The 108th edition of the Tour de France is once again an opportunity for equipment manufacturers, specifically apparel partner Le Coq Sportif, to offer a tailor-made service to the riders who will participate in today’s first individual time trial.
Two seamstresses, two pattern makers and a Le Coq Sportif prototypist visited the hotels of the yellow jersey and white jersey riders this week, to work on and adapt the two suits of the leaders. The objective: ‘to have a technical product that looks like a second skin, to optimize the performance of the rider.’
The French brand’s seamstresses came from Romilly-sur-Seine, where Le Coq Sportif’s development and production workshop is located.
Raymond Poulidor’s grandson, Mathieu Van Der Poel the current yellow jersey holder, is known to excel in cyclo-cross, road-cycling, mountain-biking and is perceived as a puncheur-sprinter. In addition to being an adversary for his competitors, his size was a bit of a challenge for the seamstresses of the French brand. Accustomed to riders wearing XS/S for a tight fit to the TT skinsuit, they had to adapt for a size M.
“It’s important that it’s comfortable, that it fits me 100%. It’s going to be a special moment, it’s been special all week and I’m going to try everything,” said Mathieu Van der Poel.
The second cyclist to benefit from this tailor-made service is Tadej Pogacar – the rider from UAE Team Emirates, At only 22 years old, the young champion who won the 2020 Tour de France, already has a strong track record. Often compared to Miguel Indurain, the Spanish cyclist of the 80s, for his physical performance and mental quality, Tadej Pogacar is wearing the white jersey again.
The work done by the French equipment manufacturer, which is at the service of athletes and their performance, will be followed today, June 30, during the first individual time trial of the Tour de France 2021.
The 27.2km stage will start in Changé and finish in Laval. This year’s edition of the Tour de France will include two individual time trials. Le Coq Sportif will renew its tailor-made service on July 15th for the second time-trial for the race, the 18th stage: Pau-Luz Ardiden.
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