Castelli
After having opened his store for tailor-made clothing in downtown Milan in 1876, Vittore Gianni was able to win such famous football clubs as Juventus and AC Milan as customers for his excellent sports jerseys. The quality of these products did not go unnoticed by other athletes. Thus, in the 1910s bicycle clothing was also included in the range. None other than the world champion and five-time Giro d’Italia winner Alfredo Binda was one of the first customers.
Armando Castelli entered the business in 1935 and took it over in 1939. The fact that the two rivals and cycling legends Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi celebrated their famous victories in Castelli clothing in the 1940s shows the rank the company had already achieved at that time. As a result, many professionals and teams were and still are equipped with Castelli's first-class products, whether at the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, the Vuelta or the spring classics.
When Maurizio Castelli, Armando's son, founded his own cycling clothing company in 1974, he chose the Scorpion, which can still be found on Castelli jerseys, as his logo.
The fact that Castelli has been able to maintain this high level to this day is not least due to the trend-setting innovations that the company has repeatedly produced. The use of lycra, windproof jersey, thermal clothing and collections specially developed for women have gradually made it possible to set standards in the field of cycling clothing for professionals and recreational athletes.
