This article was produced in association with Selle Italia.
Professional cycling is tough. And it’s dirty. All riders finish a cobbled Classic either caked in mud or covered in a layer of yellow dust. Even in midsummer, after six hours in the wheels at 40kph, the grit, grime, snot, blood and sweat — and sometimes tears — combine to coat every exposed surface. That’s what makes white the most ‘pro’ colour of all. Heading into a race with a pristine white saddle, white bar tape, white shoes and white socks says everything about professional cyclists. They don’t compromise. They don’t back down. They race and they finish, crossing the line utterly spent and filthy. Everything that was once white is stained with gruesome, spreading patches of brown, beige, yellow and red. But the next day they’re at the start with a newly pristine white saddle, bar tape, shoes and socks, eyes hidden behind sunglasses (white framed of course), looking impossibly fresh, as if yesterday hadn’t happened. They’re ready to race at the same intensity again, in the same conditions. White above all other colours is symbolic of the pro mentality, the pro experience, the invincibility.
That’s why Selle Italia has just launched its White Range — a collection that showcases the latest versions of its most iconic saddles: the Flite Boost, SLR Boost and Novus Boost Evo are now available in ultra-cool, pristine, pro white. The innovative SLR Boost 3D, featuring a 3D-printed cover, will also come in white. The flagship in the White Range, this is developed with Carbon DLS technology and features a dedicated 3D-printed proprietary pattern with a unique look. Crucially, the 3D-printed cover provides progressive differentiated cushioning over the entire surface — and it’s 100 per cent made in Italy.
Meanwhile, the Flite Boost Kit Carbonio Superflow is the saddle of Mathieu van der Poel, widely regarded as the pro’s pro, and no stranger to white kit. The flat seat and short, aerodynamic style are ideal for providing freedom of movement, comfort and for generating a huge number of watts if you’re MvdP; the Superflow cut-out relieves perineal pressure while extra-long carbon rails allow a wide range of adjustability. This year Van der Poel has a white Flite Boost with his own MVDP logo that celebrates his collaboration with Selle Italia. The original, iconic Flite, released in 1990, was the first saddle with exposed rails — widely copied and now completely standard — and was most memorably ridden to victory in the Tour de France by Marco Pantani in 1998 in a hand-stitched ‘il Pirata’ custom version. Meanwhile, Selle Italia created custom saddles for more of its top riders including Jan Ullrich, Richard Virenque, Alexandre Vinokourov, Alejandro Valverde and Alberto Contador.
The saddle photographed here is the Selle Italia SLR Boost, which is the lightest saddle in its class at 122 grammes in the S3 130mm version. The neutral shape is designed to support the ischial bones during long rides and it’s supported by premium carbon rails with 10mm extra length. As with the Flite Boost, the SLR Boost includes the Superflow central cut-out that relieves pressure on the perineum, allowing you to focus on attacking the next climb. In the White Range edition, the perforations in the Fibra-Tek upper recall the classic Selle Italia Turbo, as ridden by Bernard Hinault, which was available in the late 1980s in white perforated leather and is now a favourite of retro aficionados, especially if they’re lucky enough to track down one in mint condition.
The fourth saddle in the White Range, the Novus Boost Evo Kit Carbonio Superflow, brings superior comfort and advanced features without sacrificing strength. It’s lightweight, adjustable and comfortable thanks to its wave profile and, as the top saddle in the Novus family, it comes with carbon rails and is finished with Fibra-Tek material. For a timeless pro aesthetic with state-of-the-art saddle technology, the White Range is absolutely on point, like the pros themselves. Are you pro enough?
