Homage to one of the greatest Classics cyclists of the modern age
(Image credit: Le Col)
Ask any cycling fan about the greatest cyclists of the last 20 years and you're bound to hear the name 'Fabian Cancellara'. The Swiss rider has won seven monuments, two Olympic gold medals, four rainbow jerseys and has pulled on the yellow jersey at the Tour de France no less than 29 times.
Le Col, the clothing partner for Cancellara's eponymous 'Chasing Cancellara' series of races, has now released a capsule collection in homage to, and in collaboration with him.
(Image credit: Le Col)
What's in the collection?
The Le Col Fabian Cancellara collection comprises two jerseys and two bib shorts, plus socks and a cap, all sold separately. For those after pure speed there is the Pro Aero Jersey, with design notes taken from the Leopard Trek team kit of yesteryear as well as the Swiss national champions kit, which is a big plus. We're yet to test it to see if it'll make it into our list of the best cycling jerseys, but this this is an aero focussed jersey for sure, so expect a close fit, shorter front and longer arms whether you go for the men's or women's version. To match it are the Pro Bib Shorts, which are more subtle in design with flashes of colour on the base of each leg gripper.
If all out speed isn't your ultimate goal, you're after a bit more comfort, or you just want a mostly black jersey then there is the Sport Jersey, with the same design feel but a bit more dark blue from Fabian's early days at Fassa Bortolo. Designed more for training and longer days out it won't be quite so skin-tight, with a more relaxed fit and longer front panel. The Sport Bibs are visually identical to the Pro model, but are less tuned for racing. The Pro aim for a compression fit like many of the best cycling shorts, with the Sport fitting less snugly.
If you're lacking motivation before your rides the each jersey features Cancellara's palmares on one pocket (just the highlights, or the pocket would be enormous), and a spartan helmet on another to match his nickname of Spartacus. If you want to go full matchy-matchy then there are a pair of socks and a cotton cap that more closely mirror the design of the Sport Jersey; predominately black, with flashes of red, white, turquoise and navy.
Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.
