Tuesday May 7, 2024 at 10:48 am
Almost everything about Tadej Pogacar’s outfit was pink on Monday. His helmet, his glasses, his handlebar tape, other details on his bike and of course his jersey. The only thing that looked a bit out of place was his ‘purple’ pants. Had he accidentally received clothing belonging to Filippo Fiorelli, the then leader of the points classification? No, the pants were not a mistake.
It was a conscious choice by the Giro organization to give the classification leader special pants. It is a tribute to the players of Torino FC, who died in an air disaster in 1949. The ‘purple’ trousers are a reference to the garnet red clothing in which this very successful team played their matches. Pogacar will not wear the special pants again on Tuesday. He will appear at the start in black pants.
The accident took place on the Superga. Because it is 75 years ago this year, this climb was also part of the Giro route. The riders climbed the slope during the opening stage. The organization of the Giro d’Italia also previously announced that it would launch a special shirt in memory of the victims of the air disaster.
