Movistar finished the 2015 Tour de France as the number one overall best team, covering the three-week Grand Tour in 255:24:24. That is a tremendous number of combined hours ridden by the nine-man team, which makes their daily recovery of the utmost importance.
“If recovery can be easy, efficient or better, or both, then that’s the perfect sort of scenario,” said the team’s time trial specialist Alex Dowsett.
Movistar riders have found recovery practices using the science-based sports technology company Aquilo’s portable ice baths, which are designed in the form of a pant.
“The key benefit to the Aquilo system is the fact that it’s portable, it’s hygienic, it’s a very targeted theraptic temperature," said the company's Director of Engineering, Brek Meuris. "With the Aquilo system, not only do we have a portable ice bath to bring to the user, we also have targeted 12-15C temperature across the duration of your treatment.”
The riders wear the slip-on, pant-like, portable ice bath post-race for about 15 minutes. The pants offer each rider controlled temperature and compression.
“They allow the riders to get their ice and recovery treatment on the way back to the hotel before their schedules go crazy with one thing after another," Meuris said.
Watch our latest inCycle video to find out what the Movistar riders think about Aquilo’s portable ice bath.
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