Before the start of the World Tour season, the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe pros and rookies are preparing in Mallorca. It is the second joint camp of the winter – the only time of the season when the team trains together and establishes new procedures. The riders’ new daily routine includes: aero and equipment testing, a modified approach to nutrition and a strong focus on mental performance.
Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe sees the greatest performance potential in these three areas. The team is building on synergies with other Red Bull facilities, such as the Athlete Performance Center, as well as experts who bring their knowledge from other high-performance sports, such as Formula 1, to cycling.
York-Peter Klöppel, Head of Mental Performance: “In Formula 1 it’s all about helping the human to get the most out of the machine they’re working with. That’s something that is also really important in cycling. But in cycling we have more challenges. Cycling is an individual sport but carried out as a team sport. To have the motivation to put in the commitment to train so long, so hard over the whole year and then potentially not have a winning moment in many years, that’s quite a big challenge._”
Dan Bigham, Head of Technical Development, adds his perspective: “Aerodynamics is always at play. Every single pedal stroke has an aerodynamic impact. And because of that, there’s no single scenario where you can say aero doesn’t matter. It does. Understanding that means that you can optimize your performance in different ways. Then you start to consider every aspect of your equipment.”
Asker Jeukendrup’s responsibilities also include the changed approach to nutrition: “When people think about new breakthroughs, they often think about supplements. I think of it as to do the basics better. To target every meal is the best innovation that you can get. If you get every time a tiny little improvement that effect is going to be incredibly.”
The innovations in these three areas are another step in the fine-tuning process for the new season. The World Tour kicks off next Tuesday with the Tour Down Under. Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe will tackle the six stages around Adelaide with, among others, Sam Welsford. The sprinter caused a stir last year with three stage wins and won the Australian Criterium Championship a few days ago. Finn Fisher-Black and Laurence Pithie will also be making their race debut in the new jersey. The two young New Zealanders joined Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe this season.
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Contact: Fabian Ress
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