From 1988 the World Champion jersey, from 1993 to 2017 the Giro's pink jersey, from 2017 the Vuelta's red jersey, from 2022 the Tour's yellow jersey, from 2018 Trek (first Segafredo then Lidl) but also Australian national teams, Eroica, prestigious gran fondos, road and gravel teams (including Guerciotti team) up to partnerships with monument classics like Liège and Roubaix, and also with historic business realities like Bianchi and Pirelli. Marking history by dressing it in a thousand colors, sometimes anticipating future technical standards, is the trademark of the Santini knitwear factory: from the black and white checks of Peugeot Esso Michelin to La Vie Claire of the volcanic patron Tapie in Mondrian style, up to the many colorful jerseys that marked Gianni Bugno's career between Gatorade, Polti and Mapei, and Marco Pantani's in Mercatone Uno which, in hindsight, was a prelude to the current "yellow" production for the Tour.

All this can be breathed with the eyes and touched with the cycling heart inside the "expanded headquarters" of Santini, opened two and a half years ago on Via Zanica in Bergamo: 24000 square meters with extensive green space and an official single-brand store, where over 7000 garments are produced daily, 85% destined for export. On the walls, the most historic-iconic Santini jerseys, and between today and tomorrow, also the photographic exhibition curated by Simone Tribuiani and (at the entrance) the four sculptures by Luca Di Maggio for four legendary bikes: but about this, along with the complete program of the Santini: 60 Years of Cycling festival that will involve Santini and all of Bergamo, you can read HERE in detail.

Below is a recap of the talk that took place yesterday between 7:00 and 8:15 p.m., under a setting sun and growing emotion, on the stage set up in the park just outside the company headquarters. The first to speak was none other than the host himself: Cav. Pietro Santini, who expressed his great satisfaction at reaching the milestone of 60 years in business, celebrating it in the presence of representatives from every part of the cycling world—reminding him, in concrete terms, just how much life he has lived within this sport.

Among those present: Luca Guercilena, Cristiano De Rosa, Flavio Giupponi, Alessandro Vanotti, Paolo Bellino, Johnny Carera, as well as senior figures from ASO and brands like Campagnolo, Enervit, Vittoria, Kask, and many others—including federal president Cordiano Dagnoni.

With heartfelt applause following this warm introduction, Andrea Berton once again proved an excellent moderator, guiding the audience through six chapters, six conversations, six milestones in the history of the Santini brand—each one matching a photo on display inside.

1.

The first jersey for a major international team: Peugeot Esso Michelin in 1977, crowned by Bernard Thévenet’s victory at the Tour de France.
Gianni Motta recalls:

“My relationship with Cav. Santini began in 1971, when I was advised to visit him in Dalmine while looking for someone to handle production of my own clothing line… but those black-and-white Peugeot checkers I had known since long before. At the 1964 Giro di Lombardia I was in a breakaway with Tom Simpson for 200 km. That jersey wasn’t easy to sew—still the wool era. But Santini would have done a splendid job, and that marked the start of his true international adventure.”

2.

The most beautiful jersey ever? Many say yes: La Vie Claire, with its primary-colored Mondrian-inspired blocks. It pushed Santini to evolve its production methods to meet the bold vision of team president Bernard Tapie. The Bergamo-based workshop had to piece the colors together one by one using the earliest modern technical fabrics.

Marco Pastonesi, cycling poet and writer (and contributor to Tuttobiciweb), takes the mic to explore the symbolic weight of cycling jerseys in the collective imagination:

“Some jerseys inspire and move us—they’re sacred relics, religious grammar, mixing sport and daily life, as they carry brands and companies people recognize and live with. Jerseys are sacred vestments for cyclists. The Vie Claire jersey stirred debate in a sport bound to tradition. Tapie himself was a kid from the banlieues who decided to take control of his life—he signed the strongest French rider, Bernard Hinault, to win the Tour de France, the biggest race in the most popular sport. And he did it—with him, and with LeMond.”

3.

