The iconic MAPEI cubes combined with the UCI rainbow colors on a Santini jersey to celebrate three decades of cycling passion

Milan, Italy, and Deerfield Beach, FL – For many years, the story of Santini and MAPEI, two Italian companies, has been intertwined with that of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The former produces technical cycling clothing and has been a UCI sponsor since 1988; the latter, a multinational leader in the field of chemical products for the construction industry, came into the world of cycling in 1993 as a sponsor of a UCI first division team.

Team MAPEI, a team destined to enjoy major success all over the world, wears a uniform made by Santini. The bond between Santini, MAPEI and UCI, a long-lasting relationship, is celebrated in 2023 with a cycling kit, in honor of MAPEI’s 30th anniversary in this sport.

Following the great success of the professional team, MAPEI reaffirmed its commitment to cycling and, since 2008, it is a Main Sponsor of the UCI Road World Championships. This year MAPEI is Official Partner of the UCI Cycling World Championships taking place in Glasgow and across Scotland. MAPEI’s support for the UCI stems from the values it holds in common with cycling: Effort, talent, teamwork, enthusiasm, grit and perseverance in the face of new challenges.

To celebrate this partnership, Santini has created a cycling kit bearing the MAPEI and UCI marks – more specifically, the iconic colored cubes, a call-out to the construction world where MAPEI is a major player.

The use of colored cubes as a decorative motif on the team uniform, together with the spatula strokes, typical of MAPEI products, was the idea of Adriana Spazzoli, MAPEI Marketing and Communications Director until 2019, who perfectly understood the communicative potential of this sponsorship. Thanks to the team's exceptional results, MAPEI cubes soon became iconic, redefining the aesthetics of cycling clothing and contributing to the company’s fame in Italy and around the world.

This design still stands out today as the main feature on the jersey and bib shorts made by Santini. The slim-fit jersey is made with extremely lightweight fabrics. On the back, the super breathable fabric features small channels for perspiration release. The sleeves, raw-cut in smooth fabric, adhere to the body without restricting movement, while the internal elastic on the bottom of the jersey keeps it in position at all times.

The bib shorts, also with the same design dedicated to the UCI-MAPEI 30th anniversary, are made with a fabric that offers compressive action. At the bottom of the leg, they have bands with internal grip to ensure that the shorts always remain in perfect position. They are equipped with braces with stretch fabric on the front and extremely breathable mesh on the back.

MAPEI
Founded in 1937 in Milan, MAPEI is now one of the world’s leading manufacturers of chemical products for the building industry and has contributed to the construction of some of the most important architectural and infrastructural works worldwide. With 100 subsidiaries operating in 57 countries and 86 manufacturing plants in 35 nations, MAPEI Group employs more than 11,000 staff worldwide. The foundations for the success of the company are specialization, internationalization, research & development, and sustainability.

Headquartered in Deerfield Beach, (Florida), MAPEI North America consists of MAPEI Corporation (for the USA), MAPEI Inc. (for Canada) and MAPEI Caribe (for Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands), whose 28 facilities collectively have a workforce of about 1,800 employees. MAPEI facilities have been certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 quality standards. An environmentally conscious manufacturer that reinvests 5% of its revenue into R&D, MAPEI offers training for architects, contractors, installers and distributors through the MAPEI Technical Institute. For more about MAPEI, visit www.mapei.com or call 1-800-42-MAPEI (1-800-426-2734).

Santini Cycling Wear was founded in 1965 by Pietro Santini who spotted a market for technical cycling clothing as a result of his abiding passion for the sport and competition. In what would seem like a revolutionary and contrarian choice today, the Bergamo-based company made the pivotal decision to design and manufacture all of its products exclusively in Italy. Each item is designed and developed by a designer team with deep-rooted passion for the two-wheel world to meet four key requirements: Fit, performance, comfort and durability. Santini currently produces 7,000 items of clothing per day and exports 85% of its output. It is deeply committed to ongoing investment in researching and developing innovative textiles and new production methods. However, people – athletes – remain its central focus as it continues to refine its creations to allow cyclists to pursue their sporting passions in comfortable but inimitably stylish kits. For more information, visit www.santinicycling.com.