1935
Rossano Veneto: A Myth is born
Selle San Marco is a famous and historical handmade saddles italian firm. Based in Rossano Veneto, in northeastern Italy, this small town is famous in the world thanks to the production of racing saddles. Modern saddles, but with a glorious past. Luigi Girardi was the man who made Rossano Veneto the undisputed world capital of saddles by opening Selle San Marco here 75 years ago. No stranger to hard work, having started at an early age in the local spinning mill and as a hand street sweeper, young Girardi in 1935 parlayed a 100-lire loan into a business distributing bicycle accessories.
1940
The company
In 1940, Luigi Girardi set up a bicycle saddle factory with around forty workers. The war years were difficult, but Selle San Marco prospered at selling high-quality leather saddles and the comm. Girardi got a lot of satisfactions: his company became not only a point of reference for all the bicycle industry, but also a model of business to follow.
1950
More weight, more quality
In 1950 the creation of new standard in the cure of the leather and in the production of metal components are signs of a future rich of successes. Interestingly, the more expensive saddles were the heavier ones since the weight indicated a better cut of leather. The contrary of today.
1953
Fausto Coppi
San Marco saddles became rapidly popular among the pro riders. In those years Fausto Coppi built his myth of Campionissimo, thanks to his legendary performances when the cycling was sweat and toil. The 1953 was the height of his career: he won the Giro d’Italia for the fifht time – memorable the historical climb of the Stelvio, when he pulled ahead of Hugo Koblet. In the same year, Coppi became also World Champion in Lugano, with another legendary performance: he take a solo victory with more than 6 minutes over his rivals in the final 30 km.
In the picture Fausto Coppi together with some San Marco employees at the show “Salone del Ciclo” in Milan
1970
The 70s
In the 1970s, Girardi created, along with his son Antonio and daughter-in-law Giuseppina, the saddles that made today’s saddles possible. San Marco started to make specific saddles for the pro riders. The brand became the point of reference for cyclists, not only professional but also amateurs, who chose the handmade saddles produced by the Rossano Veneto company for the high quality, the comfort and the great performance.
1978
Concor
In 1978 the first saddle in the world with a Bio-Anatomical shape is born. Its name is Concor and because of its revolutionary shape, this model was an epoch-making turning-point in the production of bicycle saddles. It started indeed the trend of shaped, narrower saddles with nylon bases, foam padding and leather covers. This saddle took legendary victories: the World Championships in 1980, 1981, 1982, 1987 with Hinault, Maertens, Saronni, Roche. Many cups, Grand Tour and Classic races with Battaglin, Baronchelli, Bontempi, Visentin, Argentin and many others. With the Concor Lance Armstrong will become World Champion in 1993 and with the next version, the Concor Light, he will win all his Tour de France.
1980
The 80s
Thanks to this revolution Selle San Marco became in the 80s the biggest handmade saddles company in the world. The Concor was indeed a worldwide business and or road success. Many of the most important International teams chose this model and so did the amateurs.
1982
Concor Profil
In 1982 at the Tour de France Battaglin and San Marco showed a version of the Concor that had been considered the most elegant cycling saddle, with a new aerodynamics for a fluid pedalling. Later new variants will be created: Concor Comfort with more padding, Concor Supercorsa with lighter rail ( whole weight 240 gr.), Concor Max with a better support for pelvis bones, Concor Pista. There were also versions for junior and baby cyclists.
1982
World Champion
Goodwood, 1982. Giuseppe Saronni and his Concor became World Champions!
1983
Rolls
Besides the Concor, San Marco launched in those years models that will enter in the history of the brand – now revamped in the Vintage line. Among them there was the ROLLS (1983) with all its many versions: brown or black printed leather, coloured shiny leather, black or white with NO SLIP SYSTEM (without patches) embroidered leather.
1984
Regal
It is the other model that together with the Concor and the Rolls belongs today to the Vintage line. The REGAL (1984) became popular in the second half of the 80s for its crocodile, snake, kangaroo versions, all with aluminium adjustable die-cast rail. It will be used by the most important pro riders as Cipollini, Boonen, McEwen, LeMonde and Chiappucci. A saddle born to win: i twill triumph indeed in many great stage races and in the Classics.
1992
The Concor Light and the Carbon
In 1990 another stroke of genius of Selle San Marco happened: the launch of the Concor Light with titanium rail and then carbon rail (Concor Light KA that american megazines said to be “super seats” of the year 1993). With this saddle San Marco was the first saddles maker company to introduce the Carbon in the world of cycling. As usual it was innovative and anticipator of trend.
