The Sportful Gruppetto Aero jersey is very light, very breathable and very aero*, making it ideal for warm-weather rides, providing the very close (and very good) cut works for you.
Sportful sponsor Alberto Contador’s Tinkoff-Saxo team and the Gruppetto range is essentially the same kit as worn by El Pistolero and co, but without the sponsors’ logos.
The Gruppetto Aero jersey weighs a claimed 94g and is made from two fabrics: one dubbed ‘DryPro Lite’ on the main body of the jersey, and one called ‘Aero Stretch Mesh’ on the shoulders. At first glance it’s quite difficult to distinguish between the two fabrics, as they both have a mesh-like structure (which does give the jersey a vaguely translucent look), but the ‘Aero Stretch Mesh’ has, well, a little more stretch and ‘bounce’ in it, designed to provide a close and snug fit around the shoulders.
This is a very light jersey and one which you could easily stuff into a jersey pocket, to give you an idea of its sparsity, and so it’s an excellent option for hot rides, not least when I was in the Pyrenees last weekend and the temperature nudged 35 degrees.
‘DryPro Lite’ is a 100 per cent polyester fabric designed to be extremely light and quick drying – and it happily ticks both boxes. The jersey is extremely good at keeping the rider cool, allowing air to pass through the fabric and wick sweat away and, should it become damp, as is almost inevitable if you’re riding hard or on a long climb and the sun is beating down, then it dries very, very quickly. That’s particularly noticeable on a descent, when the jersey dries quicker than any other I’ve tried, reducing the chance of catching a chill as a result of clothing saturated with sweat from the preceding climb. Sportful tell us the Aero jersey is also the choice of many Tinkoff-Saxo on some wet rides for the same reason and we can believe that.
The Aero jersey, as the name suggests, is also designed to improve the rider’s aerodynamic performance. Sportful say the jersey is wind tunnel tested and while we don’t have the facility to test it for ourselves, the jersey does feel fast and it offers a very close, form-fitting cut which leaves no excess material to flap in the wind and increase drag. The jersey follows the contours of the body, wrapping itself around your shoulders and leaving no bunching of material on the stomach. The seamless sleeves also ensure a super-smooth – and comfortable – transition between the jersey and your arms.
The cut is designed with racing cyclists in mind and the close fit ensures the jersey feels like a second skin. We like that but appreciate it may not suit everyone and you may (try before you buy, if you can) need to order up a size. That said, we wore our regular size, medium, without any problems and it’s worth remembering that the jersey is meant to be a close fit.
Otherwise, it’s a relatively simple piece. There’s a full-length zip at the front, which you can undo all the way to leave the jersey flapping in the wind, pro-style, on a long climb, and there are three well-sized rear pockets but no zipped pocket for valuables (this is a race jersey at heart and there’s little need for unnecessary extras in the peloton). The hem has a silicone lining which holds the jersey securely in place.
Conclusion
The Sportful Gruppetto Aero jersey is an ideal piece for riding or racing in warm weather, particularly in the mountains. It feels fast, even if we can’t verify any aero claims, has a superb cut, and is both very light and impressively quick drying. While there may not be too many bells and whistles, it’s a tech-heavy piece and one which is decent value, too, at £85 (RRP, and available for considerable less online).
Price: £85
Sizes: XS-XXXL
Colours: black/white, black/blue, fluoro/white, red/black
Website: Sportful
UK distributor: C3 Products
