Sugoi La Tournee Jersey

The Sugoi La Tournee Jersey is a no thrills, looser fitting jersey whose major selling point is the design.

Let's start with the design, because that's what is going to draw you to this jersey, or away from it. The La Tournee Jersey owes more than a nod to the now defunct Combination Jersey from the Tour de France that was once awarded to the best all-round cyclist. A mash-up of the Yellow, Green and polka dot of the King of the Mountains jerseys it made its final appearance in 1989 and as a cyclist who was weaned on the LeMond/Hinault years where the jersey appears in iconic images of the time, that technicolour pattern is seared on my brain, so this Sugoi homage works for me.

It's certainly visible and some might say refreshingly a world away from the 'Black With A Subtle Highlight' jersey trend. On the other hand, some might say it's a goodawful mess, but if the multicolour mishmash does nothing for you there are plenty of other jersey designs in Sugoi's Semi Fit range. They all have the same features as the Tournee and might tickle your fancies, such as the Mod jersey design if you want to channel your inner Wiggins or Weller.

The jersey is made from FinoTech fabric, a cloth that creates the perfect environment for heart rate acceleration according to Sugoi. They continue that it's developed with a micro-filament linear knit texture that increases both stretch and the amount of surface area, allowing for faster moisture uptake and disbursement, and accelerated evaporation for a drier sensation on the skin in warm or cool conditions. Um, yes, if you say so, Sugoi. In reality it looks and feels just like a cycle jersey fabric really, it's not necessarily that lightweight but it's more airy than some and it wicks well so doesn't get weighed down with sweat, even when toiling up a col in the mid-30s Celsius.

As part of Sugoi's Semi Fit range, the jersey is tailored to fit close to the body but not so close that you feel self conscious at the coffee shop when picking up a pre/during/post ride skinny latte. Sugoi say it's suitable for a wide range of body types, which could be a euphemism for 'carrying a few extra pounds'. What that means in the real world is that it's not Italian racing-snake tight, nor is it casually baggy, it's the comfortable side of figure hugging. Depending on your figure, obviously. I'm a Medium in most cycle jerseys and the fit on this Medium Sugoi was exactly as they described, neither aero figure-hugging shrink-wrapped nor an Edwardian blouse in the wind, but comfortable enough without feeling that you might look like a badly packed sausage.

The front zip undoes to 2/3rds down the jersey which means you can unzip it sufficiently for breezy climbing without it getting all unmanageably flappy. That zip is hidden so the design looks neat and tidy when it's done up, although there's no zip-dock at the top which is pretty much a de-rigueur feature these days. The zip is tiny, so it wasn't really an issue to notice and whinge about.

The pockets in the back are your standard issue three, straight across, with no slanting to the ones at the side for easier access, no extra zipped pocket for phone/money/keys/valuables or a pump-sleeve either, all of that stuff that clothing makers suddenly decided your rear storage needed. Just three pockets with reinforced stitching at the top and bottom of each compartment join so they don't fall apart when you overstuff them with rain-jackets and gels. And tubes.

If we're talking details, there are no reflective tabs or highlights either, or embroidered logos, neither are there epic stories of hardship and grief sewn into a pocket. It's just a jersey.

The ends of the raglan sleeves are elasticated, which is somewhat old-school in these days of swish silicone grippers, and they're quite tight so those with proper arms rather than traditional cyclist's pipe-cleaners might find them an uncomfortable squeeze. In a similar manner the waist is held snug with plain old elastic which grips perfectly well enough but there's no silicone griper anywhere to stop pocket shimmy when sprinting or climbing out the saddle.

Verdict

Nice jersey, with the appeal in the design rather than any chi-chi features; pricey for a basic top though