Rapha has announced a new partnership with Tour winner and Olympic hero Sir Bradley Wiggins. The British brand will be creating team kit for the star’s Wiggins team, which will launch following the knight of the realm’s last outing with Team Sky in April.
Over the next three years, Rapha’s Wiggins team wear will expand into a wider range of clothing too, taking the brand into the Rio 2016 Olympic games and beyond.
Sir Wiggins said: “I’ve got to know the Rapha team well over the last few years at Team Sky; they’re serious about design and they love cycling almost as much as I do. I want a range of kit that looks great but is also functionally practical for today’s cyclists in all their different shapes and sizes, and I know Simon and the team at Rapha will do the business.”
Rapha states that Wiggins will use his experience to advise Rapha’s designers on a new range of apparel that incorporates the latest developments in performance sportswear.
The single image of the jersey design provided by Rapha shows Wiggins’ influence with a mod roundel on the left of the chest. The image also appears to confirm that Sky will be involved in the team as a sponsor. There are also six gold stripes near the hem, presumably to represent Wiggins’ six world championship track gold medals.
Rapha founder and Chief Executive, Simon Mottram, addded: “Sir Bradley Wiggins is one of the very few cyclists who transcend the sport. He combines world-leading performances on the road and track with a love of the culture and history of cycling and the charisma to inspire cyclists, fans and the general public. It’s flattering and extremely exciting to be working with him.”
You can find out more about the design story of the Wiggins kit at the Rapha website.