DiamondProtech against the cobbles.

How our new partner helps us prepare for the “Hell of the North”.

This weekend, our team faces one of cycling's most brutal one-day races. Paris-Roubaix is unlike anything else on the calendar, with riders taking on cobblestones, dust and debris that leave bikes, vehicles and kit caked in grime by the time the riders reach the finish. It is exactly the kind of challenge that makes the work of our new technical partner Diamond ProTech so relevant.

A Swiss company specialised in advanced protective coatings, Diamond ProTech protect our bikes, components and team vehicles using technology that combines nanodiamonds with advanced inorganic and organic matrices, achieving significantly greater hardness and durability against abrasion, corrosion, UV exposure and contamination.

Earlier this season, Diamond ProTech visited our service course in Wevelgem to apply the Diamond BIKE coating to several Specialized Tarmac SL8 bike, and every bike in the team is now coated with Diamond BIKE, providing daily protection against the abrasion of long days in the saddle, constant travel to and from races and frequent washing.

Diamond BIKE is superhydrophobic, repelling water and contaminants, keeping bikes cleaner for longer and making the mechanics' job significantly easier after a hard day's racing. On a day like Paris-Roubaix, where the rain turns the dust of the famous cobbled sectors into a thick coat of sludge, that matters more than ever.

"Diamond ProTech's technology is quite impressive. The coating takes only a few minutes to apply and the result is spectacular: the bikes are incredibly shiny. We're more in love with them now, if that's even possible. For us mechanics, it has become much easier and faster to clean the bikes after a race, because the dust and mud don't stick like they used to and the dirt comes off much easier. Thanks to Diamond ProTech, the bikes feel brand new all the time", said AG Insurance - Soudal Head of Technical & Development Nicolas Coosemans.

But it is not just the bikes that Diamond ProTech protect. During their visit, they worked alongside our mechanics and drivers to cover application techniques for several products specifically suited to the team cars, buses and mechanic's trucks. Diamond WRAP is a protective coating formulated specifically for vinyl wraps, keeping vehicles cleaner for longer and making them easier and quicker to clean whilst using less water and fewer chemicals - reducing waste in line with our #ItStartsWithUs initiative. It also keeps the team's colours and sponsors' logos vibrant by preventing UV fading.

On every windscreen, sunroof and side window, Diamond ProTech applied Diamond GLASS, an extremely hydrophobic coating designed to reduce wiper use and improve visibility in wet conditions. On a race like Paris-Roubaix, where driving in heavy rain across rough roads is part of the day's work for every driver in the convoy, that can make a real difference.

"When performance, reliability and presentation are non-negotiable, protection becomes essential. Diamond BIKE extends the life and performance of every bike, as proven daily in our partnership with Soudal Quick-Step and AG Insurance - Soudal, who compete at the very top of the sport. We are incredibly proud that every support vehicle, mechanic's truck and bus within the teams is equally protected by Diamond ProTech products", said Technical Sales Director Simon Boulton.