The marriage with the UCI, which earned Santini the nickname “Rainbow Factory.”
Three-time world champion Óscar Freire reflects:

“I won the Worlds in Italy (Verona) as an unknown Spaniard—who would’ve thought… what a nightmare for the organizers! My best photos are in that Santini rainbow jersey. Visiting HQ wearing it was always special. I would’ve loved to win a fourth title, but at home I still look at the three I won, side by side, and I get emotional—because out of 200 starters, only one wins, and I was that one, three times. When I see today’s riders win that jersey, I feel nostalgic about the cycling life. But I’m truly happy to be here again at Santini, the place from which that logo radiates, the same one I see at home and that means so much to me.”

4.

The woman who sews dreams—and the future.
None other than Maria Rosa Fumagalli, wife of Pietro Santini and co-founder of their family company. It was her brilliant intuition that changed cycling forever (as Berton put it): the first lycra cycling shorts.
Here’s her account:

“My first job in the company was to bring to life everything my husband imagined for the present and future of cycling. I developed jerseys and shorts, sewed chamois pads—more colors, the better… for about ten years. I admired how he expressed his ideas and how he welcomed mine. When we moved to Lallio, I truly realized the scale we were reaching. So many people would come asking what we did and how we made our jerseys. We had to expand the team, hire more people for sewing and production, while I dealt with the growing number of clients. I’m proud to have passed down this passion to our daughters—the calling to always meet the technical needs of those who want their cycling dreams brought to life in a jersey. I hope they’ll keep doing it for many years to come…” she concludes, barely holding back emotion.

5.

The Pirate’s promise.
When Marco Pantani, sitting at a table with Pietro Santini and Felice Gimondi, promised to give Santini his bike if he won a Grand Tour. In 1998, Pantani achieved the Giro-Tour double, and kept his word: that Bianchi bike now proudly stands at the entrance to Santini HQ.

Who better to tell the story than DS Beppe Martinelli:

“Gimondi and Pezzi pushed hard for Santini to supply Mercatone Uno’s jerseys—it was the top brand in Felice’s homeland. I fondly remember all the back-and-forth over Marco’s chamois pads—longer, wider… In the end, he left a mark on cycling that goes beyond GC victories. And those who crafted his jerseys so perfectly are part of that legacy.”

At this point, “Martino” gifts Pietro Santini the jersey he wore with Santini–Selle Italia, with which he won Milano–Torino in 1981—between laughs about sizing back then and the thrill of running his fingers over each embroidered letter. A theatrical gesture that made the evening even more memorable.

6.

Lego Serious Play.
A corporate problem-solving and innovation method using Lego bricks. It came at a tough moment for Santini, which would eventually lead to triumph.
In 2017, Santini lost the Giro’s maglia rosa contract, but by 2022, after consolidating ties with ASO via the Dauphiné, Paris–Nice and the Vuelta, Santini became the official maker of the yellow jersey.

For the evening’s grand finale, Monica and Paola Santini—CEO and head of marketing/communications respectively—shared their story:

“We saw the sense of loss in our employees, who had always been used to seeing pink… So with help from Confindustria Bergamo—whom we thank—we embarked on this Lego process. During those sessions we discovered that 80% of Lego bricks are yellow. That’s where the idea came from. Making it a reality was pure joy, and it’s equally joyful to celebrate our history here tonight. Now we’re an integral part of the journey started by Pietro and Maria Rosa, continuing their values with a spirit of innovation and a focus on sustainability. We’re surrounded by new generations who constantly challenge and inspire those who’ve been here for years. That’s the engine that will drive our next ten years. Because in cycling it often feels like everything has already been invented—but in truth, I’ve never seen such rapid change as in recent years. We’ll stay alert, ready to seize the next transformation.”

The metaphorical curtain falls with an appearance from the two artists behind the evening’s exhibitions: Tribuiani, who “decodes our world through sport”, and Di Maggio, joking about the size of his works: “If it were up to me, they’d be even bigger—but I had to respect space and common sense.”

What remains is beauty, quality, and legacy—past, present, and future—of a brand (as we now say) that brings Italian excellence to the world stage of cycling like few others can.