Julian Marx

Castelli traces its roots back to 1876 and a fine tailor, Vittore Gianni, in the heart of Milan. Through the years, Vittore Gianni clothed AC Milan, Juventus, and the Milan Ballet. The first cycling clothing was made in the 1910s for the five-time Giro champion Alfredo Binda. Maurizio Castelli was born in 1948, and grew up following the races of Fausto Coppi, a close friend with Maurizio’s father who was then owner of Vittore Gianni. Coppi always wore Vittore Gianni clothing, including the first silk skin suits designed for Fausto’s time trials. After a brief but promising cycling career, Maurizio created his eponymous brand in 1974 and a series of firsts would follow: the first Lycra shorts used in racing and sold to the public, the first colored shorts, the first sublimation printed jerseys, the first synthetic winter clothing, the first use of windproof membranes, the first hydrophilic fabric treatments, the first anatomic seatpad, the lightest jersey ever produced, and the most aerodynamic jersey ever produced. Maurizio’s vision was to be at the forefront of technology, performance and design. Maurizio Castelli died in 1995 while cycling up the Cipressa climb, the next-to-last hill in the Milano-San Remo course. Today, Castelli is dedicated to continuing Maurizio’s dream: to create the most innovative clothing for the cyclist seeking maximum performance.