A MULTI-MILLION pound venue which aims to encourage residents from Evesham and further afield to saddle up and enjoy cycling has opened its doors to customers.
Olympic champion Chris Boardman was on hand to cut the ribbon on the much-anticipated Boardman Performance Centre at The Valley, the first of its kind in the United Kingdom.
The venue is set to be a game changer for UK cycling and will bring together all of the services needed to enhance performance and make them accessible to everyone from elite athletes to cycling enthusiasts.
At the heart of the centre is the custom built wind tunnel. Up until now, the few tunnels around the world that allow access to cyclists have been built for motor sport and other high speed vehicles.
The Boardman wind tunnel is designed to meet the specific needs of cyclists and triathletes and has a host of features not found anywhere else in the world. Wind speed and direction can be quickly tuned by an aerodynamicist to mimic the conditions of any chosen event.
The data capture system is also a world first, feeding video imagery and data back to the rider in real-time (in a format of their choosing) whilst also being available remotely, via a dedicated secure portal at any time in the future.
Complementing the wind tunnel, the centre also offers physiology testing, bike fitting and an unprecedented level of performance and positional data to help cyclists get the most out of their sport.
Whether a rider is preparing to embark on their very first sportive, or aiming for the Tour de France, the friendly, in-house experts will tailor the services to their needs.
“We’ve worked with some of the brightest minds in sport and engineering to create the first holistic approach to performance,” Mr Boardman said.
“No other consumer focused venue in the world has brought all of these capabilities together under one roof.
“But what we’re most proud of, is these services, previously only available to a fraction of the world’s elite, will now be available to the sporting enthusiast too, even those just setting out. We can help them achieve their goals in a way no one else can.”
Visit www.boardmanbikes.com for more information.
