Team Ineos at the Spring Classics
By Stan Portus – 26 February 2020
With Omloop Het Nieuwsblad only a few days away, we look at the new Team Ineos collection, and the kit the team will be wearing to take on the Spring Classics.
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is always a big race for cycling fans. Held annually in late February, the race formerly known as ‘Omloop Het Volk’ marks the beginning of the Belgian Cycling season and the start of the Spring Classics, which provide some of the most dramatic and entertaining racing of the entire road cycling season.
The race has been part of the UCI World Tour since 2017 and attracts the world’s biggest teams including Team Ineos, who claimed the podium top spot twice with Ian Stannard as Team Sky.
Starting in Ghent, Omloop covers the Flemish Ardennes and features brutal climbs such as a the Muur Van Geraardsberg – 475m of cobbled hell that hits a 20% gradient – and the Bosberg. In total the men’s race will cover 199.8km, 13 climbs, and seven cobbled sections.
Omloop often bears the brunt of cold, harsh weather due to how early it is in the year. Team Ineos riders will be riding in their Castelli Rain or Shine livery. The foul weather race equipment is for any ride where you don’t want to sacrifice performance in the dry but need protection if the heavens open or the wind decides to pick up.
RoS (Rain or Shine) is ideal for British riding which has much in common with Belgian riding and the gruelling conditions that define many One Day Races such as Omloop.
The Gabba
No item is as synonymous with the Classics as the Castelli Gabba jersey. First appearing ten years ago, Castelli made the Gabba in response to the pros wanting a jersey that offered rain protection and avoided the boil in the bag feel of many cycling rain jackets.
The latest iteration of the Gabba uses Gore-Tex Infinium fabric, exclusive to Castelli. Infinium is lighter and is near-waterproof without sacrificing breathability.
Perfetto RoS Long Sleeve
The Perfetto RoS uses Gore-Tex Infinium 205 on front facing panels for maximum water resistance. Infinium 203 on the back provides plenty of stretch. Two rear pockets are ideal for accessing bars and gels with gloves on, and was a feature requested by Team Ineos riders. The jersey has two zippers on the front, much like some mountaineering jackets, providing quick ventilation when the racing picks up or the efforts intensify.
Perfetto RoS Vest
Most often worn with a long sleeve thermal jersey, the Perfetto RoS Vest is the ultimate cycling gilet. The vest uses Infinium 203 stretch fabric throughout for a tight race fit and is packable making it ideal for stuffing into a jersey pocket.
Omloop Bibshorts
It would be amiss to talk about Omloop without mentioning Castelli’s Omloop Bibshorts. Castelli created the shorts after seeing pros cut down knee warmers, so they covered just the lower section of the thigh. The Omloop Bibshorts run the whole length of the upper leg and are cut at an angle to match the bend of the knee. Made from Thermoflex fabric for stretch and warmth they are ideal for days where a bib tight or bib knicker feels like over dressing.
