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Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador is one of only six riders to win the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a Espana—the Grand Tours of cycling, something he has accomplished more than once. Contador also helps young cyclists develop championship skills through his Alberto Contador Foundation, which manages Continental, Under-23 and Junior cycling teams. Polartec, an Andover, Mass., provider of innovative textiles, has sponsored this effort since 2015.
Recently, Polartec worked with leading cycling apparel brands to create a cycling kit exclusively for the teams, which trained in Tucson, Ariz., last November. Polartec produced the entire kit—from fiber and yarn to fabric to finished pieces. The kit, which commemorated the visit to Arizona by featuring the colors of the state flag, was unveiled at the camp and was used on training rides in spectacular places like Saguaro National Park and Mount Lemmon.
Polartec took a fresh look at each piece of modern cycling apparel in designing the kit. It’s comprised of a full range of Polartec fabric solutions, each designed and tested for comfort, performance and versatility.
The kit, which includes jerseys, a tank, bib shorts, arm warmers, vests, a jacket, gloves, a cap and a neck warmer, takes full advantage of Polartec fabrics’ active benefits. For example, Polartec® Power Wool® was used for comfort and moisture management. The compression fabric Polartec Power Stretch® provides aerodynamics and muscle support; Polartec Delta™ offers evaporating cooling relief and Alpha® offers breathable insulation; Polartec® Windbloc® blocks those battling breezes. For more information, visit www.polartec.com.
