Switching Teams with Consistent Technology: The Unanticipated Complexities in Remco Evenepoel's Move to a New Specialized Team
Remco Evenepoel, the promising cyclist, is set to join Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe from Soudal-QuickStep. However, his transition is not without complications, as his longstanding partnership with bike manufacturer Specialized comes into play.
Both Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and Soudal-QuickStep have a history of partnership with Specialized, with the former using Specialized clothing and the latter relying on Castelli. Evenepoel, who has benefited from Specialized's aerodynamic optimizations, will have to re-establish his datasets with his new team.
The software used by Specialized to model race scenarios and choose optimal equipment relies on the rider's exact CdA (Coefficient of Drag x Area) in certain ride positions and specific combinations of clothing and helmets. As such, Evenepoel's aggressive time trial position, likely discovered at Specialized's Win Tunnel, will need to be re-evaluated with his new team.
Evenepoel will be tested on the same wind tunnel used by Specialized, but with a different team of engineers in the room and a different logo on the bike's top tube. However, any data generated for a pro team remains strictly confidential and is never shared outside that team without their explicit permission. This means that Evenepoel's data from his time with Soudal-QuickStep will not be easily accessible to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.
Specialized may use select data for marketing purposes, but only with a team's permission. This raises the question of whether Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe will be able to access the data generated during Evenepoel's time with Soudal-QuickStep for training and performance analysis purposes.
The aerodynamic effect of each item of clothing can be incredibly individual, meaning what works well with one rider could work badly with another. Evenepoel will continue to ride the same bike, wheels, and tyres, wear the same helmet, and keep the same Remco-branded Specialized shoes. However, he will need to test every item of Specialized clothing, every wheelset and tyre choice on both road and time trial frames, and presumably prototype items, with his new team.
Dan Bigham, at the helm of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe's performance optimisation team, will oversee this process. Evenepoel's personal relationship with Specialized, similar to that of Demi Vollering and Peter Sagan, adds an additional layer of complexity to the situation.
Many of the teams Specialized supports compete directly against each other, and respecting the privacy of their data is essential to maintaining the strength of these partnerships. This is highlighted by the fact that Sven Vanthourenhout, who is transitioning from Soudal-QuickStep to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe along with Evenepoel, will also have to re-establish his datasets with the new team.
In summary, Specialized’s data sharing policy impacts an athlete like Remco Evenepoel by maintaining control over data linked to their sponsorship agreements even during team transitions, which can complicate or delay the transfer of data rights or full access to performance information for the new team. This situation underscores the importance of clear and transparent data sharing policies in the world of professional cycling.
Despite Remco Evenepoel's history of partnership with Specialized, his new team, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, relies on Castelli for clothing. This means Evenepoel will need to re-test every item of Specialized clothing to ensure optimal performance.
The aerodynamic data generated during Evenepoel's time with Soudal-QuickStep, which was facilitated by Specialized's Win Tunnel, might not be easily accessible to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe due to confidentiality agreements, making it essential for Evenepoel to establish new datasets with his new team.
