Rapha honours Colombian cycling with stylish Vuelta kit

Rapha has announced a series of stylish kit in honour of Colombian riders ahead of this year Vuelta a España.

In particular, the kit marks the 30th anniversary of Lucho Herrera's win at the 1987 Vuelta.

Rapha says that the collection will also be launched alongside a short, thought-provoking film named Abrazos that "lifts the lid on Colombian cycle racing", and includes an interview with Esteban Chaves' mother – it'll be available to watch on Rapha's website.

The new kit collection takes its inspiration from the era of Herrara's win with a series of 80s inspired designs. In total there will be seven products, Rapha says, including, a KoM jersey, a Midweight Jersey, cap and socks.

The KoM jersey is directly inspired by Herrara's win at the 1987 Vuelta a España, where he famously also won the mountain classification. Rapha says that "of-the-era design touches with modern fabrics and functionality". It'll cost £130 and is available from XXS-XL.

Watch: Vuelta a España 2017 essential guide

Meanwhile, the Pro Team Midweight jersey is inspired by Colombia's 1980's trade team and looks sleek in minimalist white with touches of the Colombian colours.

The Pro Team bib shorts retain that classic black Rapha look but the bibs are designed with the Colombian flag colours. Rapha says they feature a dual-density chamois and the design pays homage to Herrara's 1987 Vuelta win. The shorts come in at a sniff under £200 and are available in small to extra large.

Rapha is also releasing a series of accessories to accompany the kit, including socks, a cap and a t-shirt. All of which come in white with dashes of the Colombian national colours. The cap costs £25, the socks £15 while the t-shirt comes in at £35.

Rapha wanted to honour Colombian riding, arguing that Herrara's first grand tour success marked the beginning of "a long period of Colombian grand tour success".

Rapha also says that since the 80s, the escaranajos (or the beetles – the collective nickname for Colombian riders) have been a prominent force at the head of the European peloton.

For this year's Vuelta, there are a total of 12 Colombians starting the race, including Esteban Chaves.