FUSION has prepared meticulously for Europe’s biggest triathlon event
In collaboration with its three top triathletes Kristian Høgenhaug, Sam Laidlow and Magnus Ditlev, FUSION has prepared in extreme detail for Challenge Roth, by far Europe’s biggest triathlon race. The goal is to give the athletes an advantage and secure victory for the fifth year in a row.
Normally, the saying is “third time’s the charm.”
But for Danish brand FUSION, the hope is that a long period of meticulous work will rewrite that saying slightly.
Across many testing days and countless configurations, FUSION has tested the optimal setup for three of the brand’s leading athletes: Kristian Høgenhaug, Sam Laidlow and Magnus Ditlev. All three are contenders for the highly prestigious victory, which would mark FUSION’s fifth consecutive win at Challenge Roth.
Across the three athletes alone, 15 days have been spent on testing, with more than 300 configurations tested to find the optimal setup for each of them.
Magnus Ditlev has spent the most time at FUSION, completing 100 different configurations over six days. Sam Laidlow has spent five days testing a total of 119 configurations, while Kristian Høgenhaug has completed 85 different configurations over four days.
What all three have in common is that the work has not focused solely on the suit, but has followed a broad testing protocol that also includes other equipment, carried out in close collaboration with existing partners and brands that also support the athletes.
“We are confident in saying that these three athletes are among those who have spent the most hours in a wind tunnel — if they are not in fact the three athletes who have spent the most,” says Jesper Riis, Head of Sponsor & Partnerships at FUSION.
In addition to the thorough testing with the three athletes, FUSION has also continuously carried out material testing and internal testing in preparation for the visits. The total amount of work leading up to Roth is therefore more than double the time during which the athletes themselves have been present.
“By having our own wind tunnel, we have the opportunity to go into a level of detail that others cannot. We do it to ensure that our athletes have an extra advantage when they line up for races such as Challenge Roth. For us, it is about making sure we give them the very best cards to perform. We cannot help them train correctly or eat properly. But we can make sure that we honour the dedication and work they have put in by ensuring that every aspect of their suit, position and other equipment is prepared as well as they deserve,” says Jesper Riis, who also reveals a little about some of the improvements that have been made.
“We will be debuting new technology at Challenge Roth, and we already know that we have more in reserve, which we expect to have ready later this year. This advantage of being one step ahead is our core value, and it is what makes some of the biggest names in triathlon place their trust in us. We are proud of that, and that is why we also work extremely hard to give them an extra advantage,” he says.
Facts: How the triathletes have prepared for Challenge Roth
Magnus Ditlev
6 test days at FUSION
100 configurations tested
Sam Laidlow
5 test days at FUSION
119 configurations tested
Kristian Høgenhaug
4 test days at FUSION
85 configurations tested
For all three athletes, improvements and greater speed on the bike have been found. Exact savings and further details about the testing will not be shared, as this is internal information reserved for each individual athlete. Data is also not shared between the athletes, who are all assured that their aerodynamic discoveries belong only to them.