Not sure how a Barracuda ‘attacks’ but safe to say that it attacks like Sep Vanmarcke. Over 200 kilometers in windy conditions on flemish roads, Vanmarcke did everything right, just waiting for the right moment to strike while saving extra energy wearing possibly the fastest bit of clothing ever created for road racing – the Castelli SanRemo SpeedSuit. It didn’t hurt that he had on the Aero Race gloves and Aero Race shoe covers too.
The SanRemo SpeedSuit, jersey-and-shorts combo, effectively enables riders to wear a skinsuit in road races and thus gain an aerodynamic advantage. Testing shows that at 40km/h, the jersey saves between twelve and fifteen watts of energy when compared to a standard clothing combination. It is, it says, worth 45 seconds in time savings. Congratulations to Sep Vanmarcke for netting the Sanremo Speedsuit’s first victory in 2012 on the flemish roads of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss82UA9j1RA[/youtube]
Apart from the aero clothing, the young gun, Sep Vanmarcke, did everything right during the race, and specially in the last 300 meters. Flecha launches. Boonen sweeps past and has it … but he ties up, and Vanmarcke comes back, to take it by two bike lengths and joyously punching the air. What a beautiful final for the young Belgian.
The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad was the real start, the first feeling of cobbles through the bones. First Classics blood to Garmin-Barracuda, especially as Heinrich Haussler easily takes the bunch sprint for fourth. If Haussler’s season will be similar to 2009, the upcoming Classic races will be great for the armchair fan and something we should all enjoy.
Omloop Het Niuewsblad 2012 Result
1 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Garmin-Barracuda 4hrs 52’ 48 ”
2 Tom Boonen (Bel) OmegaPharma-QuickStep
3 Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) Team Sky same time
4 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Garmin-Barracuda + 14”
For more product information:
Sanremo Speedsuit
Aero Race Shoe-cover
Aero Race Glove
Sanremo product review by Jered Gruber: click here
Photo: Team Garmin-Barracuda
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