At least there are no odd helmets on show

Photographing a group of men in Lycra skin shorts isn’t always a disaster – unlike, say, this famous shot of the Polish road team, their red team kit and various stages of excitement – but surely this is one pic that will come back to haunt the Omega Pharma boys?

It was sent with the press release given in full below. Team Sky famously travel with their mattresses and Omega Pharma sponsor Innergetic clearly wanted some of this bedtime action to rub off on them. As it were.

Maybe the team members could have been photographed in their civvies – or pyjamas? – rather than figure-hugging Lycra?

Clicking through to the hi-res version of the pic is at your own risk.

PRESS RELEASE

Cyclists of the Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team will feel at ‘home’ every night, during the Tour

During this year’s Tour de France, Innergetic will, once again, ensure that the cyclists enjoy a good night’s rest every evening, as if they were at home. Innergetic is supporting the racing cyclists for the 8th year in a row now, at their explicit request.

No one would disagree that the Tour de France puts great pressure on the cyclists. That’s why it is so crucial for them to have an invigorating night’s rest every day. Yet, as the sportsmen change hotels and, consequently, beds and sleeping comfort day after day, it is not always easy to sleep well.

The Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team has therefore explicitly asked Innergetic to support them for the 8th year in a row,
during the 2012 Tour, by moving their personal Innergetic mattress from hotel to hotel. Innergetic has gladly undertaken the task, thus offering the cyclists their well-deserved night’s sleep, so that they can appear at the next stage’s start with their batteries recharged.

Sylvain Chavanel. “Sleep quality is fundamental. Thanks to Innergetic during the Tour de France we can sleep as if we were at home, even in a random hotel room. In fact, each athlete on the team has an Innergetic mattress at home with the same features as those we end up using during the Tour de France. The service Innergetic offers the team provides a considerable advantage during important moments like stage races.”

Tom Boonen. “For an athlete recuperation is very important, especially in demanding races like the Tour de France. During the Tour time is scarce and so there is a lot less time for sleeping. So sleep quality is fundamental in obtaining a good performance the following day. The technology contained in Innergetic mattresses helps us rest and recharge our batteries for the next day. The features of an Innergetic mattress support body movement during the night and the next day I wake up without aches and pains, perfectly rested. Innergetic pillows are also fundamental. Sleeping on a latex pillow prevents unpleasant cervical aches and plays an important part in our successes.”

Greater chance of getting a good night’s rest The Innergetic mattresses meet the four main criteria for a high-quality mattress: good
energy return, comfort, high-capacity ventilation and durability. The revolutionary mattress core in latex foam perfectly adapts to the sleeper’s body contours. Which improves the odds of getting a good night’s rest – and winning the race!