time, which makes it ideal not just for warm weather races, but for spring classics and other rides in changeable conditions where a wet jersey could affect your performance (and make things pretty miserable!)

The cut of the jersey is designed to be ridden in a low race position so the front area is shortened and panels at the side make sure the material isn’t too tight or sagging. The finishing touches are a full length ultra smooth YKK® Vislon® zipper to make ventilation easy and a silicone gripper at the hem to keep everything in place.

BodyFit Pro Bibshort

 The BodyFit Pro bibshort is also designed with aerodynamics in mind. It features our unique Aeroflow Compress fabric – a structured material with a dimpled effect on the outside to optimize airflow and a good level of compression to reduce muscle fatigue. On the inner thighs and rear we use a 220g Lycra® that provides support and comfort in a high movement area.

On these shorts all the stitching is designed not only to follow the movement of the pedal stroke but also to be out of the direct airflow, saving some watts for the finishing sprint! At the leg opening we’ve used a super wide lycra band with silicone dots and a raw cut edge, it’s hardly even noticeable but keeps the shorts in place all day long.

The bibshort for the team features our Total Comfort bibstraps, made from a wide elastic with vents that lays flat across the collarbone and chest preventing pressure points.

Our TC Pro seatpad finishes off the short, a lower profile version of our popular Total Comfort pad, it is a seamless, multi density, perforated foam pad that has become a firm favourite with the team in anything from one day races to grand tours though some of the riders prefer the much lower profile BodyFit seatpad so we do a version of the shorts with that as well.

R&D & Fiandre

As well as the regular BodyFit kit, Tinkoff Saxo have also helped us design several of the pieces in the R&D and Fiandre ranges, all of which are constructed to give the team the ultimate advantage in specific conditions, whether it’s extreme heat (R&D Ultralight Jersey) Foul weather (Fiandre Light WS Jacket) or the most aerodynamic jersey for breakaways and sprints (R&D Speedskin). Look out for further innovations getting tested with the team in the coming season, we’ve got some cool stuff up our sleeves!

As promised here’s a few more details from the latest Tinkoff Saxo kit…

Don’t worry, it wont be long until the full reveal! 😉