East German National Team Signed Jersey – 1983 Tour of Slovakia, Signed by Race Winner and Team

1983 East German National Team Jersey Okolo Slovenska – Tour of Slovakia – Giro della Slovacchia This remarkable jersey is an East German National Team piece signed by members of the DDR squad from the 1983 Tour of Slovakia, including Bernd Drogan, Uwe Ampler, Uwe Raab, Mario Kummer, Falk Boden, and Olaf Ludwig. Beyond the signatures, the jersey is a wonderful surviving example of Eastern Bloc racewear from the era. The East German national emblem is sewn prominently at the chest, the sleeves retain interior buttons for attaching arm warmers, and the back is fitted with support straps designed to help carry the weight of loaded rear pockets during competition. The East German team was the dominant force at the 1983 Tour of Slovakia. Bernd Drogan won the overall classification, while East German riders Uwe Ampler, Uwe Raab, Mario Kummer, and Drogan himself accounted for four of the race’s eight stage victories. Taken together, those results made the DDR squad the clear power of that year’s edition. The riders who signed this jersey were among the leading figures of East German amateur cycling. Bernd Drogan was already one of the top riders in the DDR system, while Uwe Ampler and Mario Kummer would go on to become two of the best known East German riders of the 1980s, later winning Olympic gold in the team time trial in 1988. The Tour of Slovakia, known locally as Okolo Slovenska, is Slovakia’s national stage race and one of the longest running events on the Central European cycling calendar. First held in 1954, the race began in Bratislava and grew from a postwar domestic event into an established international stage race on the UCI Europe Tour. Since 2017, it has held 2.1 status, helping attract stronger professional fields and raise its profile beyond Slovakia while preserving its role as the country’s showcase race. Over the decades, the Tour of Slovakia has provided an important platform for Slovak and Central European riders and remains the country’s leading multi-day race. This jersey includes the original label from Bar Augusto. This jersey was acquired directly from the Augusto Gotti family and was part of the collection in the legendary Bar Augusto in Villa d’Alme, Italy.  Bar Augusto was a key host to professional and amateur cycling teams from the 1960s through the 1980s. All jerseys are sold unframed. Framed images are display ideas only.   Size: 6 Chest: 36 inches / 92 cm  (18 inches / 46 cm measured armpit to armpit) Length: 28 ½  inches (72 cm) Maker: Kotaura, Made in Germany – 50% Polyester / 50% Colton This jersey is one of a kind; please look carefully at the photos to determine the condition.