The Storm Before the Calm
Members of Team RadioShack are currently traveling near and far, set to arrive in Mallorca, Spain Friday. However, a small group of staffers have been hard at work for the last two days. Actually….they have been hard at work for the last nine months developing clothing for Team RadioShack. From design to procurement to production to shipping, we’ve finally arrived at the final phase – allotment.
The team of three represent very distinct, yet equally important, groups: Tina from Nike represents the designers and producers of our team’s clothing, Glenn represents the team sponsors and management who support development and execution, and lastly Tiebe (the Shack's head soigneur) represents the riders, ensuring their clothing needs and feedback are met. Together, they arrived in Mallorca to sort and organize the thousands of pieces of technical and casual clothing.
Casual wear consists of several Nike jackets, hooded sweatshirts, warm-up suits, dry-fit workout tees, cotton tees, etc. for each rider. We can't forget to mention what year after year always seems to be the rider’s favorite item: the custom-designed Team RadioShack Nike shoes. (We’ll give these beauties their own spotlight on another day.)
Obviously each rider will leave camp with a significant amount of new belongings. So, they receive a roller suitcase for easy transport throughout the season, along with a customized team backpack and a hard-shell suitcase containing the coveted technical gear for the season. Lastly, the cherry on top of all the casual and technical clothing – the Team RadioShack Giro Ionos helmet, the most important piece of “clothing” for a cyclist.
Two days later, the clothing has been sorted by size, by each specific rider, finally packed into the suitcases and completed with a customized luggage tag. For staff, this simple luggage tag is key - making all the difference when you have up to 50 bags to track and deliver to specific places and faces.
The entire nine-month process is summed up well by Margie Wargo, our team’s chief Nike liaison – “It’s all in the Minutia.” Dedication to each and every step along the way, no matter how small the detail, pays off. All it takes to realize this? Seeing the ecstatic look on riders’ faces tomorrow when they receive their new clothing.
But…brace yourself. These thousands of pieces of clothing only represent one third of the gear to come for Team RadioShack throughout the season. So three times over – thank you, thank you, thank you to our sponsors, especially Nike, for providing us not only the most technically advanced clothing in the peleton, but the best looking.
Stay tuned for more in depth images of the team's technical gear tomorrow - and maybe even a few shots of those smiling rider faces we mentioned. Hopefully, a new wardrobe can help curb jetlag…Let the fun begin.
Photo credit: Glenn Kasin
How is that for organization - the spare clothing consolidated into one room in case riders need to exchange sizes.
100 boxes of clothing arrived at the hotel and had to be sorted.
Thousands of pieces of casual clothing had to be sorted before the "fun" begins.
2011 Team RadioShack t-shirt: Loud and Proud!
Quite the couple - the new Team RadioShack roller bag and backpack.
Custom luggage tags - the key to making sure bags go the right places and faces.
Luggage tags waiting for Jani Brakjovic and 28 other guys.
Some stacks upon more stacks of casual wear.
You'll see a lot of this this season: the new style for our Nike cotton casual tees.
Nike takes good care of Team RadioShack introducing a new Dri-Fit t-shirt design to the team.
Sure to be one smiling face - Neo-pro and American champion Ben King's bags are ready and waiting for him.
"It's all in the Minuitia." Handled with precision and care.
Tiebe keeps detailed records of all the clothing, as the hardshell suitcases start to pile up.
None of this would be possible without Tina (pictured right), Project Manager Margie Wargo and the team behind them at Nike.
The riders have been anxiously awaiting the newly designed Team RadioShack jerseys.
Clean and sophisticated - 2011 Team RadioShack HC (lightweight) jersey and Giro Ionos helmet
Photo credit: Glenn Kasin
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