Billed as ‘Space Jet’, ALÉ Cycling’s new skinsuit for the UCI World Tour Bahrain Victorious team is made specifically for time trialling.
According to the Italian cycling apparel specialist… ‘It’s a truly unique product, specifically designed by ALÉ for time trials. And now it has been adopted by the World Tour Bahrain Victorious team for the Tour de France.’
Space Jet is a long-sleeve skinsuit, designed and tested in a wind tunnel with the goal of saving tenths of a second and improving athletes’ performances. It is made of three different materials, located in strategic positions to optimise their various functions.
The front vest and the printed parts are made of ALÉ’s Four Way Stretch technical fabric, which offers multidirectional flexibility. Through the compression of its compact fibres, the fabric helps delay muscle fatigue.
The crotch area of the tights, which is affected most by constant rubbing with the saddle, is made in Zaffiro fabric – for abrasion resistance and durability, and for grip on the saddle.
Finally, the sleeves, shoulders and hips display the ‘revolutionary Space Jet’. According to ALÉ… ‘this is a bi-elastic shuttle fabric characterised by an unmistakable three-dimensional structure, located precisely at the delamination points of the airflow.
‘The fabric’s rough surface, with different heights and weaves, helps to manage the drag: by creating turbulence in the airflow, it delays its point of delamination. The broken air flow thus remains for longer around the body, reducing the vortex effect behind the cyclist, which is what truly causes friction.’
