Team DSM have announced a partnership with Nalini clothing as they look to accelerate the development of their own in-house clothing line.
The in-house brand, which is named after the team's ethos of 'Keep Challenging', is yet to be launched to the public but was announced at the start of the 2021 season when Team DSM's title sponsor Royal DSM partnered with longtime cycling clothing manufacturer Bioracer.
At that time, a spokesperson for the team told Cyclingnews that the goal was to integrate new technologies into clothing in order to produce racewear that increased safety and performance, with the aim to inspire other teams, kit manufacturers and ultimately the UCI that the technology can improve the safety of riders in the peloton.
The team say that throughout 2021, it successfully integrated two technologies into its kit. Firstly, DSM's Arnitel material was integrated into rain clothing, with the claim of increased breathability at higher intensities.
Secondly, the team have built Dyneema – a product known for its high strength to weight ratio, said to be 15-times higher than steel – into its shorts, jerseys and sleeves to help protect riders in a crash, ultimately meaning less energy is spent on wound recovery in the following days.
Dyneema has also been adopted in other areas of cycling, including for the uppers of Specialized's shoes, and even as a saddle clamp by lightweight component specialists Darimo. It was previously integrated into clothing by the team's 2019 sponsor, Craft Sportswear.
With the recent announcement that Bioracer has partnered with Ineos Grenadiers, Nalini looks to have stepped into the vacancy left behind, and will supply its 60-year heritage and access to the Moa Sports manufacturing facility in Italy, where all of its clothing is made.
Nalini was founded in the early 1960s by brothers Claudio and Vincenzo Mantovani. Throughout its history, it has provided clothing to various high profile race winners, including Miguel Indurain's assault on the on the Tour de France in the early '90s, Chris Boardman's hour record rides in '96 and '99, Vincenzo Nibali's Vuelta a España win in 2010, Mark Cavendish's worlds win in 2011, and was even responsible for Mario Cipollini's zebra skinsuit.
According to the team, the goal for this partnership remains the same, with a focus on both safety and performance.
"Team DSM, their title partner Royal DSM and Nalini hope that their continued focus on protective racewear will inspire not only other teams but also industry leaders too, and that protective racewear will become more prevalent and a necessity in the future with UCI regulations," read a statement from the team.
The team were keen to reiterate the planned acceleration of this project, with "more newly developed fabrics gradually integrated with protective materials" on the way.
The 2022 Team DSM race kit is largely unchanged, with the overall design and colour-scheme retained, but now with logos for the spate of new sponsors that have come on board.
