World's first real denim cycling shorts about to launch - and they could be worn by AG2R Citroën

Italian brand Rosti, the supplier of AGR Citroën's team kit, unveiled its new ‘Bib Jeans’ at Rouleur Live, prompting speculation that the French UCI WorldTeam might be about to ditch its famous brown shorts for denim.

You might think you’ve seen this somewhere before, but Marco Pantani’s Carrera kit of the 1990s was simply printed Lycra whereas Rosti’s new bib shorts are actually made from denim, according to the brand, which is a world first.

Rosti’s general manager Marco Saggia told Cycling Weekly that the Bib Jeans, as they will be called, are made from a mix of 48% cotton, 22% recycled polyester, 15% polyester and and 15% elastane.

He said they’d been in development for some time, including with the AG2R Citroën team, and one of Rosti’s product testers had ridden 2,000km in them in the summer to prove that, just like the best cycling bib shorts, they won't chafe and won't hold onto moisture.

They feature a single pocket at the rear as well as dummy coin pockets where the bib straps attach, and a decorative belt loop.

The chamois pad - which will be made by a well known Italian manufacturer as yet to be revealed - is leather coloured to match the label.

Saggia said the company is currently in the process of trademarking and registering its design and that it was the perfect blend of both a fashionable and technical garment.

Although the Rosti Bib Jeans were displayed for the first time at Rouleur Live, they won't be introduced to the market until February 2023, with pre-ordering in December.

As for pricing, Saggia said the goal was to keep the RRP below 169 euros.

Since the shorts were on a mannequin in between two photographs of AGR Citroën's team kit and as they have been developed with its riders, Rosti appeared to be suggesting they could be worn by the French WorldTeam, which in recent years has become famous for its brown shorts.

So, we asked, might AGR Citroën wear the Rosti Bib Jeans in the future, perhaps even in the Tour de France?

“We have to see,” said Saggia enigmatically.