PRESS RELEASE
Pearl Izumi Helps Garmin-Slipstream Pro Cycling Team Claim Aerodynamic Edge At Tour De France
Pearl Izumi Speed Shop Unveils New Speed Jersey at Tour
BOULDER, Colo., July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to the world
famous Tour de France, every second counts. That's why road cycling
teams such as the Garmin-Slipstream Professional Cycling Team
(www.slipstreamsports.com), a professional American cycling team
dedicated to promoting ethical sporting and developing the next
generation of cycling champions, go to great lengths to find every
advantage within the rules to enhance their racing performance.
For their race wear, a critical tool in enhancing a team's
aerodynamic performance, Garmin-Slipstream turns to Pearl Izumi
(www.pearlizumi.com), headquartered in Louisville, Colo., a suburb of
Boulder, to supply the team with racing jerseys, one-piece skin suits,
shorts, in-competition base layers and socks as well as running shoes,
which the team wears throughout the grueling 3,500 kilometer race that
criss-crosses France.
For Pearl Izumi, the opportunity to supply one
of the top professional cycling teams in the world with the racing
apparel that it will wear during the 96th edition of the Tour de France
represents the ultimate test for the Pearl Izumi Speed Shop, the
"skunkworks" of Pearl Izumi's advanced product innovation program.
"Our relationship with the Garmin-Slipstream Team has been an
incredible catalyst for product innovation," said Cache Mundy, Pearl
Izumi's vice president of marketing. "The Garmin-Slipstream Team
provides us with phenomenal testing and feedback in the harshest of
conditions. We use their input to further refine our products before
they go to market for avid cycling enthusiasts worldwide."
"From day one, we have committed to giving our riders the best
technology available to help them perform at the top of the field,"
added Jonathan Vaughters, Garmin-Slipstream CEO and Director Sportif.
"Partners such as Pearl Izumi, who innovate with us, are a critical
part of our success."
While many apparel companies support multiple teams with identical
product during the Tour de France, the Pearl Izumi Speed Shop works
exclusively with Garmin-Slipstream to supply the team's 28 members with
the highest performing apparel regardless of race or weather conditions.
"Our focus is 100 percent on product innovation," said Bob Africa,
Pearl Izumi's Director of Product Management. "We're out to create
game-changing apparel and footwear for today's professional riders."
During this year's Tour de France, the Pearl Izumi Speed Shop will
debut a new jersey called the P.R.O. (Performance and Race Optimized)
Speed Jersey, which offers an unparalleled on-the-bike anatomic fit to
generate maximum aerodynamic performance. In development since last
year's Tour de France, the new patent-pending Speed Jersey is designed
with drag cheating P.R.O. Transfer Aero fabric - the fastest fabric
ever developed for cycling. Going through dozens upon dozens of
prototypes, the Pearl Izumi Speed Shop conducted numerous tests to gain
a record-breaking aerodynamic edge for the Garmin-Slipstream Team.
The P.R.O. Speed Jersey was inspired by the custom speed suit that
the Pearl Izumi Speed Shop developed for Garmin-Slipstream team members
such as Dave Zabriskie, the U.S. National Time Trial champion, and
Bradley Wiggins, the UK World Pursuit Champion, who are continuously
looking for that extra performance edge provided by Pearl Izumi, noted
Lia Bybee, the Speed Shop's head of Advanced Development.
"It's the hardest pattern we have every produced because it conforms
precisely to the body of the rider when they are on the bike," said
Jennie Yu, Pearl Izumi Speed Shop pattern specialist. "There were a few
times we just wanted to give up but the final result is worth it. Bike
jerseys have been around for more than 100 years so it feels incredibly
rewarding to end up with something that is going to change the way the
industry looks at the on-the-bike fit and performance of cycling
apparel."
When the Pearl Izumi Speed Shop arrived at the final design and
pattern, it produced each Speed Jersey to the exact specifications of
each member of the Garmin-Slipstream Team, and then hand couriered the
jerseys to Monaco just one day before the start of the Tour de France.
New Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Speed Jersey
In addition to the P.R.O. Speed Jersey, the Garmin-Slipstream team
members may select from three other Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Model jerseys --
the standard P.R.O. Jersey, the workhorse of the line; the P.R.O.
Climbers Jersey featuring Direct-Vent Fabric for optimal ventilation
and minimum weight; the P.R.O. Aero Jersey, which features a second
skin fit and anatomic construction.
This July, Pearl Izumi will pre-launch the 2010 Limited Edition
Black Star Design Aero Jersey and Short, which will allow consumers to
ride in the exact same Aero Jersey and Bib Short available to
Garmin-Slipstream. The Black Star Kits feature the identical materials,
construction, fit and aero fabrics used by the team with the addition
of Pearl Izumi's all new P.R.O. Seamless 4D Chamois, the most advanced,
anatomic chamois ever produced (available through authorized Pearl
Izumi apparel retailers). Look for other Pearl Izumi Speed Shop items
such as the P.R.O. Speed Jersey to come to market soon.
About Pearl Izumi
Pearl Izumi is a world leader in the
manufacture of performance sports apparel and footwear for avid cycling
and running enthusiasts. Based in Louisville, Colo., a suburb of
Boulder, Pearl Izumi is a wholly owned subsidiary of Shimano American
Corporation, located in Irvine, Calif.
Source: Pearl Izumi
CONTACT: Stephen Dupont of Pocket Hercules, +1-612-435-8315,
stephen@pockethercules.com, for Pearl Izumi
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