Vortex suits explained: Team Sky’s latest rule-pushing marginal gain


In unveiling a new type of cycling skin suit at the start of the Tour, Team Sky are both within the rules and, more crucially, making their rivals uncomfortable

Team Sky are no strangers to controversy but the turbulence around their use of the Vortex skin suit, with its panels that enhance airflow past the arms and shoulders, is something they should embrace. There should be no hesitation in criticising Sky when it comes to jiffy bags and triamcinolone but in this particular area, they appear to be in the right and they are doing precisely what they – and all teams that have the resources and backing to so do – should be doing: pushing the boundaries of what is permitted within the rules. If that prompts debate, so much the better.

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