Photo finish RSS

frederik van lierde, Marino Vanhoenacker, mirinda carfrae, Photo finish, product development, timothy o donnell, Triathlon, wind tunnel -

Product development with some of the best athletes in the world

It’s a long and sometimes complex journey before crossing the line to the cheers of the crowd as a winner. A season has to be planned carefully because long distance triathletes only have one or two shots a year for a big race. Just like the pros, Castelli also leaves nothing to chance, and we are constantly thinking of how to improve our products so that athletes can enjoy as many such moments as possible. This includes selecting the right fabrics, optimizing the pattern design, extensive in-house tests and, last but not least, sophisticated sessions in the wind tunnel. This spring we again went to the Milan wind tunnel with Marino Vanhoenacker to test new apparel ideas and refine his bike setup. Already some years ago it was proven that sleeves are faster than skin. Short-sleeved race kits became indispensable for the best possible aerodynamics on the bike. A few years ago professional athletes with short- or even long-sleeved race suits were smiled at. I’d call myself quite picky when it comes to choosing the perfect equipment, and I spare no effort to improve my material. The central issue is fit. A race combo has to fit really well so that no unwanted aero ...

Read more

claudio toselli, italia, passion, Photo finish, salesman -

Passionate Claudio Toselli, cyclist & salesman

When did your passion for cycling start? It was in 1967, when I was 15 years old. My passion began during summer vacation, when I watched the Giro d’Italia on television and got excited about the participants’ athletic exploits. Why sales? When and how did you start? I was a cyclist, and my career enabled me to wear the national jersey in the Peace Race. When I retired from racing, I saw an advertisement in a newspaper and sent my résumé to Rosate, near Milan, where after a few days I had a meeting with Maurizio Castelli, who was looking for an agent for Emilia-Romagna. Maurizio chose me, and my working relationship with Castelli has continued since that October day in 1981. What is your approach to planning a new sales campaign? What are the key points to consider when you start a new campaign? I must say that even today, when a sales campaign starts I’m excited and motivated, because this responsibility is very stimulating and rewarding professionally; I give and receive at the same time. I try to plan everything, focusing on the most important points, starting from my top clients or at least those that can make ...

Read more

business, cremonese, family, fonzaso, history, Photo finish -

Family Business. Stories of enduring success and innovation.

Castelli was born in 1876, if we count the time when it was called Vittore Gianni, as the business was known when it was taken over from the eponymous Milanese owner by Maurizio’s father. But since 2003 the brand has belonged to a company in the province of Belluno, Manifattura Valcismon. The Belluno-based company is certainly not a newcomer to the technical sportswear sector. Quite the contrary — the Cremonese family, now in its third generation, has worked in the textile industry since 1946. Founded in Lamon, by Olindo and Irma Cremonese, the company moved in 1954 to Fonzaso, where the headquarters are still located today. The turning point came with the couple’s son, Giordano, who loved sports, especially cross-country skiing, and initiated a true business transformation during the ’70s and ’80s that led the company to become a manufacturer of technical sportswear.Now, heading up the company together with Giordano are his four children: Dario, Alberto, Gioia and Alessio. A love of sports and a passion for cycling are the keys to business success that have brought Manifattura Valcismon today to guide the Castelli brand.   DR. GIORDANO Manifattura Valcismon, founded by Olindo and Irma Cremonese, began as a producer ...

Read more

aero race, aerodynamic, aerodynamic testing, cannondale, fastest jersey, jersey, Photo finish, pro team, test, watt, wind tunnel -

Aero Race: the most aerodynamic jersey ever created

The Aero Race Jersey originates from a very simple concept that is representative of the Castelli DNA: enabling riders to go as fast as possible. The idea emerged when we realized that improving the fit of the clothing reduced aerodynamic drag, allowing the rider to gain precious seconds. If we consider that a professional cyclist in a race maintains an average speed of more than 30 km/h, even though this is not the speed of a race car it is still a significant speed when dealing with aerodynamics. The Aero Race Jersey is certainly not a piece of clothing that is developed and created in a conventional manner. Every item of Castelli clothing has in its DNA its research and its typical construction as an article of race clothing, but top-of-the-line garments like the Aero Race Jersey undergo a slightly different production process, which applies aerodynamic studies to everything and places the construction design of the garment in the next step.   1 The first phase takes place in our scientific laboratories, where a hypothetical jersey, which in theory is the best combination, is proposed. This hypothetical idea of a jersey includes all the surfaces that must have low aerodynamic ...

Read more

cremonese, passion, Photo finish, portland, steve smith, US -

The american dream. A young dreamer from Portland is leading the Italian company.

Steve Smith is the brand manager of the European division of Castelli, but he also works very closely with the US organization. Like Maurizio Castelli, he always pays close attention to pro cyclists’ recommendations, needs and ideas to improve Castelli products. Steve, who grew up in Portland, Oregon, has always had a passion for cycling, which is no doubt part of the secret to his success in his work. Find out how Steve found his way to Castelli and about his enthusiasm for cycling. Tell me how you fell in love with cycling. I’ve always ridden and I’ve always liked cycling. When I was 13, my parents gave me a road bike, and just a week later my friend and I set out on a 155 km ride. There were no cell phones then, so you can imagine how worried my parents were when I didn’t come home. That ride, which took us 12 hours, was basically where it all started. What does cycling mean to you? It would be trite to use words like “passion” or “love.” As a kid you have fun going over jumps and riding on gravel or rough roads. Then you grow up, and you ...

Read more

Tags