The Giro d’Italia, it’s the “most brutal race in the most beautiful place.”
It’s three weeks of snowcapped Alps, glittering seas, and the iconic maglia rosa, right?
Well this year, the Giro brings more.
Iuman, purveyor of male underwear and a line of “indestructible” boxer shorts, has moved front and center of the corsa rosa.
The Italian brand replaced Enel as lead sponsor of the pink jersey for 2025, and its logo has been slapped onto the chests of GC leaders Mads Pedersen and Primoz Roglič.
Polti, the slightly less intriguing cleaning product producer, will partner the pink jersey of the Giro d’Italia Women later this summer.
The men’s Giro d’Italia and its Iuman partnership goes beyond any ordinary brand activation.
In fact, Iuman is getting its fine Italian threads onto the hips of the best bike racers in the world.
Pedersen now has two sets of Iuman undies in his travel case after he won boxes of the apparel for romping into the maglia rosa on Friday and Sunday. Roglič should have a set after he wore pink, too.
Tadej Pogačar might be seething he’s not racing this month. It’s unlikely the super-Slovenian was gifted a wind turbine by energy brand Enel for each of the 20 times he received pink last year.
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And Iuman doesn’t make any ordinary underwear.
The brand is making its so-called “indestructible boxer short” its headline product.
Load up the Iuman website and this super-durable underwear is the first thing you’ll see.
“Goodbye to rips, holes, and embarrassing sagging! ‘The Indestructible’ is the new generation of boxers that will revolutionize your wardrobe,” the brand promises.
Lidl-Trek confirmed to Velo on Sunday that Pedersen was receiving boxes of underwear on the pink jersey podium. However, we were able to ascertain whether they’re an “indestructible” pair fitting for the team’s dominant Dane.
Indestructible pants replace the Saudi investment fund
There had been rumor this winter that the Saudi “Public Investment Fund” was going to become a major backer of the 2025 Giro d’Italia and claim a controverisial central stake in the pink jersey.
Organizers RCS Sport instead decided – or perhaps had no choice – to go with Italian underwear when the reported deal failed to materialize.
And why not?
Iuman is new to the front of the pink jersey, but it isn’t totally new to the Giro d’Italia.
The brand is the new men’s division of “Intimissimi Uomo,” which sponsored the white jersey of best young rider for several seasons.
Should the Saudi deal have totally stalled, there’s plenty more potential for the Giro’s relationship with Intimissi and Iuman.
For example, where are the giant inflatable boxer shorts along the course of the corsa rosa?
Velo hasn’t seen any yet.
And while Intimissi formerly produced a special set of “Giro d’Italia Stretch Supima Cotton Boxers,” the range appears to have been archived out of the Iuman online store.
Or maybe they sold out?
