Jonas Vingegaard to race Giro d'Italia time trial in blue Castelli skinsuit designed for Remco Evenepoel

Jonas Vingegaard will compete in the Giro d’Italia’s stage 10 individual time trial wearing a blue Castelli skinsuit originally designed for Remco Evenepoel. Although Vingegaard usually races in the yellow and black kit of his team, Jumbo-Visma, he is required to don the maglia azzurra as the current king of the mountains. This decision follows strict UCI regulations mandating that race leaders wear the official classification jerseys and associated skinsuits, with penalties including fines or disqualification for non-compliance. The skinsuit Vingegaard will wear is part of a set developed by Castelli, the official supplier of the Giro’s leader jerseys, which has created specialised suits for various classification leaders. The design was initially developed for Evenepoel during his time at Soudal-QuickStep, focusing on aerodynamic efficiency and utilising advanced materials and cloth layouts to reduce drag. Castelli representatives personally fitted the riders in these suits ahead of the time trial, ensuring optimal tailoring for performance. Castelli’s research into aerodynamic optimisation was driven by Evenepoel’s time trial ambitions and low coefficient of aerodynamic drag (CDA), resulting in a skinsuit that may even outperform Vingegaard’s own team-issued Nimbl kit, which was also wind tunnel tested. The suits feature short sleeves, reflecting the belief that forearms have minimal impact on aerodynamics when riders are positioned on aero bars. This technical innovation highlights the ongoing evolution of race apparel to enhance rider speed and efficiency. Other classification leaders will also wear Castelli-designed skinsuits corresponding to their jerseys: race leader Afonso Eulálio will wear the maglia rosa, points leader Paul Magnier the maglia ciclamino, and Mathys Rondel the white jersey skinsuit as the second-best young rider. These developments underscore the importance of official race apparel in maintaining the visual identity and regulations of the Giro d’Italia while also pushing the boundaries of performance wear in professional cycling.