Giro d'Italia unveils 2013 leaders' jerseys

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Giro d'Italia organiser RCS Sport today unveiled the four leaders' jerseys for the 2013 edition of the Italian Grand Tour, designed by British fashion designer Sir Paul Smith. An avid cycling enthusiast since childhood, Smith's involvement with the project grew out of an informal meeting with RCS Sport at the 2011 Giro d'Italia.

"Having been a huge cycling enthusiast and follower of the major Tours and Classics for many years, it's an absolute privilege to be asked to design the four jerseys for the Giro d'Italia," said Smith in a press release.

"I started cycling at the age of 12 and raced until I was 18. A bad crash put me in hospital for several months, after which I discovered the world of creativity, design and fashion and started my career, which luckily has progressed to what it is today," continued Smith.

"During that period I have always followed cycling and have been privileged to meet many key riders, building friendships with Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish, David Millar and many more. I also have a huge collection of jerseys from the '70s right up to current times, often signed by the riders.

"With all this in mind, it was an absolute honour and delight to be asked to design the four jerseys for the Giro and I hope that the simple approach that I've made is acceptable to you all; putting red piping with the pink, cleaning all of the jerseys up to keep them as simple as possible and adding a little drawing of a cyclist by myself onto the jerseys."

The Giro d'Italia's four jerseys include the leader's pink jersey, the points classification leader's red jersey, the mountain classification leader's blue jersey and the best young rider's white jersey. For the 17th straight year, Santini Maglificio Sportivo will produce the jerseys.

In addition to the British designer's signature on the jerseys' collar, the left sleeves will bear the iconic Paul Smith stripes as the hallmark of his work. The inside of the collar of the maglia rosa also bears the signature of Fiorenzo Magni, a tribute to the esteemed Italian campione who died last December at the age of 91.

The 2013 Giro will start on May 4 with the Grand Departure in Naples. The riders will then face 21 stages (23 days in total including two rest days) finishing up on May 26 in Brescia.