Versarien's advanced engineering could help power Team Sky

Published by

Nicky Godding

Versarien plc, the Cheltenham-headquartered advanced materials engineering group, has announced a new collaboration with professional cycling team, "Team Sky".

Versarien and Team Sky have agreed to collaborate to explore the benefits of adding graphene to high performance cycling equipment used by Team Sky. These products may include cycle frames, wheels and tyres, together with rider helmets and further rider apparel.

It is intended that Versarien's proprietary Nanene few layer graphene nano-platelets and graphene inks will be evaluated in the design and development of new and future products to identify if performance benefits can be gained from improvements in material strength and impact absorption, material weight and thermal radiation properties through the addition of graphene.

Carsten Jeppesen, Head of Technical Operations, Team Sky, said: "This collaboration with Versarien provides us with a unique opportunity to explore the application of new and emerging materials in high performance cycling. Alongside our current performance partners, we are developing a diverse network of innovation expertise in Britain and across Europe to support our riders' ambitions."

Neill Ricketts, CEO of Versarien, added: "We are delighted to be working with Team Sky, the most successful Tour de France team in recent times, to bring the benefits of graphene enhanced materials to professional cycling.

"Professional cycling has always been at the forefront of technical innovation and the rapid adoption of new materials when they can provide a performance advantage.

“The success of Team Sky has been developed on the 'marginal gain' philosophy of seeking performance advantage in all elements that contribute to winning races. Team Sky recognise the potential for graphene enhanced materials to aid performance and this wide-ranging collaboration will look across both the cycle components and rider apparel to identify areas where additional performance can be gained through the use of graphene.

"Elite sport is the ideal showcase for our graphene technology as we continue to develop relationships with global organisations to bring graphene enhanced products to market."

Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe. After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts. She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.