As an avid cycling jersey fan, you may have wondered what happens to a pro cycling team’s surplus jerseys after the season ends.
Where do all those vibrant team kits go when they are no longer needed by the riders?
When a team gets new sponsors or merges with another squad, what occurs with the excess apparel inventory sitting in storage?
The good news is that authentic pro-team cycling jerseys don’t necessarily disappear forever when the season concludes.
Many teams liquidate their surplus jerseys by holding cycling jersey sale to sell off inventory in bulk.
This presents a prime money-saving opportunity for fans to buy high-quality team apparel at discounted clearance prices.
Why Pro Cycling Teams End Up with Surplus Jerseys
Professional cycling is a fast-paced world filled with frequent sponsor changes, team mergers, and rider transfers.
This churn means jersey designs are often short-lived before becoming “last season’s kit.” Reasons teams end up with extra jersey stock include:
- New season, new look: Most teams update their jerseys every 1-2 years to showcase the latest branding for sponsors. The previous year’s kits quickly become obsolete.
- Overestimated demand: Teams often order too many jerseys to last the season. End-of-year surplus is common.
- Rider transfers: Riders switching teams mid-season leave unused personalized jerseys behind.
- Team mergers: When two teams merge, one team’s jerseys are rendered unnecessary.
- Lost sponsors: Dropped sponsors mean jerseys showcasing their logos are no longer usable.
With frequent changes in the pro peloton, excess jersey inventory builds up rapidly.
What Teams Do With Extra Jerseys After the Season
When the racing season ends, cycling squads are left to figure out what to do with their surplus jerseys and apparel sitting idle in storage. Several scenarios commonly play out:
- Re-use: Sometimes jerseys get passed down and reused by development or youth teams the following season.
- Staff: Retired jerseys often get converted into training gear for staff or held as memorabilia in team museums.
- Donations: Some old kits get donated to charities and cycling development programs.
- Liquidation sales: Bulk jersey sales to resellers allow teams to clear out inventory and make back a portion of the production costs.
Liquidating to cycling apparel resellers through bulk team sales has become the most popular outlet for extra pro team jersey stock.
Why Pro Teams Liquidate Their Surplus Jerseys
Liquidating surplus jerseys offers several advantages for pro cycling teams looking to clear out excess apparel inventory:
- Cost recovery: Bulk sales generate revenue to recoup some of the production costs of the jerseys.
- Free up storage space: Removing obsolete jerseys saves warehouse space for next season’s apparel.
- Environmental sustainability: Giving used kit a second life is better for the environment than adding textile waste.
- Make fans happy: Enables fans to buy authentic team jerseys at affordable clearance prices.
With these upsides, it’s easy to see why selling obsolete jersey stock to resellers in bulk deals is commonly practiced by savvy pro cycling teams.
When do teams typically hold their cycling jersey liquidation sales?
| Season Phase | Sale Timing |
| Offseason | November to January |
| Spring Classics to Tour de France | May to July |
| Vuelta a Espana to World Championships | September to October |
What Happens in a Pro Cycling Jersey Liquidation Sale
When pro cycling teams offload surplus jerseys through liquidation sales, they sell large quantities of the previous season’s jerseys to resellers for pennies on the dollar.
Jersey wholesalers and online retailers then market the authentic team kits to customers at huge discounts.
Here is the typical process:
- Price negotiation – Resellers submit bids for bulk quantities of a team’s surplus jerseys.
- Inventory selection – Teams compile palettes of jerseys across various sizes to sell.
- Sale agreement – A fixed price per jersey is agreed for the inventory.
- Jersey delivery – The reseller arranges delivery of the palettes direct from the team.
- Sale listings – The jerseys get photographed, logged, and listed for public sale by the reseller.
- Fan purchases – Fans browse listings then purchase authentic team jerseys at clearance prices.
Where To Buy Pro Cycling Team Liquidation Jerseys
If you’re looking to get your hands on authentic professional cycling jerseys at discounted team liquidation prices, browse sites like Team Dream Cycling and Competitive Cyclist for their frequently updated sales.
You can often save 50-90% buying previous season’s pro cycling jerseys compared to the latest team kit.
Keep an eye out for newly added clearance listings whenever a big event like the Tour de France concludes.
Or better yet, get notifications so you never miss a coveted jersey in your size hitting the sales!
Finding Your Perfect Pro Cycling Jersey Deal
We hope this guide has helped explain what happens to pro cycling teams’ surplus jerseys and why liquidation sales present great money-saving opportunities for fans.
With some savvy sale-hunting, you could land your dream pro team kit without breaking the bank using this insider knowledge about inventory clearouts.
Now that you understand the optimal timing and some top outlets, go unleash your bargain-hunting prowess and bag that perfect clearance jersey!
