Want a slice of Olympic-level speed?
It will set you back $7,000.
Uber-high-end Swiss apparel brand Assos released to the general public its lightning-fast, eye-wateringly priced Fenoq “chronosuit” this month.
The Fenoq skinsuit is an Olympic-level watt-saver that’s likely already in use by Assos’ sponsored squads and athletes, and which will be put to the ultimate test at the Games in Paris this summer.
“The pinnacle of custom racing technology, now available to you. Developed specifically for pro riders, each suit is the result of years of wind-tunnel testing, body-mapped engineering, and textile developments,” reads the brand’s blurb.
“This is Fenoq, our fastest chronosuit to date.”
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Assos’ flagship Fenoq skinsuit is marketed as fully track and wind-tunnel tested, with a skinGrip finish and a unique aero-optimized grid pattern surface on its “twin deck” sleeves and back panel.
“Completely bespoke for athletes on the road to Paris ’24, each Fenoq chronosuit is cut and sewn for riders’ unique physiques and riding positions,” Assos states.
Fenoq-level fast don’t come cheap, however.
Assos is retailing its “Fenoq Pack” of a fully-custom skinsuit and set of overshoes from a starting price of $7,040.
The “Feno Suit” – which appears to be a level below the full Fenoq given it is “custom made” rather than “100 percent custom” – starts at a mere snip at $2,710.
Apparel very similar to the Fenoq suit has already been spotted on Swiss athletes.
Podium-bothering Swiss TT star Stefan Küng rode in what appears to be one of Assos’ super-spec skinsuits at the Glasgow Worlds last summer, as did his compatriots that lined out for the nation’s mixed-relay team.
Assos’ partner squad Tudor Pro Cycling has likely also been riding in some Fenoq-edition fast in the past months.
Regulation over revenue?
Is Assos expecting to max-out on sales of its super-priced speedsuit?
Not likely.
UCI regulation mandates that any equipment used for Olympic track racing is widely available to the public, meaning Assos’ low-key launch of the Fenoq could be as much a box-ticking exercise as a full retail venture.
Indeed, Vorteq, the brand which partners a clutch of leading male and female road and track teams, and world-topping triathletes Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt, is selling its own Olympic-ready “Paris Collection”, including a skinsuit costing £3,000 ($3,800).
Expect to see more Olympic-level swag work its way onto the market through the coming months.
