{"id":337291,"date":"2025-08-12T02:23:20","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T02:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/337291\/"},"modified":"2025-08-12T02:23:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T02:23:20","slug":"dressing-the-pros-at-the-tour-de-france-how-gobik-supplies-its-team-riders-with-cutting-edge-kit-for-the-worlds-biggest-bike-races","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/337291\/","title":{"rendered":"Dressing the pros at the Tour de France \u2014 how Gobik supplies its team riders with cutting edge kit for the world’s biggest bike races"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ever wondered what the differences (and similarities) are between the kit the top pro cyclists wear and your own cycling gear? To find out, we spoke to Gobik<\/a>‘s product development specialist, Inma Hern\u00e1ndez, about the clothing it supplies to its sponsored World Tour teams, including Tour de France squads INEOS, FDJ, and Movistar.<\/strong><\/p>\n

road.cc: Can you tell us more\u00a0about the professional cycling teams you work with and what you supply to them?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our relationship with\u00a0them goes beyond simply supplying apparel, we work closely and collaboratively on the development\u00a0of their technical clothing. We meet their specific needs in terms of quantity, fit, and fabric research, ensuring optimal performance and comfort. This ongoing partnership allows us to continuously improve our garments by integrating their direct feedback at every stage of the process.<\/p>\n

Are the teams involved in Gobik\u2019s product research and development programmes?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, the feedback from each team plays a key role in the development of our garments, as it allows us to deeply understand their real-world needs. At the end of each season, we carry out a full review of all the apparel used, gathering detailed input from the riders and staff. This information is essential in guiding the evolution of our products for the following season.<\/p>\n

In addition, we use fitting sessions not only to ensure precise sizing, but also to tailor each pattern to the anatomy and preferences of individual riders. This ongoing exchange with the teams helps us push the boundaries of performance, comfort, and innovation in every piece we create. We also collaborate individually with each team to optimise aerodynamic performance.<\/p>\n

\"TeamPerfect fit – each INEOS-Grenadier team rider is sized up by Gobik’s design team. (credit: Gobik)<\/p>\n

What \u2018wardrobe\u2019 of kit would one team rider have for an entire Tour de France?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The most important garments are the road skinsuit, which riders use for the majority of stages, and the time trial skinsuit. Both models have been updated this year for each team, with specific improvements introduced ahead of the Tour.<\/p>\n

In addition, riders are equipped with key outer layers such as the Exo jacket<\/a> or vest \u2014essential for rainy stages \u2013 and the Envy jacket<\/a>, designed for cold-weather conditions. In the Tour, anything can happen in terms of weather.<\/p>\n

They also have access to garments designed for extreme heat, part of our AIR category.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s 21 demanding days with highly variable climates, so each rider is fully equipped with everything they need to perform across all kinds of terrain and weather conditions.<\/p>\n

Did the teams have anything special \u2013 or did you produce anything new \u2013 for this year\u2019s Tour de France?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yes, this year we developed specific projects for the teams we work with, and the Tour was one of the key moments to activate those updates.<\/p>\n

In the case of INEOS Grenadiers<\/a>,\u00a0the introduction of a new sponsor prompted a significant update to the team\u2019s visual identity. The design process began several months ahead of the Tour and involved not only aesthetic refinements but also adjustments to garment patterns to meet the new graphic and technical requirements. This meant reworking each piece worn by the team and updating models to ensure an optimal balance between performance, aerodynamics, and sponsor visibility.<\/p>\n

\"FDJFDJ rider Flo Pernet wears Gobik. (credit: Gobik)<\/p>\n

With FDJ<\/a>, the approach was different but equally tailored. A special design was created specifically for the Tour, without the need to change the garment patterns. The focus here was on optimising the aerodynamic performance of both the road and time trial skinsuits, applying technical improvements that had been tested earlier in the season.<\/p>\n

As every year, the Tour represents one of our biggest challenges, and that\u2019s why we work months in advance in close coordination with each team. Aerodynamic testing is carried out continuously, and fabrics and patterns are reviewed individually for each key rider to ensure a perfect fit. It\u2019s not just about size or design \u2013 it\u2019s about how the garment performs in motion under the most demanding conditions.<\/p>\n

At Gobik, we have a team dedicated exclusively to this kind of high-performance development. From skinsuits<\/a>\u00a0to base layers<\/a>, overshoes<\/a>, and other critical accessories, every detail is carefully crafted to ensure everything is ready on time and up to the standard of the world\u2019s most prestigious race.<\/p>\n

Does each rider get sized in any specific way to make sure the kit is a perfect fit?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gobik\u2019s pattern-making team travels to meet the riders in person, taking their measurements and testing all the garments they will use throughout the season. This way, we ensure that sizing is accurate and each item fits perfectly.<\/p>\n

\"TeamBuilt for speed – Gobik’s clothing features advanced aero properties. (credit: Gobik)<\/p>\n

Do team riders feedback after big events? What do you do with that feedback?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, we always receive feedback from the riders, and it’s precisely this input that allows us to improve the garments season after season. For example, the FDJ women\u2019s team requested a front radio pocket on their bra, which we incorporated into the design.\u00a0
Additionally, all teams have staff dedicated to aerodynamics who test the garments in wind tunnels. This collaboration helps us continuously refine and improve our time trial suits.<\/p>\n

Does the kit the professionals use differ from what consumers can purchase?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We offer a selection of garments for sale that are the same as those used by the teams, for example, the Reactive jersey<\/a>, the Envy jacket<\/a>, and the Lancer bib shorts<\/a>. You can find them in the \u2018Collaborations\u2019 section on the Gobik website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are also other items that are exclusive to the teams, as they are specifically designed and developed for their unique needs.<\/p>\n

\"MovistarGobik – dressing the Movistar team for success. (credit: Gobik)<\/p>\n

What benefits does Gobik gain from working with professional teams?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Working with professional teams provides Gobik with invaluable insights into performance, innovation, and real product testing. It pushes us to constantly improve and stay ahead in terms of technology and design. Frequently, we develop pieces from our collection or custom lines based on the modifications we’ve made for WT teams. Their feedback helps shape future designs and bring cutting-edge performance features to a wider audience.<\/p>\n

Finally, do you enjoy working with pro teams?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of course, we really enjoy working with pro teams. It can be challenging, but it\u2019s always rewarding and pushes our whole team to do their best<\/p>\n

\"MovistarGobik – a name synonymous with technical innovation. (credit: Gobik)<\/p>\n

To find out more about Gobik\u2019s\u00a0cutting edge range of cycle clothing and accessories, visit the Gobik website<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ever wondered what the differences (and similarities) are between the kit the top pro cyclists wear and your…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":337292,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4104],"tags":[4230,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-337291","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-cycling","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115013419495588384","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=337291"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337291\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/337292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=337291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=337291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=337291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}