CYCLING enthusiast-turned-fashion designer Sir Paul Smith has spoken of his pride at designing the leaders' shirts for the 2013 Giro d'Italia, the Italian equivalent of the Tour de France.
Nottingham native Sir Paul has designed the four shirts to be used by the cycle race leaders, including the Maglia Rosa (Pink Jersey) awarded to the overall leader.
The shirts were unveiled in Milan, with Sir Paul keen to get the approval of locals.
He said: "I hope that the simple approach that I've made is acceptable to you all; putting red piping with the pink, cleaning all of the jerseys up to keep them as simple as possible and adding a little drawing of a cyclist by myself on to the jerseys."
The fashion designer was a keen racing cyclist in his youth and harboured ambitions of becoming a professional until an accident.
Although he no longer competes, Sir Paul still has an enthusiasm for the sport.
"I started cycling at the age of 12 and raced until I was 18," he said.
"A bad crash put me in hospital for several months, after which I discovered the world of creativity, design and fashion and started my career, which luckily has progressed to what it is today.
"Having been a huge cycling enthusiast and follower of the major tours and classics for many years, it's an absolute privilege to be asked to design the four jerseys for the Giro d'Italia."
He added: "I have always followed cycling and have been privileged to meet many key riders, building friendships with Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish, David Millar and many more.
"I also have a huge collection of cycling shirts from the 70s right up to current times, often signed by the riders."
The annual Giro d'Italia race will begin in Naples on May 4, weaving through Italy before culminating in Brescia on May 26. The race is the most famous cycle race in Europe behind the Tour de France.
The other three shirts Sir Paul designed are the Red Jersey for the points classification, the Blue Jersey for the King of the Mountains, and the White Jersey for the best young rider.
