Another week has passed on the Path to Poznan and my thoughts have turned to clothing choice. All of you responded very well to the designs that we did up for the Aussie kit I will use at the race, so with design determined I need decide what I want to wear.
As I mentioned earlier in this blog, my considerations in this decision are Breathabilty, Weight and Aerodynamics - the race is on a flat parcours and if the heat wave in Europe now is anything to go by it will be hot.
Many of you will have noticed the increased use of ‘Road Suits’ during professional stage races in recent times. I have noticed in one such race going on in France, currently, a large number of riders using a road suit in all stages. Having worked directly with the UAE Team Emirates, I know the pros are very focused on the aerodynamic benefits a suit can give over a traditional jersey and bib short set up – there are simply less ‘loose bits’ on a road suit, they tend to provide a closer fit therefore providing an aero advantage. From what the team tells me, this is more than a ‘marginal gain’ – there are significant benefits to be had over a long stage. At Champion System, I am lucky enough to have a very focused Road Suit range to choose from – these suits were designed for and used by the guys at the Tour – that is good enough for me.
Taking all of this into account I have ordered our Performance Skinsuit – this is a 2-1 style suit that provides a full front zip for easy access and ‘personal admin’….. It also have deep rear pockets for all race day fuel needs a low collar and extended sleeves – it should provide me with the best Aero option as well as good comfort levels. I have also ordered our Apex Summer Race Suit – if on the day it is going to be very hot I will use this suit that has mesh panels in key areas. I have also got some out Premium Bib Shorts and Apex Lite Jerseys – these will be mainly for training, however, I will bring to the race just in case I decide to use on the day.
Training wise this week, I am just ticking the boxes in terms of specific sessions that I think will help for the event. Living in Hong Kong, I am not able to have regular racing. I don’t know about you but I am not able to replicate the intensity of a race in training – call me soft, but I need the competitive nature of a race to push myself. Like many others I am aware of Zwift, I played around a bit on group rides in the past, did some training on it, but I never really go into it – guess I preferred actually riding….. this all changed when I discovered Zwift racing! I was not convinced until I gave it a crack…. Anyone who has done a Zwift race will know that the first few minutes can be crazy and it was from that time that I realized what a great training tool this style of racing can be. I am able to get my intensity levels right up there and go beyond what I would normally be capable of in training which is what I am after. I do try and do races that don’t allow ‘power ups’ – I am interested in the competition not the gameplay side of things. In any case I can highly recommend trying a Zwift race or two.
