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G A B B ARK I T2—RP R E S SINTRODUCING GABBA R

The sixth generation of the Gabba takes Foul Weather
Race Protection to a new level.
A brand-new exclusive fabric technology makes
the Gabba R functionally waterproof and highly breathable,
while the close-to-body fit makes it the most aero jacket
we’ve ever tested. By far. Whether your goal is to cross thefinish line first or to remain warm, dry, and comfortable, thegame has changed.

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P R E S SREAL GABBAG A B B AR

T H E R E ’ S O N LY O N EGabba. The word has entered the cycling lexicon asa generic term to describe the short-sleeve jacket for
combating cool and often wet conditions. Gabba jackets
are ubiquitous in any pro race when the riders need to keep
warm and race hard. Even though every team calls theirshort-sleeve jacket a “Gabba,” there’s only one real Gabba.
In 2009, during the Brixia Tour, Castelli organized a focus
group with Cervélo TestTeam riders to solicit input on
how to enhance their clothing for racing in cold and wetconditions. Together we had identified an opportunity togain a huge competitive advantage in foul weather throughbetter clothing. Fortunately, the Cervélo TestTeam riders
competing at that race were all from wet countries: threeBritons, a Swiss, a Belgian, an Irishman, and NorwegianGabriel Rasch. It was Rasch who brought up the need fora garment tailored for racing in the rain, one that wouldn’t
impede speed with flapping fabric or cause overheating.
Rasch wanted to be aero and to keep his core body
warm, and he pointed out that the endless pursuit of
total waterproofness was incongruous with racing in foulweather.
Castelli’s product team embarked on creating a shortsleeve jacket from a new stretchy, windproof, and waterresistant black fabric that was yet to be released. Thisendeavor birthed the perfect solution for cold and wet
racing: aero thanks to the stretchy fabric, water protection,and breathability thanks to W.L. Gore’s membrane, andfit and no-nonsense functionality from Castelli’s focus onracing performance.

The new jacket made its debut at the 2010 Omloop Het
Nieuwsblad. The following day, during Kuurne-BruxellesKuurne, which was held under the remnants of an Atlantic
hurricane and saw only 26 finishers, the Cervélo TestTeam
riders were animating the race. Juan Antonio Flecha was
the first to inquire about purchasing “the all-black jacket,”and as many as a quarter of the Gabbas sold over the next
three years found their way onto professional riders.
The spring of 2013 witnessed incessant rain in nearly every
race, and by now, most professionals had bought theirGabbas and blacked out the red scorpion logos. However,it was during Milan–San Remo that the Gabba burst into
the public consciousness with the indelible images of thepeloton, much of which was clad in black jackets, riding
through a snowstorm before the race was interrupted andthe riders were bused to the warmer Ligurian coast.
The rest, as they say, is history. The Gabba became astaple for both pro racers and amateur cyclists. Castellicontinued to refine the jacket, enhancing rain protection
and adding more functional pockets and details. Manyriders used their Gabbas for dry conditions, appreciating
the wind protection and breathability that helped them
maintain core warmth without overheating. But amid thissuccess, there remained a persistent belief that more could
be done…

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HOW IT WORKS

THE NEXT FRONTIER—

After years of development, we have finally achieved ahigh-stretch, functionally waterproof, and highly breathable
fabric that enables us to craft the ultimate race jacket —with the fit and aerodynamics of a speedsuit and the water
protection of a rain cape. We proudly introduce the Gabba
R. The “R” stands for Race.

A brand-new fabric technology allows us to make astretch-fit rain jacket that performs like never before.
The electro-spun external membrane keeps essentially
all rain out, so it fully replaces your traditional rain cape.
The microporous air-permeable structure means you cankeep it on longer after the rain stops or run it on a dryday. The almost vanishingly thin fabric allows you to layerunderneath for the widest possible temperature range.

