With the 2015 edition of Tour de France set to start this weekends, fans have been flooded with articles on the new race bikes we will see our favorite teams on this year. We haven’t heard too much about new kits, but Endura is giving fans an inside look on how they prepared the Movistar Team for this year’s race. With the up and coming star Nairo Qunitana set to battle the other contenders, Endura is set to provide the same support to the team as they did for Alex Dowsett in his record setting hour attempt earlier this year.
Stage one of this year’s tour starts off with a time trial in Utrecht, The Netherlands, and the team will be equipped with one of the fastest kits available. Endura continued to work with Simon Smart of Drag2Zero in developing the team’s Chronosuits, with extensive testing at the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 wind tunnel. Using some of the fastest materials and state of the art production techniques, the collaboration aims to save the Movistar riders precious watts and time throughout the race, but especially during the time trials. These gains in performance have already provided results through national time trial wins in Spain, Italy ad the United Kingdom, along with breaking the UCI Hour Record, Grand Tour stage wins, and winning the 2014 Commonwealth Games Time Trial in Glasgow.
Along with gains in the time trials, Endura has made great strides in keeping their riders cool. In 2012, they were the first brand to use coldblack® technology in team kits that featured sublimation print. Earlier this year, Endura launched their F260-Pro SL summer jersey to help their athletes gain an edge during hot races and climbing up mountain passes. Three time Olympian Oil Beckinsale tested the new jersey in the University of Kent’s Climate Chamber to be able to back up Endura’s theory’s and now claims about how well the F260-Pro SL jersey cools riders.
Along with an optimized jersey, Endura has worked to ensure the riders are comfortable during long days in the saddle. In another partnership, the brand worked with fit specialists gebioMized to create an optimized chamois for riders of all shapes and sizes. During their team camp in November of 2014, the Movistar Team were 3D mapped using a saddle cover filled with sensors to measure the pressure exerted throughout the pedals stroke. Riders were mapped in three different positions, on the tops, the hoods, and the drops, and that information was used to determine the optimal bibshort pad. The data collected led to the 700-series pad featured in the F260-Pro SL bibshorts, and is available in three different sizes, narrow, medium, and wide. The pad has a smooth, unbroken profile, and uses Endura’s Continuously Variable Profile (CVP) technology to provide support where it is needed, while removing additional material where it is not. This helps to minimizing bunching, reduce friction, and maximize moisture transfer and flexibility. The shape minimizes pressure points they found through testing and development with the Movistar Team to offer all day comfort.
To see more of how this year’s Movistar Team kit by Endura was prepared for the Tour, check out the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zBRANYMGl8
Based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Scott joined Bike World News as the Cyclocross Editor in 2012 before taking over as Tech Editor in 2016. He has also worked as a photographer for various pro teams and shoot races along the east coast of the US, including the 2012 US MTB National Championships, 2013 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, and 2016 UCI Road World Championships. Scott has a passion for performance and technology, with 35 years of riding and mechanic experience. He also enjoys soccer, running, teaching group fitness classes, and is the founder of Lancaster Beard Company.
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