Cervélo used to have a periodical DVD called, Behind the Peloton. In one of the episodes, Heinrich Haussler, then riding for the Cervelo Test Team, is laying on a bed being interviewed about the forthcoming 2009 Classics season.
It looks like one of those nondescript hotel rooms on the French-Belgian border. The ones where the beige artwork submerges into the once white walls as a result of nicotine stains. He says that Flanders is the one race he wants to win above all else. In April 2009, he finished second behind Stijn Devolder. Close, but it wasn’t to be.
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Fast-forward to the 2018 season and Haussler is still gunning for that Ronde victory. This time, riding in the Sportful kit of Bahrain-Merida. It was doubtful that he’d even make the start line after crashing in training and breaking his collarbone in January, but he did recover, and after a fractured training schedule ahead of the race, managed to roll home in 25th place, one minute and 24 seconds down on winner, Niki Terpstra.
The Classics men spend a lot of time on the cobbles ahead of these torturous races. Northern Europe doesn’t have the greatest climate at that time of year and kit is important to them, which is why with the help of Haussler and his teammates, Sportful has honed the BodyFit Classics Jersey to their specifications.
Internally, the jersey’s fabric has a lightly brushed fleece keeping the wearer insulated. It’s designed to wear instead of a jacket, so it needs to be. The trick is to hit the balance of weight and warmth without compromising breathability and fit. To assure the latter, the BodyFit Classics jersey has a stretch fabric on the shoulders and sides to optimise the race silhouette.
The wearer doesn’t need to be riding the cobbles of Flanders; the jersey is equally suited to home roads. Judging by the potholes in the lanes at the moment, the cobbles do seem rather more appealing.
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