My Cycling Jerseys

Every cyclist, as at one time or another, must have had a jersey collection. For me, these started taking up too much room in my home and I ended up selling a large majority to help fund the first Mamnick Backtor shirt, but some of these were held back for one reason or another. Some held sentimental value, some are price-less and others are still getting worn. 

Here is a few stories behind a few of my favorites jerseys. 

Although now slightly too big for me, this Castelli jersey must of been made for an amateur team. I can't seem to find any information about the 'CLUB LEVATI' team. A simple striped back design with the iconic Castelli scorpion on the chest. This is one of the first jersey's I purchased when getting into the bike a few years ago.

Another jersey that I am struggling to find an ID or year for, even though it's laced with prestigious sponsors. Peugeot, Mavic and Clement make an appearance on the jersey, yet through hours of scouring the net, I can't seem to find any information about the team, which somehow makes it cooler even cooler. Due to this being made from a rather lightweight lyrca, I very rarely wear it, but something inside me won't let me let it go.

A small piece of local history in this rare Raleigh jersey, as a both local sprinter Mark Walsham and Malc Elliot rode for the team in 1984 (the year I was born). I have since bumped into Mark on Beeley Moor last summer and sometimes see him riding in Cutthorpe valley. One of the best homegrown sprinters of his day, with a great 'kick' that could put a few good bike-lengths into the best of the them. Malcolm Elliot is probably the best known and most successful cyclist from around our way. Starting at Rutland CC, the Raleigh-Weinmann team was his first professional team. He went on to win three stages and the points classification in the Vuelta de Espana and rode the Tour de France in 1987 and 1988. Malc still holds the record for the Monsal Hill Climb, a time he set back in 1981 on a place you may have seen appear through-out the year on the Mamnick Instagram. 

This is an ex-pro jersey from 2001 and used to belong to CSC rider, Thomas Bruun Eriksen. It says his name on the back. I found it in a Sheffield charity shop for £4. I only noticed it had the name T B Eriksen on the back a good year after wearing it, which is a bit of a cycling no-no. Another great jersey by Castelli that I still wear now and again, especially through colder months. Also, CSC-Tiscali is the team that one of my favorite pros used to riders for - Carlos Sastre.  

This jersey was given to me as a gift and keep-sake, something I'll never let go of. It was the jersey that belonged to another local rider and hero Chris Walker. Chris wore this jersey on stage one of the 1991 Milk Race, which he won, and keep the yellow jersey for the remainder of the race. A piece of UK cycling history and one of the coolest teams of past years - Raleigh Team Banana. It's Chris's name embroidered in the back of the neck along with the jersey manufacturer, Santini.