EF Education-EasyPost has become well known for its bright pink kit, each year unveiling a new outfit that causes a divide amongst cycling fans. Some love it, some hate it – the marmite of the kit world, you could say. But each year, the American team faces an issue as there is another pink jersey that trumps theirs – the Giro d’Italia maglia rosa.
Not being able to fight with over 100 years of history, the team switches out its kit for another eye-catching ensemble, and this year is no different. But this time, the team's clothing sponsor Rapha has gone one step further with the new kit, focussing on sustainability.
In a sport where sustainability is sometimes questioned, Rapha and EF Education-EasyPost are aiming to lead by example with the 2023 Giro kit, with 72% of the kit being made from excess material. The women’s team, EF Education-TIBCO-SVB, will also wear the excess kit at the Giro d’Italia Donne in July. This forms part of Rapha’s Excess initiative, designed to reduce waste in the brand’s manufacturing process and minimise its environmental impact.
Still needing to create a Grand Tour winning kit, Rapha says it has not compromised on performance by utilising the brand’s tried-and-tested Pro Team technology with a sustainable twist – hoping to instil some positive change into the sport while still producing a kit that can get riders to the top of the podium.
Holding on to a small bit of the team’s iconic pink, the Giro kit features a panel of pink as well as yellow, white, black, blue and green all patchworked together with the team’s sponsors over both the jersey and bibs. It is a design that’ll certainly divide the crowd. However, maybe not as much as the team’s duck kit from the 2021 Giro in collaboration with Palace…
Sticking to the rules, Rapha has had to limit the kits' sustainability properties as the UCI has strict rules around team kit consistency and garment requirements – a tricky rule to stick to when using excess materials from all different kits. With no regulations in place however, Rapha has been able to use 100% excess material for its new collection available to those not racing in the three-week Grand Tour.
While it may divide the crowd, the team’s Giro kit certainly adds a splash of happiness to the peloton with its bright colours and also does a bit good for the planet. So, this year's kit is a win for planet, while EF will hope it can be a win for the team at the Giro too.
Learn more about Rapha's Excess Collection here.