1993
Keith Bontrager
This line is dedicated to the world of Mtb (1983). It came from the collaboration between Keith Bontrager and San Marco. They were because of their ergonomic design the first specific saddles for the Mtb pro riders. When the Mountain Bike was “just” Mountain Bike.
1995
San Marco and Pirelli
In the 90s the design of models like Integra, Pirelli 600, Squadra HDP and Bertone SE (1990) turned the saddles into true objects of worship. In those years San Marco in collaboration with Pirelli created the saddle with active suspensions (SA) through the SUTUCO, the coaxial tubular support made of 60 Shore A natural rubber.
2000
The new millenium
San Marco enters the third millenium, with the plus of innovation and dictating new technological parameters with saddles as Era, Aspide, Rever and introducing new concepts as Arrowhead, Superleggera, Carbon Fx, TT.
2004
Rever
2004 is the year of birth of the Rever. It was the saddle used by champions like Cadel Evans when he rode fot the Omega-Lotto.
In the picture: Giuseppina and Antonio Girardi with their sons Luca and Luigi.
2005
Magnesium
In 2005 the magnesium is tamed with the Magma, winner of many design and innovation prizes. A new frontier in the San Marco technological evolution, that attested again the courage and the passion, besides the skill to transfer the experience and appeal of the racing world to a product that will be designed also for amateurs. With its differed thicknesses of the special ergonomic design, it assures lightness and comfort.
2008
Zoncolan
2008 San Marco launched the Zoncolan. Evolution. The most extreme climb in the Giro d’Italia gives its name to an elegant product resulting from a technological and ergonomic mix. Derived from professional experience. Plain design, exclusive technologgy, great performance: San Marco spirit comes out from the design and dynamism that have always marked this italian brand.
2008
San Marco and the Bicycle film festival
San Marco and the Bicycle Film Festival started a collaboration that brings the bicycle spirit all around the world through events, films, music and parties.
2009
Mantra
The word mantra comes from a combination of the two Sanskrit words manas (mind) and trayati (to free). The mantra can therefore be considered a sound able to free the mind of worries.
The San Marco Mantra draws inspiration precisely from this: freeing the mind, without any worries about comfort or style, in order to focus entire on performance.
2010
Regale
In 2010 San Marco went back into the future. It is the REGALe, “e” means evolution of a model that doesn’t need presentations. Indeed, the new saddle is founded on the known REGAL, born at the end of the seventies and used by the greatest riders as Cipollini, Boonen, McEwen, LeMonde and Chiappucci. Classical inspiration then, but ultra-modern performances for a saddle developed together with the pro riders. Keeping and improving the excellent ergonomics that made it famous, thanks to its wide seat, the new model expresses at most San Marco technology.
2010
Tour de France: Alessandro Petacchi takes the green jersey!
The REGALE started soon to take prestigious success. An italian green jersey winner after 42 years at Tour de France. He is Alessandro Petacchi, who wins the points classification as did Franco Bitossi in 1968. On his REGALE RACING TEAM CFX he defended from the attacks of Hushovd this jersey that he take also thanks to two great stage victories.
2011
THE FAUSTO COPPI-SELLE SAN MARCO
It is the mythical cycling international marathon dedicated to the memory of the legendary Fausto Coppi. A Mythical and Unique “Granfondo” with the highest difference in altitude of Europe (4500 m) and historical mountain roads to climb. An event that reminds the cycling of times gone by, the one beloved by an historical firm as San Marco, born in 1935 and grown up with the cycling made of toil and great heroes as the “Campionissimo”, when with a San Marco saddle he became a myth for his legendary performances. The “La Fausto Coppi” will be one of the most important event for San Marco during the next years: a perfect occasion to show in preview the models of the new collection.
2011
NEW CONCOR - THE LEGEND GOES ON
The legend goes on. CONCOR. An icon. Now much lighter. San Marco revamps the CONCOR, presenting the evolution of the historical model. The new saddle keeps all the skills of the previous versions (the Concor Light and the Concor Supercorsa), but it considerably gains lightness, thanks to the use of innovative materials. In addition to this on the CFX version there are important newness concerning the features of the carbon DNA rail. It shows indeed a distintive “X” shape to increase the rigidity and avoid spin and torsion.
