One of World Champ, Thor Hushovd‘s 2011 road machines is getting final touches.
The Road Diaries crew has been busy the past few weeks with pre season team camp visits. Most recently we journeyed to Spain for Garmin-Cervelo in Girona and Team Radio Shack in Mallorca as they were putting finishing touches on their preparations for the 2011 season.
So what are we actually doing when we go to a team camp? Well, with the big teams we sponsor, each year there are new faces among the pro riders and technical staff. Even though SRAM Red has been wonderfully successful the past 3 years there’s a large portion of the pro peloton that’s had little or no contact with e.g. how/why Double Tap, it’s reach adjust system, Exact Actuation, and R2C shifters best set up on their race bikes.
The Shack’s Matthew Busche shows us where he likes his levers set
Garmin-Cervelo’s latest American find, Andrew Talansky getting used to his R2C’s
Over the past few years, working with some of the best mechanics in the world as they challenge our equipment on a rigorous regimen of racing/cleaning/tuning/transport, we’ve discovered so many improvements, ‘preventative medicine’ tricks and time savers. Attending camp gives us a chance to train with these as well as pick up some new ones as the winter really gives everyone time to reflect.
The Shack’s Zubeldia, Paulinho & Irizar get their TT positions dialed in at Palma Mallorca’s very nice Velodrome
Team camps are also fertile ground for athletes and technical team sponsors to dial in best case TT and road positions that balance best case rider comfort, efficiency and control. This is where that new wind tunnel position or bike fit gets practiced just before those early TT’s begin. Every year this process gets more sophisticated and is more broadly available to more riders than ever before. Safer, faster, better.
Gregory Rast get’s ReTul‘d, looking for the most comfortable position from which to lay down some big watts in the classics
Ryder Hesjedal is working every angle of his equipment in 2011 to make the leap to even better results.