British fashion designer Sir Paul Smith visited the Giro d'Italia on Wednesday and awarded Alberto Contador the maglia rosa at the end of the stage in Tirano.
As a teenager Sir Paul was a keen cyclist but his racing career was cut short after a nasty accident. While recovering he began to hang out with art students, and fashion and design replaced cycling as his passion in life.
However, he has always followed the sport closely and has designed bikes, clothing and cycling-themed accessories. He is friends with Mark Cavendish and several other riders and the British sprinter visited him in his showroom earlier this week as he recovered from riding the first part of the Giro d'Italia.
He spoke to Gazzetta.it about his love of cycling.
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