Col de Tourmalet Baselayer - Men's

What Our Gearhead® Experts Are Saying:

"The Col de Tourmalet Baselayer is one of those pieces that makes the whole kit work better. The mesh fabric moves moisture fast enough that I never felt damp under the jersey, even on a long climbing effort in warm conditions. The extended back cut is genuinely well-engineered for a riding position — it stayed anchored the entire time without me thinking about it once."

A race kit performs only as well as its least considered layer, and for riders building the complete Col du Tourmalet Maillot Jaune collection, the Santini Col de Tourmalet Baselayer represents the technical foundation that everything above it depends on. Designed for the demands of sustained, high-output riding, it addresses the fundamental problem every performance baselayer must solve: keeping the skin dry when sweat production outpaces evaporation, so that thermal regulation and overall comfort remain stable across the full duration of an effort.

The construction centers on a lightweight mesh fabric selected specifically for its breathability-to-weight ratio and rapid moisture transfer characteristics. Open mesh geometry accelerates wicking at the skin interface and promotes airflow between the baselayer and the jersey layer, creating a microclimate that resists the clammy buildup that undermines comfort during repeated hard efforts or long mountain ascents. The fabric's quick-drying behavior means it recovers rapidly between intensity surges, reducing the cumulative moisture load against the skin that contributes to chafing and temperature dysregulation over long rides.

The sleeveless construction is a deliberate choice for under-jersey use, eliminating the sleeve interference and bunching that can compromise the fit of a close-cut performance jersey like the Col de Tourmalet's Polartec® Power Stretch™ shell. The extended back panel is cut and shaped to account for the forward-rotated position of a rider on the hoods or drops, maintaining full coverage of the lower back without pulling free from the bib short waistband or riding up under the jersey during out-of-saddle efforts. The result is a baselayer that disappears into the system and lets every layer above it perform as intended — which is precisely the standard a kit built around one of cycling's greatest climbs demands.