Scottish apparel specialist Endura has congratulated Team Movistar on a ‘well-deserved and hard-fought win in the team general classification placing of the Tour de France 2015.’ The company noted how Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde achieved an impressive 2 – 3 on the TdF 2015 podium behind TdF winner Chris Froome. The young Colombian rider also came away with the white jersey for the second time.
A release from Endura added, ‘It’s never going to be easy being the clothing supplier to the World Tour’s top ranked team but for the 130 dedicated staff at Endura’s state of the art production facility in Livingston, Scotland, seeing Valverde and Quintana together on the podium in Paris, resplendent in their Scottish-made kit, is just reward for the hours of painstaking research, multiple prototyping and fastidious manufacture.’
The Scottish brand has a unique status as the sole maker of World Tour apparel that is wholly produced in the UK. Having manufactured team kit for over 20 years, the company ‘knows a thing or two about going beyond the shared expectations of delivering the highest quality product.’ Everyone involved takes a keen interest in how the race unfold, closely following every stage, sharing the trials and tribulations of the team efforts throughout this gruelling race.
This year’s Tour de France has seen more than its fair share of changeable weather, justifying the huge wardrobe of kit Endura issue to each Movistar Team rider. The selection of standard and lightweight versions of jerseys, bibshorts and mitts, along with various windproofs, waterproofs, baselayers, warmers, caps, socks and overshoes provide a multitude of options the pros need to perform in these testing conditions.
On top of the 40 different pieces of technical apparel issued at the beginning of the season, the Tour de France squad received a further 12 items of kit, highlighting Endura’s efforts to go the extra mile for each Grand Tour.
With temperatures regularly rising to high 30s last week Endura’s extensive R&D work on thermo-regulation was really put to the test. Climate chamber testing at the University of Kent ‘backs up product development with hard numbers for the team issue summer jersey’ (on which the award-winning FS260-Pro SL Jersey has been based).
According to Endura, the jersey proves to be 15% better at keeping a rider cool on a simulated alpine climb at 30oC than a reference standard road jersey, and at a mere 85g (size medium) it is 40% lighter.
The team’s jerseys and bibshorts (as well as the Movistar Team replica kit) feature coldblack technology for reduced heat build-up – and reliable sun protection and lightweight mesh mitts and bibshorts with perforated Lycra fabric leg panels for ventilation round off the team’s hot weather racing wardrobe.
