A DESIGN FOR LIFE - THE STORY OF THE UCI TRACK CHAMPIONS LEAGUE KIT DESIGNER

It’s not just the riders who are living their dream by being part of the UCI Track Champions League, Stijn Dossche is another.
 
 Bored during the pandemic, Stijn began designing imaginary cycling kits in his spare time and his eye-catching concept creations soon went viral, capturing the imagination of fans around the globe.
 
 UCI Track Champions League Series Director Florian Pavia was among those who were suitably impressed by Stijn’s striking work, and invited the 29-year-old Belgian to be the official designer of the Ale skinsuits for the 2023 season. 
 
We caught up with Stijn to take up the story from there, and to find out exactly how he went from fledgling bedroom designer into one of the most respected and in-demand names in the business:

Can you tell us a bit about your background, and how you came to be a professional cycling kit designer?

I liked to design cycling kits as a kid, along with the bikes and buses, but I didn't do anything about it. There was a design element to the Sports Management class I took in school, but it was only in 2020, when the Coronavirus hit, I saw someone doing it as an adult online, so I contacted them, asked them lots of questions about it, and how I could do the same. They were really helpful so then I started teaching myself and experimenting, put my designs on Instagram, and somehow, they went viral.

What team's jerseys have you designed so far?

The first team I worked with professionally was Intermarché–Circus–Wanty, who compete in the UCI WorldTour on the road. They approached me almost immediately after I started posting my designs online in 2021, and I also worked with them again for the 2023 season.

I also designed the Tour de France jerseys for Israel - Premier Tech in 2022 and their regular jerseys for 2023 - which they gave me carte blanche on. Another team has also recently approached me, but I can’t say too much about that at the moment (laughs).

How did you become involved with the designing of the UCI Track Champions League skinsuits specifically?

[Series Director] Florian Pavia approached me online as well, right back when I started in 2021 - which was also the first season of the UCI Track Champions League. I wasn’t able to work on the skinsuits straight away because [former kit supplier] Santini wanted to keep everything in-house, but when Alé Cycling came onboard as Official Kit Supplier for the 2023 season, the opportunity presented itself, and I said 'yes, absolutely'.

Were you a track cycling fan already?

I’ve always liked all types of cycling, track included. I am from a town in Belgium near Ghent, who have the famous six-day events, so track cycling was always on my radar, and my dad was a huge fan as well. 

What was the design process like for you on this particular project?

I got the skinsuit templates from Alé Cycling and then Florian talked me through the essentials that needed to be positioned properly on the kit - i.e. space for logos, flags, race numbers etc. and then I got to work.

There are riders from 28 different nationalities on the UCI Track Champions League this season. Was it difficult having to work with so many different flags and colours, but still find some kind of consistency that flows through the collection?

Yes, it was difficult. I had one overarching design that I wanted to use for every country, so then it was a matter of making the best use of the colours available to me and trying to make sure each nationality stood out from the others. Many flags feature the same colours e.g. the blue, white and red which appears on France, USA, Netherlands, for instance, so it was a big challenge. Then you also have nations like Belgium and Canada, that traditionally wear blue, even though it’s not featured in their flags.

It’s not just the front and backs of the kits you have to take into account when designing them; the arms, shoulders and sides of the shorts are also important too, because it’s those areas that appear most on TV and photos. 

How long did it take you to create all the designs?

It took me a few months from beginning to end and there were lots of revisions before we got everything perfect and signed off by Warner Bros. Discovery Sports and the UCI. 

What inspired the designs?

I used the same design for every skinsuit - because equality is one of the key features of the UCI Track Champions League. I took a lot of inspiration from the branding that was already in place for the series because I wanted the skinsuits to match and complement those. Representing speed and technology was also in my mind, and resulted in the waves and lines you see on the sleeves. I presented three designs which incorporated all those design elements, and then Warner Bros. Discovery and the UCI chose their favourite.

As well as Warner Bros. Discovery Sports and the UCI, you must have had to work closely with Alé Cycling as well?

Yes I did, they were involved in every step of the process, and they were super easy to work with. Whenever I had a question, they guided me perfectly, and everything with them went really smoothly. 

As well as the actual look of the skinsuits, did you also have any input into the cut and fabrics used on the skinsuits?

No - Alé Cycling were completely responsible for the design of the skinsuits themselves. They have years and years of experience of that and are absolute experts when it comes to creating the actual skinsuits.

Finally, how does it feel to have seen your creations come to life at the UCI Track Champions League this season?

I attended the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines round and seeing them in person made me really proud. I will never take these opportunities for granted, and at the same time, I don’t like to brag about them either. Ever since I first put my designs online back in 2020, the journey has been incredible.

Check out more of Stijn’s eye-ctaching designs on his official Instagram page.