The 2022 Vuelta a Espana kicks off in the Netherlands. The first 3 stages will take place there before the races transports itself to its Spanish homeland. Today the four official jerseys for La Vuelta 2022 were unveiled in Madrid. Made from recycled fabrics, plus additional kits that pay homage to different stages of the Spanish grand tour race.
The Vuelta takes place between August 19th and September 11th 2022, with Santini providing the jerseys for the major stage race.
“We are delighted to be dressing the great La Vuelta champions once again this year and to be here today at this event to celebrate six years of very fruitful partnership!“
Monica Santini, CEO Santini Cycling Wear
This year there will be five official jerseys rather than four with a special edition during the Dutch stages that recognise the host cities of Breda, ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Utrecht. Fashion designer Mattijs van Bergen was given the honour of putting his own take on the red jersey. Van Bergen has previously worked for the Queen of the Netherlands and too inspiration from the emblems of the 3 Dutch host cities. They all use red and white motifs, lines and blocks which are combined with the blue of the Dutch flag to create a grid on the jersey.
Once the “caravan” returns to Spanish territory, the overall leader will swap back to the traditional La Roja jersey sponsored by Carrefour, while the points leader will sport the Škoda-logoed Green Jersey. The Plenitude-branded White Jersey will go to the best young rider and the Polka Dot jersey sponsored by Loterías y Apuestas del Estado will be donned by the King of the Mountains. All of the leader jerseys were produced in Santini’s Italian factory from extremely sustainable materials: Ecofabric RECY by Corno made using recycled yarn derived from recovered and recycled materials, and Native – Ecoknit by Sitip also made from fibres and yarn recycled without the use of polluting chemicals to reduce consumption of natural resources and dependency on non-renewable energy.
“Following a successful six-year collaboration that has been beneficial to both parties, the jerseys are the race’s sign of identity, particularly La Roja leader’s jersey. These, along with the special commemorative editions, make us truly proud to have Santini dressing our champions”
Javier Guillén, General Director of La Vuelta
The special La Vuelta 22 kits
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| Alongside the official jerseys, each year Santini also makes several special kits dedicated to specific iconic La Vuelta stages and comprising jersey, bibshorts, socks and gloves. The Asturias kit celebrates the eighth stage of the Spanish race which traverses the northern region and has a new finish line at Colláu Fancuaya: the yellow and blue colours of the region’s flag set the tone for the Santini kit dedicated to this stage. The Victory Cross, which legend has it was carried by Pelagius, the first King of Asturias, into the Battle of Covadonga against the Moors, also features on the jersey and bib shorts. La Vuelta 22’s 10th stage is a 31.1-kilometre time trial from Elche to Alicante. This kit was inspired by the Muralla Roja, a post-modern building on the Alicante coast designed by architect Ricardo Bofil in the early 1970s. The Muralla Roja’s façade ranges from pink to red and then sky blue to sea blue. Its unusual geometric forms follow the lines of the cliff it is perched on. Dedicated to the Queen of this edition of La Vuelta, the Sierra Nevada kit celebrates this challenging climb. The white and green of the Andalusian flag provided the inspiration this time and are, of course, also to be seen in the stunning Sierra Nevada landscape. The kit will also feature a motif inspired by the Virgen de las Nieves (Virgin of the Snows) statue at the top of the Hoya de la Mora climb. The La Vuelta 22 finish line is in Madrid, the star of the Santini kit dedicated to the last stage. It sports the city’s coat of arms of a bear and a strawberry tree, of which there is a statue on the Plaza de la Puerta del Sol. The kit is red – the La Vuelta colour – with a touch of orange in a nod to the Netherlands, the host of the first three stages of the race. Replicas of the leader jerseys and the four special kits will be available to buy from the Santini site and in selected cycling stores worldwide. |
