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Producing and creating our own very own race apparel…but why?

Back at our Team Launch on the 4th of December 2020, as we looked ahead towards the 2021 season and our new exciting title partnership as Team DSM, we also announced our project of producing and creating our very own race apparel with a very ambitious goal and mission:

“To create the world’s best cycling apparel.”

This tailor-made performance wear will be developed in cooperation with DSM and the team’s technology partner Bioracer, at their state-of-the-art facilities. You can read more from the team’s official announcement here!

Breaking the mould

With the change of approach, the team has made the step away from the traditional cycling clothing sponsorship arrangements. Traditionally, a clothing manufacturer would partner with athletes or a professional team for exposure and promotional purposes, providing the team with their race clothing throughout the year. However, with the team stepping away from that traditional commercial partnership it allows us to produce purpose-made, performance-driven products that specifically meet and suit the needs of the very best professional riders and the most demanding of circumstances.

Creating opportunity in a unique situation

We imagine a lot of you reading this now are asking: “Why? Why forgo the extra partnership and take on the challenge of making your own clothing?”

To put it simply – we want our riders to have the best performance wear available to them, so they can perform to their maximum abilities out on the road for us. It’s almost like bringing a piece of Formula 1 to our sport, under the motto of ‘if it’s too advanced and not yet available on the market or even made yet, then we will develop it ourselves.’

We believe in our group of in-house experts and the knowledge and resources that they possess. Combining that with working closely with our partners and their skills, it’s a natural decision for us to start developing our own apparel; allowing us to get our hands on what we need to perform at our best. Also, with the global innovation powerhouse DSM backing it up, with their science teams at their research facilities and laboratories all over the world, it elevates the potential of this project to a whole new level.

Of course, it’s not the easiest road to take but working in collaboration with our brilliant partners DSM and Bioracer with their state-of-the-art production facilities and technical know-how of performance wear, and with our own fantastic Science Group within our team, we have already started to set new standards in the world of performance wear.

As a team we’re very science and research focused, and it has been a long-standing goal to be in a position where we’re able to meet our own high demands in terms of equipment and material with our own customised clothing for our riders.

As Team DSM, side-by-side with this big innovation powerhouse in DSM, it is the moment to make it happen.

Innovation and improving performance

Through our Keep Challenging ethos and vision, we always seek to innovate and find new ways to improve as a team.

We’ve set the bar high on this one, like we always do, and our end-goal is to produce the world’s best and fastest race clothing without any compromises, to get that competitive edge while out on the road.

To do so, our specialists in the team have already been working on this special project for a while alongside our partners DSM and Bioracer; with everyone bringing value to the project.

Working with DSM allows us to utilize the latest in peak performance materials and technologies, including DSM’s protective Dyneema® fabrics and purpose fit Arnitel®. Both of these materials will gradually be integrated into all fabrics for all race wear items, something we wish to establish in the next 12 months, ensuring that each item matches the specific demands.

Bioracer bring their wealth of technical knowledge in the production and development of high-end performance apparel to the partnership, ensuring that the team’s kit is produced to the highest of standards. Utilizing their knowledge of BioEfficiency, BioComfort and BioRegulation, they will ensure the state-of-the-art production of our own specially crafted performance wear.

Our very own performance-driven mindset takes the lead in the project. We bring the different fields together and our in-house experts provide their experience in recognizing opportunities to find that competitive edge for specific race conditions, whether that be through data or rider feedback for example. We’ll balance out key aspects and characteristics of the clothing such as weight, breathability, fit, aerodynamics and safety to create the worlds’ best cycling apparel for any possible race circumstance.

W. A. S. – Our three ranges

Hazard a guess as to what the letters stand for? Yep, you’re probably correct!

W – Winter

A – Aero

S – Summer

Being able to produce our own tailor-made race apparel means that we can specify the apparel for different situations, i.e., our Summer clothing has more breathable material and is sweat wicking, whereas our Winter range helps to keep our riders warm and protected in more testing conditions.

These ranges will continuously be upgraded each year with the latest innovations and technologies, as we continue to evolve and find new competitive advantages; through optimizing and developing the fit, comfort and aerodynamics of the kit. Our current ranges are labelled as A1, S1 and W1, but with the next editions they will be A2, S2 and W2, and so on. Pretty cool, huh?

What next for Team DSM?

As a team, we know that we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, but we’ve already been busy and we’re more than up for the challenge!

Our riders have been enjoying training in the kit since January 1st and hopefully we’ll get to wear it for the first time in competition and make its debut at the Tour de La Provence soon!

Can I buy the Team DSM kit?

The current focus for us is on developing and producing top-level custom clothing for our riders, with technologies that are not yet accessible for the consumer, or simply make the items too high priced for the market. But who knows what the future brings!

However, the replica kit will be available on our online team shop in the future and will be accessible for fans soon.

We hope you enjoyed the read and learned a bit more about the project. Keep an eye on our social media channels throughout the year as we post more facts, photos and tidbits, with insights into our road to producing the best cycling apparel out there.

Thanks for reading!

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