Babici

Mundial Saint-Hubert Jersey

From the rigors of cyclocross to the one-day grit of Paris-Brussels, the Brussels region of Belgium has played host to cycling's most challenging tests. However, within the glorified mud and cobbles of Brussels lies the elegant, distinguished precinct of Saint-Hubert. This dichotomy between the beauty and the beast provided the Australian Babici with the inspiration for a celebratory jersey that's at once unpredictable in its craftsmanship, yet wholly sensible for the purpose of gritty riding. Accordingly, the Saint-Hubert Jersey adopts the Belgian national color palette for its last stop in Babici's Mundial Collezione.

Cuffing the left sleeve is a slight band of the national colors that spells out the jersey's symbolism for anyone that, sadly, only follows the Tour. This characteristic has also been subtly placed inside the collar of the Saint-Hubert jersey. The bottom portion of the Mundial is a traditional black color, as to create a seamless color blend with the omnipresent black bib shorts. For the design, Babici used a minimally seamed construction in order to reduce abrasion. The cut is defined as aero-race, yet for the typical cycling build, you'll find it conforming and comfortable. In fact, Mundial's shape through the shoulders follows the contours of the body, gracefully. This is due in part to craftsmanship, but mainly, it's derivative of Babici's story.

Australia is no stranger to the boyhood fanaticism of European cycling. And while Italian fabrics and style were in demand at Babici's inception, it noticed an undercurrent of desire to retain the Australian identity. So, designs in tow, Babici went to the premiere Italian fabric manufacturer, MITI -- the source of the ever popular and plagiarized SuperRoubaix, ThermoDream, and Ibisco fabrics. As their relationship blossomed, MITI's Time Out material presented itself as the obvious fabric choice for the Mundial jersey. With a warp-knit construction, the material is given a natural stretch. Within the knit, the threads follow a zig-zag pattern along the length of the jersey. This allows more surface area coverage while using less material, equating directly to an airy, lightweight construction. Time Out's open weave also accelerates moisture transfer from the skin to the quick-drying surface of the jersey. And while this fabric costs Babici an arm and a leg to produce, the comfort is worth it.

Now, you might be wondering about the Saint-Hubert jersey's functionality. While moisture management and cooling designs are great, where do you put your stuff? Well, Babici included a thoughtful rear pocket design. With three rear cargo pockets and a zippered security pocket, the Saint-Hubert has plenty of room for all of your ride essentials. And being the ever-perfectionists, you'll notice that Babici angled the outer-pockets towards the hips for easy access in the saddle. The jersey also has a subtle reflective strip under the pockets, and a full-length front zipper.

The Babici Mundial Saint-Huber Jersey is available four sizes from Small to X-Large and in the color Red/black.