On a snowy early December evening, Andreas Klier flew into Brussels for a twelve hour stopover. It was a chilly return to the country that was the rider's home for over a decade. The Garmin-Cervelo Classics captain had just returned from the super-team's first get together in the Cayman Islands, and he would continue on to his new home in Mallorca later the next afternoon.
The occasion for his brief visit to Flanders was a photoshoot with the Garmin-Cervelo team's clothing sponsor, Castelli. While there was business involved, the rider nicknamed GPS did not seem too perturbed with the delay in getting back to his family as he guided me back to the hotel in Parike/Brakel from the airport. The next morning, despite ice and snow blanketing the cobbles of the Vlaamse Ardennen, Klier continued to smile as we ploughed a route from the Oude Kwaremont to the Paterberg and finally the Koppenberg.
At the time, the images shot that day on the famed cobbled hellingen of the Tour of Flanders weren't for public viewing, but the New Year opens the doors for the release of the new kit.
We got a teaser of the new Garmin-Cervelo kit design at the end of November. The cropped shot showed a kit that took a little bit from the two merging teams - Garmin-Transitions and the Cervelo Test Team.
It was obvious that the black and white of the Test Team would carry through, with Garmin's blue and argyle seemingly confined to the neck and arms.
But what of the rest of the kit? Upon full view, it appears that the teaser was really a very good representation of what you'll get in the whole kit: the predominant black and white of the Test Team will live on, with Garmin's blue argyle left to the borders of the kit.
It's an understated, instantly discernible design. Considering the possibilities that were conjured up when the merger was announced, it seems a fair summation to say this is a solid combination between two very different kit designs.
More importantly, the Garmin-Cervelo team will be outfitted with the latest and best in Castelli's extensive line of clothing, ranging from winter's warmest, to summer's coolest, all with a focus on aerodynamics and comfort.
The Body Paint line will highlight the team's kit. The bib shorts are made of a single piece of 'Power Stretch Lycra' for what Castelli calls ultimate contouring; that really translates to a very snug, aerodynamic, compression fit. The minimalist nature of the shorts extends up to the bib straps, which are constructed of seamless elastic and backed with a light mesh fabric for maximum cooling in the hot days of summer. These paired with Castelli's flagship X2 seatpad, which took over two years to develop, should make for a very satisfied Garmin-Cervelo team in the saddle.
Comfort aside, speed is also a big consideration for the team. When things heat up, the Aero Race Jersey has a big number going for it, according to Castelli: the jersey saves 40 seconds per hour over a standard jersey, which translates to 10 watts at 40kph. Whatever about the precise figures, there's no doubting the sleek fit of the Castelli kit that the Cervelo Test Team famously enjoyed, and the Garmin-Cervelo team is about to set out on their 2011 campaign with.
Outside of the warm weather offerings, Garmin-Cervelo riders will continue to receive aerodynamic products. Castelli has shown themselves to be very concerned with efficient clothing on the bike, extending all the way to their Gore-Tex rain jacket, which has a fit akin to some normal jerseys.
Before things get to the point of needing such heavy-duty protection, riders will be able to stay dry with Castelli's proprietary Nanoflex treatment, which allows a very considerable amount of water resistance to everything from shorts and bib tights to the full case of warmers: arm, leg, and knee.
In terms of these exclusive pictures, it’s worth noting that there are a couple of discrepancies in Andreas Klier's clothing from his slippery ride up the Koppenberg. In the pictures, he's wearing his team issue Catlike helmet from 2010, but the Garmin-Cervelo team will be using Giro helmets for 2011. They'll have access to the full array of Giro helmets, including the extremely light ProLight, and the more classically designed Ionos, along with the Advantage 2 aero helmet for the tests against the clock.
Garmin-Cervelo also inked a deal with New Balance for the New Year. The team will exclusively wear New Balance shoes off the bike whilst sporting socks by the same company during training and racing.
