Rosti, for AG2R Citroen only tailor-made garments

Others three years with AG2R Citroen, in home Rosti They have their work cut out for them. In a constantly evolving market like the clothing one, where new producers are born and looking for their own way, businesses like the one in Brembate stand out for their craftsmanship, for being a knitwear factory with deep roots in Made in Italy. So when the French WorldTour team presented the new jersey, which is not very different from the previous one, we were curious to know more. understand how the creative process takes place that leads to redesigning a racing kit or maintaining the previous one.

A winning look never changes, one might say. But the discussion is only aesthetic and does not apply to the materials, renewed and updated for the upcoming seasonWe therefore asked Giovanni Alborghetti, along with his brother Maurizio, owner of Rosti Maglificio Sportivo, what 2021 was like and what they expect from the future. 

Union of intent

John Alborghetti he collected various ideas during the journey he took by bike Brembate to Amsterdam, which he then reported in Company blogThese notes perfectly embody the philosophy behind this collaboration.

«We make the products – he says – Teams compete, riders win. The photo of them raising their arms at the finish line goes around the world.The winning image is all here. We are a country that sells dreams. Made in Italy, that's fine, but then... We are looking for big dreamers, capable of dreaming and truly living, because the two things go together. I want my brand, my racing product, to be chosen not for appearance, but on the contrary, for the same real reasons for which it is chosen by the teams. For the substance, the function, because in life, as in racing, true quality is needed, when it rains, when it blows." 

What kind of year has it been for you alongside AG2R Citroen Team?

I don't ask for anything better, we are part of the WorldTour circuit. As for the rest, I don't care, they gave us a three-year contract. They are happy, they care and I don't ask for anything else.I have no pretensions towards them. Neither in terms of victories nor in terms of image. The important thing is to be on the inside.  

It all started with Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec's exclusion from the 2016 Giro d'Italia. What has changed since then?

We definitely feel like we've grown. If you can make clothing for AG2R, for the most important professionals, and they put you under seven-year contractIt means you're doing something good, you're producing good material. If you get in for a year or two, you're a meteor. If you stay in for seven years, it means we're doing things pretty well. However, it's always a challenge. The Rosti brand is becoming increasingly well-known., begins to leave Italy.

Taking this year as an example, have you faced any difficulties?

I'd say yes, but it wouldn't be 100% true. I wouldn't talk about difficulties. We follow athletes in a particular way. We've always taken Sizes for everyone. One centimeter shorter, one centimeter longer, one centimeter narrower, one centimeter wider. We tailor everything to your needs. Each athlete has fifty itemsThe team relies on us and has complete confidence. The only thing they're a bit pretentious about is the time trial suits.Our model, according to them too, is one of the best performingBut they want to improve it further. In particular, they asked us a body that makes them gain even on undulating, hilly sections, not only at high speeds. So now we're working in a couple of wind tunnels to do in-depth studies to try to improve it further.

Are all the items you supply out of stock?

Many articles yes, because being a we are an artisan reality, we do not have gigantic production linesHowever, many amateurs request similar versions, and it's not uncommon for us to produce them retail. The inspiration is always the professional team. As for the shorts for example, the team is the same one we sell. And it's our flagship fabric for quality. Not because it's innovative, but because it works. Just try it to understand its true quality.

Have you interacted with the 2022 uniform team?

For design decides everything in AG2R Citroën TeamWe have other types of designs in mind, but on that level it has always been clear from the beginning that they would decide. They have their needs. There are some design studios behind Citroen and AG2R, with at least 10 figures in France who work for the designIf they had given me a blank sheet of paper, I won't deny that I would have put a skull on it (he says laughing, ed.). But we don't have a say in the matter, and that's fine with us; in fact, we even learn from this aspect. Graphically it took a long time to get it right, we made more than 30 samples moving each detail by a few millimetres before arriving at the final version. 

So for next year they have decided to replicate the same design?

Yes, from an aesthetic point of view. everything has been confirmed. However the fabrics have changedWe have implemented new types of materials. 

What do you expect from the future?

To dress all the teams (laughs, ed.). Jokes aside, I can't deny that interest in us, directly or indirectly, has grown over the years. Three or four WorldTour teams approached us and this means that we are doing the job well and people are speaking well of us. 

This experience alongside the French team is giving you awareness and confidence…

There are a number of brands that make cycling clothing, it's not easy to stand out. For us, road of the Made in Italy and quality It's the right one. We're working to grow more and more, also investing in our internal staff. With new figures, from the commercial and brand perspectives, and relevant people from the cycling world, to optimize this growth. Having a three-year contract on the one hand allows us to work with a clear head and a certain security, but the goal must remain constant growth. 

Look at what you have done in the past with a careful eye on the future…

My pride for this year, remains have seen two signed teams Rosti at the Giro d'ItaliaFor a company like ours they have a really significant weight. Just yesterday I found a photo of Pogacar at Radenska Ljublana, wearing the Rosti shirtWe have also seen our clothing worn by, for example: Sagan, Wiggins, Bernal, Bardet, Van Avermaet and Ganna.As for the future, no one knows what it may hold.