For a long time, TU Delft has been working together with Team Sunweb (formerly Team Giant-Alpecin), the cyclist team of Giro winner Tom Dumoulin, to make cyclists even faster. One of the areas where professional cyclists can still make a difference is (even) better aerodynamics. This is partly determined by the cyclist’s posture on the bike, but a more streamlined outfit can also play a part. Reason enough for the cyclist team to collaborate with TU Delft scientists on developing an improved cycling suit. The university applied an innovative method to research the aerodynamics of the suit: Dumoulin’s body was first scanned, after which a 3D mannequin of his body was printed. The drag of this mannequin – each time with a different suit – was then tested and optimised in the TU Delft’s wind tunnel.

Read more about the joined aerodynamic research.