The Checkmate Gloves from Sportful feature a slim palm with gel-padding, offering both a firm and natural grip of the bars and protection from bumps and vibration from rough road conditions.

When you pull on the Checkmate Gloves you can be confident you'll have a good grip of the bars. The snug and stretchy back gives immediate comfort while also wicking away sweat when you've warmed up. A sweat-wipe over the thumb also lets you wipe a sweaty brow too. Gel padding is used sparingly across the palm, used where it offers most effective protection and comfort. 

About the Sportful brand

The Sportful story began in 1946, when the Cremonese family opened a knitwear factory named Manifattura Valcismon. Over the years, production evolved toward the manufacture of high-quality underwear. The real turning point came in 1972, when Dr. Giordano Cremonese, who had taken over the management of the business from his parents, wanted to participate in the newly established Marcialonga cross-country ski race but did not have appropriate clothing. He decided to use the family business to produce the necessary apparel and what had begun as a personal need grew into an unprecedented success. This was the beginning of the Sportful brand. In 1985, seeing the great demand for technical cycling apparel and encouraged by the company's remarkable success in cross-country skiing, Sportful embarked on a new adventure - Cycling. It wasn’t long before they were involved at the highest level, equipping teams such as Alfa Lum, Ariostea and Mapei, the latter dominating the classics throughout the 90s. Some of their greatest achievements came when the Italian national team used Sportful apparel, with World Championship victories for Bettini, Cipollini and Ballan. The success continued with their Saxo Bank partnership, victories in all three grand tours, and multiple classics wins from the likes of Cancellara ,Contador and Sagan. Working with pro team athletes Sportful strives to make the best possible performance apparel for all conditions. Sportful is currently the official technical clothing partner Trek Segafredo and Drops Women's cycling team.