There was a time when aero was said to be everything, and that went not just for bikes for any item of a rider’s setup that gave them even the tiniest watt saving. However, with its new Pro Aero jersey, made with a proprietary fabric called Aartero Flyte, Australian brand MAAP is claiming to have added another marginal gain. The Pro Aero jersey, it says, “is the culmination of countless iterations and testing with the GreenEdge cycling teams to create the fastest, lightest and coolest jersey possible. That’s right – cool is figuring more and more. With race temperatures rising, pro riders’ heart rates drifting upwards and putting a limit on the power than can produce, clothing brands are realising that pure aerodynamics or weight saving are not enough. In a Q&A before the jersey launch, Jayco-Alula rider Luke Plapp said cooling was not just an added benefit, it’s the advantage.
Photo Zac Williams/SWPix.com
“Cooling is almost the biggest gain there is now in sports science,” Plapp says. He has been racing in the new jersey in a complete speedsuit version all season, including to his solo Giro d’Italia stage win. “So that’s the major thing that this gives you – both the aerodynamics and the cooling benefits.”
“We were looking at the Vuelta in 2024, where some of the temperatures were between 32 and 40°C,” says MAAP’s performance apparel designer Craig Coetsee. “We looked at what our offering was to GreenEdge and we very quickly saw the need for something that was firstly going to be aerodynamic, that we could prove and validate, and secondly cooling – providing a system that cools and regulates and offers high air exchange.”
That became the brief: aerodynamic gains, enhanced cooling, and compression. “These are the three benchmark foundations that we had to work on and try and solve,” Coetsee says, “and it was a lot of work to hit each of those three criteria.”
In total, according to MAAP, 16 fabric prototypes were developed and tested, each iteration adjusting yarn density, rib geometry, fit mapping and thermal efficiency.
The result is a jersey constructed from an ultra-thin 20-micron fibre matrix weighing just 100g/m². with ultra-thin 20-micron fibres and 3D ribbed sleeve channels that minimise drag while promoting airflow. MAAP says the primary source of aerodynamic gains is the 3D-ribbed sleeve channels, which are claimed to smooth out turbulent airflow, delaying airflow separation across the arms and shoulders. In testing, the fabric achieved savings of 6-8 watts over 100km, equivalent to up to 60 seconds gained without additional effort (compared to its previous aero jersey).
The sleeve channels are created through a precision Jacquard weaving that MAAP says is a method informed by its Italian production partners with over two decades of aerodynamic textile research. Further, it says, the performance properties are built into the weave itself, ensuring they never wash out, degrade, or delaminate.
Plapp estimates that he spent more hours testing in the wind tunnel than most: “I spent a fair time testing all the products in the tunnel at something… I love putting everything I can into aerodynamics.” He says the new jersey’s even performance over a wide range of speeds is another of its benefits.
“For me, the most pleasing thing we found in the tunnel was that other garments from previous years or other manufacturers tended to be developed for a certain speed range, and if you go outside of that, they deteriorate quite a lot,” he says. “This was quite even at all sorts of speeds, which is great, especially for road racing.”
He continues: “For me, this combines the lightweight garment that we’d all choose on a hot Tour de France day while being able to get the aerodynamic advantage at the same time. It’s so light and breathable while being super, super aero, which we found in the testing with the team and in the development with MAAP.”
To the GreenEdge teams – Jayco and Liv, MAAP supplies the Pro Aero jersey as well as the integrated speedsuits version. For consumers, the new Aartero Flyte fabric launches just in jersey format for now, but a retail speedsuit is coming, and is in the early stages of production, according to Coetsee.
“For the team we offer this as part of their laundry list,” Coetsee says. “We offer it as a standalone jersey to wear with separate bibs, but to race in, they have the complete speedsuit that has this fabric combination as the top section. Commercially for MAAP, our entry will be as a race jersey, then moving forward we will also be adding it in a pro aero speedsuit. That’s in early production now.”
Low weight and durability don’t usually go hand in hand, but Plapp says this is one of its surprising benefits, even in crashes.
“It’s not what the kit was designed for obviously, but in crashes for example it seems to give us extra protection too,” he says. “We’re definitely not getting as much road rash as we usually do with some other kits.”
In terms of longevity: “I’ve probably done close to 30,000 or 40,000 kilometres wearing that kit, probably spread between seven sets I think. That’s got me through the whole season in training. Obviously when you’re racing you wear new stuff because you want that new feeling for race day."
At the beginning of the Q&A, Plapp had mentioned the close fit, and Coetsee had confirmed that a high elastane content – 32 per cent – creates a better compression as well as a better longevity. But will the sizes tailored for pros be right for more regular-shaped riders, or do the pros get custom kit?
Coetsee says: “We develop a base range of sizes and would do fitting – just like Plappy and team has just been doing [Plapp had just finished a team training camp]. They will try on the base size. If this feels right, the customisation happens – it’s usually a length. We can lengthen things, shorten them, so some riders might be a size small base, but we’ll add an inch or two inches depending on limb length. That sort of customization happens for each rider and we can dial that in.”
Plapp adds: “From the camp we just had, for example I added one centimetre to my sleeve and a couple of centimetres to the legs, and that’s just a personal preference for where I want the kit to fit me. Last year with Chris Harper, who has massive limbs, he has a different length to what we have. Or, for example, I might choose an extra small jersey and a medium size bibs in the race suit. Durbo [Luke Durbridge] would be another one, he’s got long limbs.”
The Pro Aero jersey is only the beginning, says Coetsee. New applications of the Aartero Flyte fabric are already in development. “Race gloves, socks and sleeve fabric are still being validated,” he says. “There’s a lot of science and data and gains and just learning by mistake in some cases and particularly taking on feedback. You’ll see that starting to step into that team space.”
Finally, I ask why MAAP hadn't published any details relating to the fabric's performance against the competition. “We don’t benchmark against commercial competitors. We’re developing this purely with our team in mind,” Coetsee explains. “With GreenEdge – Jayco, Liv – we give them the ultimate and the best fabrics, the best chamois, everything we would expect someone paying top dollar to get without compromise.”
And last but not least, its eco-credentials? "Aartero Flyte and the Pro Aero jersey also advance MAAP’s commitment to sustainability. The fabric employs a solvent-free elastomer, significantly reducing chemical impact during production and improving recyclability while its durability reduces waste and supports a lower total environmental footprint. Produced in Italy and certified under the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard, Aartero Flyte and the PRO Aero jersey are high performance with reduced impact."
The MAAP Pro Aero jersey is available from MAAP's website, MAAP LaBs worldwide and select MAAP retailers at £210 / $265 / €220 / $345 AUD
