Lance Armstrong Wins Stage 16 of Tour de France in Nike Swift Spin Suit Designed Specifically for L' Alpe d'Huez Time Trial

Lance Armstrong Wins Stage 16 of Tour de France in Nike Swift
Spin Suit Designed Specifically for L' Alpe d'Huez Time Trial 


BEAVERTON, Ore., July 21  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nike's Advanced Innovation
Team (AIT) created a special suit for Lance Armstrong to wear at the Tour de
France today for the unique rigors of Stage 16, a 15km climb from Bourg
d'Oisans to L'Alpe d'Huez. Their efforts complimented Armstrong's winning climb
during the grueling individual mountain time trial stage.

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2004 marked the first time that the L'Alpe d'Huez climb was a time trial,
forcing the riders to attack a steep average gradient of eight percent for over
40 minutes. Knowing the challenge the course would pose, Nike designers
developed a special suit to meet the demands of such an unusual stage: 
lightweight, cool, but still fast.

"With such specific requirements to meet, we set out to design an extremely
lightweight and breathable suit," explained Nate Demarest of AIT, who designed
the climbing suit. "We placed venting on the suit in optimal zones that our
research showed would provide the best cooling. We balanced the need for
cooling with reducing drag by maintaining a conformal fit, and using our
patented Zoned Aerodynamics where appropriate."

To address the many hairpin turns that force riders out of the saddle, Nike
designers added a stretch panel to the front waist. The panel provides greater
comfort when cyclists are standing on the turns, but will return to a more
streamlined fit through the waist when the cyclist is seated.

The Nike Swift Spin Suit is nearly 22% lighter than a standard Tour-issue
short-sleeve time trial suit, and up to 35% lighter than a standard jersey and
bib shorts. Design highlights include:

  -- Lightweight power net mesh is placed along the side of the torso and
     down the spine. Nike Sports Research Lab testing has shown these areas
     to be the most effective locations for cooling. Power mesh placed along
     the side of the thighs balances cooling with typical levels of leg
     compression;
  -- Waist expansion panel stretches to improve comfort while standing yet
     returns to provide a close fit when in the riding position;
  -- Eyelet mesh on the front chest balances cooling with surface turbulence
     concerns;
  -- Finely tuned textured fabric on the arms and legs generates surface
     turbulence in these zones where airflow typically detaches from the
     body.



Nike's AIT team tested dozens of innovative fabrics and settled on the
strategic use of ultra-lightweight Dri-FIT moisture-management fabrics, along
with mesh textiles and trims. Nike's patent-pending no-sew seaming technique is
employed on the center-back vent for a streamlined fit and comfort.

NIKE, Inc. based in Beaverton, Oregon is the world's leading designer, marketer
and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and
accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned
Nike subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes
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designer and distributor of hockey equipment; Cole Haan, which designs,
markets, and distributes fine dress and casual shoes and accessories; and
Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports
and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. 

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DATASOURCE: Nike, Inc.



CONTACT:  Nate Tobecksen of Nike, Inc., [phone]



Web site:  http://www.nikebiz.com/ 

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