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New era of comfort and performance.” With a stretchy, fluorescent-yellow face fabric, zip-off sleeves, vents, and a liner of metalized polyester, the Insolito Radiation jacket does indeed stand out as something new. Extreme adaptability to outside temperatures during the autumn, winter and spring cycling seasons is the Insolito’s primary claim to fame. With a modular design, wearers can pull on a hood, open vents, add a liner, or zip off sleeves to create a vest. These regulating attributes result in a piece the company cites as having a comfort range for cyclists from 25 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The modular nature of this piece is nothing new. Outerwear makers have long sold ski jackets and other pieces with removable components to regulate heat. But what makes the Castelli concept unique is a fabric technology in the liner that uses a thin reflective material akin to Mylar and other similar metalized “space blanket” materials. Called Radiation fabric, this silvery sheen helps maintain body heat without relying on a bulky insulation like fleece. I got a press sample of the Insolito in August and rode with it during a couple cool September nights. This was not the optimal — nor intended — ...

Cervélo TestTeam rider Thor Hushovd (NOR) is planning to return to the Tour de France next year to defend the green jersey he won in this year’s race. In the past few days some misunderstandings have arisen regarding Thor Hushovd’s goals for 2010, but the Norwegian rider intends to participate. Hushovd and Cervélo TestTeam consider defending that jersey one of their major goals for 2010. “Winning the green jersey was my major objective for 2009, and 2010 will be no different,” said Hushovd. “I love the Tour de France. Given the level of competition for the green, it will no doubt be a great fight in 2010 and I am looking forward to it. I am going to change some things in my program next year, to be also in top form at the Worlds, since next year’s race suits me better than this year’s course in Mendrisio.”

It may have been a boring start of the week for you, but for the bike industry, Monday and Tuesday were days to turn the cranks in the dry, dusty (and somewhat windy) air of Bootleg Canyon, a 25-minute drive southeast of Las Vegas, for Interbike’s 2009 Outdoor Dirt Demo.

Folks from the bike industry had a nice, relaxed and tan-friendly venue to try out the latest in innovations. One such a thing was the Castelli Body Paint bibshort which quickly created a lot of interesst from the media, dealers and other folks from the industry. InterbikeTV was mentioning that this was THE most innovated product at the show. Within two days, the Body Paint bibshorts were online on Twitter/twitpic, Velonews, Triathlon, Bikeradar, bikesnobnyc and many more.

Elite level triathlete and writer, Jay Prasuhn from Triathlon.competitor.com, gives his first impression of the Body Paint innovative shorts after two days in the saddle at Bootleg Canyon.

Jay found it a great chance to catch up with several industry folks in a relaxed, tan-friendly venue. One such visit was with Steve Smith and Soren Jensen of Castelli apparel. We met Smith in February in San Diego when the Cervelo TestTeam, which Castelli sponsors, made a visit to the San Diego Wind Tunnel for some testing with 2008 Tour de France champ Carlos Sastre, and now reigning Tour green jersey winner Thor Hushovd. Smith, a marketing and design manager was present in San Diego to test some aero garments on the athletes, with pieces that saw light of day at the Tour de France.

Tested Obsessively By Cervélo TestTeam. This revolutionary new Progetto X2 seat pad will already have more than 500,000 kilometers of testing before it reaches the market during Spring 2010. The seat pad has been in development for nearly three years. Made with 10 separate components, and 12 different phases in the manufacturing process, never before has there been this much effort put into making something effectively disappear under you.  You could call this obsessive. But that thought will vanish the first time you ride it.  Then you too can say “It’s perfect”. SKIN CARE LAYER (red layer) is a soft, stretchy, seamless, bacteriostatic layer next to your skin with the simple task of preventing any sort of chafing. It’s made to adapt to the shape of your body and the saddle without any folds of the fabric. It’s probably the softest thing to touch your private parts since you got out of diapers. CUSHIONING LAYER puts just the right padding in the right places. Castelli invented Vario Thick, and now we take it to a new level with infinitely variable thickness. The edges of the pad are thin, gradually thickening to maximum thickness under the ischial bones where you sit. ...

Philip Deignan enjoyed a double delight in Thursday’s 18th stage at the Vuelta a España, taking the biggest win of his career in Ávila. In a two-up sprint with Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) the Irishman proved his mettle, swinging off the Czech’s wheel to sprint away to his first Grand Tour victory. “It was very slippery in the last kilometers. I could feel my wheel slipping around. I thought for sure Kreuziger would attack me on the cobblestones in the last kilometers, but maybe he couldn’t,” he said. “Kreuziger looked strong in the group, so when he attacked, I went with him. It worked out perfectly.” There were probably more than a few pints of Guinness hoisted when Philip Deignan ended the streak with victory in Thursday’s 165km, three-climb run across the Sierra de Gredos from Talavera de la Reina to Ávila. The 26-year-old Deignan rode into the history books as the first Irish rider to win a stage in a three-week grand tour since Irish legend Stephen Roche won a stage in the 1992 Tour de France. “It’s a very big day for Irish cycling. It’s been a big year for Irish cycling and this just caps it off,” Deignan ...