Desire: Assos ForToni jersey

Desire: Assos ForToni jersey

A jersey to celebrate the meticulous desire by one man to revolutionise cycling kit

Assos cycling kit Desire Gear Online Desire Toni Maier

There are so many things modern cyclists take for granted. Things such as, Lycra, aerodynamic wheels and bike frames that weigh less than a bidon full of isotonic stuff. Water? Pah. What changed? Good question. 

Take a look at our sport now. Where do you think it’ll be in a few years time in terms of technology? How many sprockets will Shimano have crammed onto a cassette? And as for helmet brands, they will have made helmets so aerodynamic in the future that a rider will be at the finish line before they’ve had chance to clip in. 

We’re not at that zenith yet, but there was one about 40 years ago that was responsible for all of these things: the Lycra shorts, the wheels, the carbon. What changed? A better question to pose would be who changed it. The answer to that is Assos founder, Toni Maier.

Assos Jersey, Rouleur Desire, Feb 2018

Maier, being Swiss, is a skier. He’d seen the kit that that national ski team was racing in and got on the phone to DuPont in the US to talk to them about cycling kit. At the time everyone was wearing woolen shorts. The US had put a man on the moon in 1969 and here are these European guys wearing woolly shorts to race push bikes. By the mid 70’s, he had changed that.

Read: Toni Maier – how Assos championed lycra, carbon and aero wheels

The inventions don’t end there. Then came the wheels on which the Renault team won the Tour. Followed by the cycling world’s first dally with carbon fibre. Toni Maier has shaped the cycling world, literally and figuratively, and Assos has dedicated this, the ForToni jersey, to his achievements and nod to the brand’s 40th anniversary. 

Cycling salutes you, Toni. Salute.

Assos Jersey, Rouleur Desire, Feb 2018

Assos Jersey, Rouleur Desire, Feb 2018

Desire: Cultivating tan lines – Sportful BodyFit Pro Evo Jersey

Assos Jersey, Rouleur Desire, Feb 2018

Assos Jersey, Rouleur Desire, Feb 2018

Desire: Sore point – Rapha Pro Team and Classic Saddles

Assos Jersey, Rouleur Desire, Feb 2018

Assos Jersey, Rouleur Desire, Feb 2018

 

 

The post Desire: Assos ForToni jersey appeared first on The world's finest cycling magazine.

Assos cycling kit Desire Gear Online Desire Toni Maier

READ MORE

Demi Vollering 2025

Is FDJ-Suez the team that can help Demi Vollering to Tour de France Femmes redemption?

There are big changes for the Dutch rider in 2025 - will they pay off? Or could leadership issues arise again? 

Leggi di più
Tadej Pogačar to Paris-Roubaix 2025 – Legendary or laughable?

Tadej Pogačar to Paris-Roubaix 2025 – Legendary or laughable?

The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider has teased his participation on social media, but is it a legitimate possibility?

Leggi di più
James Knox at the British Road Championships

‘Credit should go to Lefevere for working the market’ - James Knox on Soudal–Quick-Step’s evolution from the cobbles to Tour de France contenders

Now in his sixth year with the Belgian squad, the British rider discusses what has changed following the arrival and performances of Remco Evenepoel

Leggi di più
Portrait of Lukas Nerurkar

‘An altitude camp at the age of seven’ – Lukas Nerurkar on the power of doing things differently

The British rider had a unique upbringing, spending his early childhood in Ethiopia and learning from his marathon runner father – he tells Rouleur about...

Leggi di più
Women's UAE Tour

Women’s UAE Tour 2025: Who will win the four-stage race in the Middle East?

The third edition of the Women's WorldTour race will begin on Thursday, February, 6 2025 

Leggi di più

READ RIDE REPEAT

JOIN ROULEUR TODAY

Get closer to the sport than ever before.

Enjoy a digital subscription to Rouleur for just £4 per month and get access to our award-winning magazines.

SUBSCRIBE