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8K I TP R E S STECHNOLOGYG A B B ARFABRIC

There’s a lot going on in this fabric, so we’ll break down
the component parts:∙ The external membrane keeps the fabric light andbreathable while avoiding an external textile layer thatwould hold moisture next to the membrane.
∙ Castelli-exclusive fabric with a microporous electro-spunhydrophilic polyurethane membrane has tiny pores thatlet a small amount of airflow through the membrane,
allowing more moisture to escape than is possible withmost polyurethane membranes.
∙ The fabric weighs just 125 g /m2 and stretches to atleast double the original dimension in each direction.
∙ The inner fabric backing is 78% polyester / 22%
elastane to maintain the extreme stretch while
enhancing breathability.
∙ Castelli partnered with performance fabric innovation
leader ITTTAI® to develop the exclusive fabric. ITTTAI’s
expertise in membrane technology and lamination
helped create a fabric that brings together levels ofstretch, breathability, and water protection that simply
weren’t achievable until now.
∙ The membrane and entire fabric are PFAS-free. This isnotable because previous electro-spun polyurethane
membranes had PFAS additives to aid in the production.
∙ The polyurethane membrane has been formulated to be
more hydrophobic than standard polyurethane.
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AERODYNAMICS

Clearly, aerodynamics are paramount in creating a better
race Gabba. Wind tunnel tests have demonstrated
remarkable aerodynamic gains. Through two separate windtunnel tests, augmented with tests on the road, we’veseen that in some positions and speeds the Gabba R will
actually be faster than a Sanremo BTW Speed Suit as
used by the Soudal Quick-Step team. In a “normal” roadposition, the Gabba R tests about 1% faster at speeds
from 37 to 50 km/h, while in an extremely aggressive low
position, the Gabba R is merely about 1% slower than theSanremo BTW suit.
Comparing new and old Gabbas, the short-sleeve Gabba
R tests 2.5% faster than the Gabba RoS 2, meaning thatyou’re saving 2 to 2.5 seconds per kilometer at 40 km/h.
The long-sleeve Gabba R surpasses the Perfetto RoS 2
Jacket by 3.5% and the Slicker Pro rain jacket by 4.5%.
The tests were conducted at speeds of 40 km/h and 50km/h, as these jackets were specifically designed foraerodynamics at peak racing speeds.

CLICK HERE to see additional aerodynamic testing data.

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Since the inception of the original Gabba, the primary focus
has been on keeping cyclists comfortable, warm,and fast while riding and racing, even in inclement
weather. However, the new Gabba R takes this to anotherlevel by being “functionally waterproof,” meaning it
effectively keeps you dry from the outside. Let’s delve
deeper into this.
The fabric has a hydrostatic head rating of over 5,000 mm.
While this may seem low compared to certain outdoor
brands that strive to prevent any moisture ingress evenunder the pressure of a backpack or sitting on a wet
surface, it is more than sufficient to repel even driving rain.
Increasing waterproofness often comes at the expenseof breathability, but in our testing, we’ve found that arating of 5,000 mm strikes the right balance.
In another deliberate departure from convention, the Gabba
R is not fully seam-taped.
Seam taping on the Gabba R’s stretchy fabric would
compromise its elasticity. Instead, we’ve minimized seams
to essential areas: the top of the shoulders, armholes, backof sleeves, and back sides. These areas are shielded fromdriving rain, and the hydrophilic fabric effectively prevents
water from entering during regular use. Regarding theseams exposed to rain while cycling, we’ve opted
to tape the top of the shoulder while leaving the armhole
untaped. We believe that preserving the stretch fit aroundthe armhole, which offers advantages in terms
of aerodynamics and comfort, outweighs the minimal
water ingress that may occur. Feedback from our testers
varied: some experienced no water ingress, while others
reported an insignificant amount.

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RAIN PROTECTION

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P R E S SGETTING ON AND OFFRTHE FIT

Putting on the jacket, especially the long-sleeve version,requires some effort due to the stretching sleeves and snug
forearm to prevent flapping in the wind.
Designed for WorldTour racing, the Gabba R features 100%
stretch in every direction. Its close-to-body fit optimizes
aerodynamics while maintaining comfort. In our testing,
we’ve found that the close-to-body fit has the advantagethat whatever moisture is formed inside the jacket during
intense efforts tends to stay warmer since it’s held close
to the body, causing less chill from moisture than what weexperience with other jackets.
If a rider prefers a more relaxed fit, especially for use invery cold temperatures over thermal layers, we recommend
going up a size, as Kasper Asgreen does for winter training
in Denmark.

We do not recommend trying to put on the long-sleevejacket while riding, especially trying to slide it over skin or
clothes that are already damp from sweat or the first few
minutes of a rain storm. If you’re racing and need to coverup, either put on the short-sleeve Gabba R or plan for aquick stop to pull it on.
Pulling the jacket off has been a consideration from thebeginning. The short-sleeve jacket isn’t a problem; you’ll
just peel it off. The long-sleeve jacket has an extra design
detail: the lower sleeve is covered with an extra textile
layer that slides more easily over a wet hand than the
exposed membrane, which tends to stick. Just remove yourthick gloves and peel the sleeves off from the top.

