Santini Maglia Nera Bib Short - Men's

The Maglia Nera was awarded in the form of a black jersey to the Giro's last-place rider from 1946 to 1951, and while one would think that finishing last would be somewhat embarrassing, it was actually a great honor to roll in as the final finisher and there was fierce competition complete with prize money for the "winner." Santini celebrates the only two-time last place rider of the jersey while it was officially awarded, Luigi Malabrocca, with the Men's Maglia Nera Bib Shorts, a pair of bibs that pay homage to his exploits to purposely lose time and his ability to soldier on and complete such a beautiful grand tour. Before you're able to finish in Milan, cyclists racing the Giro have to get over the mountains. The Giro typically has the most difficult and toughest parcours of the three grand tours. In modern cycling, riders must finish inside a time limit based on a percentage of the winner's time to start the next day, so you often find the sprinters struggling to hang in the autobus when the stages hit the Dolomites. We're fairly certain that time cuts didn't exist in Malabrocca's day as stories have him damaging his own equipment, having coffee and lunch with fans, and even fishing in an effort to add more time to his overall. Malabrocca's finishing time at the 1946 Giro was 69 hours, 41 minutes, and 54 seconds which emblazons the left leg while his signature is adorned on the right, in pink of course. With all that time in the saddle, and off the bike too, were certain that he would have appreciated the comfort of these bibs and the material and finish brilliantly match the rest of the Maglia Nera lineup. The bibs use mesh on the straps to keep you cool so even if you aren't the first one to the top of the climb, you can get up the double-digit grades in near triple digit temps a little more comfortable. Silicone grippers at the bottom of the raw cut leg help keep the hem in place throughout your pedaling. Chamois duties are handled by the wonderful GITevo ...