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LAYERINGRSHORT AND LONG

Alongside ensuring the Gabba R’s waterproof andaerodynamic qualities, a crucial aspect was its packability.
It folds to fit in a jersey pocket — to make it into a pouch,
simply fold the Gabba R into one of its own pockets.

The previous version of the Gabba was only a short-sleevejacket, while the similar Perfetto Jacket was a cool-tocold-weather jacket. However, it was racy enough to be
Egan Bernal’s choice when he won the rainy 16th stage ofthe 2021 Giro d’Italia over Passo Giau, with the finish inCortina.
The short-sleeve Gabba R will be the go-to piece for
racing in the rain in cool temperatures and high-intensity
situations.
The long-sleeve Gabba R can completely replace your raincape and be the first choice for racing and training in cold
conditions when rain is a threat.

The fabric’s thinness means that the Gabba R doesn’t
offer substantial insulation on its own. However, riders
can easily add insulation layers as required. Our testers
have successfully ridden in 5°C with steady rain with
only a long-sleeve base layer and a mid-weight jersey
underneath.

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THE REGULAR GABBA?

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W H AT A B O U T

Not everyone wants to wear such a form-fitting garment.
Not everyone needs full rain protection. Not everyone
wants that shiny rubberized finish on their jacket atthe coffee stop. Not everyone wants to be limited tojust the dark gray color. Not everyone wants to spend
approximately €80 extra for the R version of the Gabba,
especially when it needs extra care. For those people, thestandard Gabba RoS 2 and Perfetto RoS 2 Jacket are stillavailable in Castelli’s exclusive Gore Infinium Windstopper
fabric in various colors. And they will continue to beavailable through Winter 2024/2025.

ANY COLOR YOU WANT AS
LONG AS IT’S GRAY—

The fabric color is given by the membrane, meaning thatyou see the natural color of the membrane. Making theGabba R in other colors would require making other colorsof the membrane by mixing the colorants directly into thepolyurethane during the hydro-spinning process. Given
the significant complexity of the chemistry involved in
making a PFAS-free waterproof hydro-spun air-permeable
membrane, we’re happy to be able to offer the gray colorfor now. Other colors will be available in the near future.

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THE ZIP—The Gabba R features a YKK® Vislon Aquaguard
zipper, renowned for its smooth, waterproof
sliding action. We’ve incorporated a doublezipper-pull design, allowing you to open the jacket
from the bottom for venting or accessing yourjersey pockets.

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The pocket area on the back is lined withthe pocket fabric because the membrane
can become rather grippy when wet, and theexposed membrane makes it difficult to accessthe pockets. Before we added that layer,
getting a phone in or out of the pockets was afrustrating experience, but with that thoughtful
detail, it becomes as simple as using a jerseypocket.

P R E S S

—THE POCKET AREA—

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DETAILS

ROTHER CONSTRUCTION

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RFor increased visibility in low-light conditions, areflective tab is positioned at the back. However,
we recommend supplementing this with proper
lights for optimal day and night visibility.

The exposed membrane on the outside of the garment
can be easily nicked, especially when fully stretched.
Therefore, users should avoid sharp objects and refrainfrom attempting to puncture the fabric with theirfingernails.

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THE SLEEVES—The sleeve endings are raw cut to keep them thin
so they can go inside your gloves, or, better yet,they can stretch over the outside of your gloves
to create a complete seal with your gloves at thewrist.
To aid in removing the jacket, we’ve added anextra textile layer on the forearms, making iteasier to slide the sleeves over wet hands.

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HANDLE WITH CARE

Despite the need to exercise caution around sharp objects,
fortunately, the jacket can be conveniently machine
washed in cool or warm water (30°C–40°C) using astandard powder or liquid detergent. After washing, itshould be hung to dry naturally; machine drying is notrecommended.

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For more information, images, and video assets:
CLICK HEREContacts:
Steve Smith | Brand Manager |s.smith@castelli-cycling.com
Alvin Nordell | Product Manager |alvin.nordell@castelli-cycling.com
Soren Jensen | Marketing Manager |s.jensen@castelli-cycling.com

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IMAGES & VIDEO—RGabba R, €259,95
Gabba R Jacket, €299,95

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