The Tour de France is no longer won solely on the bike. When temperatures in southern France rise well above 30°C, textile technology is increasingly being called into action: from innovative cycling jerseys that optimise airflow around the body to smart mattresses that actively cool riders at night. And the search for cooling solutions is not limited to the peloton. Trail runners, Formula 1 drivers and other motorsport athletes are also facing increasingly extreme heat, making thermoregulation a crucial factor in performance.
Heat: the new opponent
During mountain stages of the Tour de France, the perceived temperature on the asphalt can rise above 40°C. Riders perform at their limits for hours while their bodies constantly try to dissipate excess heat. Once this natural cooling mechanism is no longer sufficient, core body temperature rises, performance declines and recovery becomes more difficult.
This challenge is not limited to cyclists. During mountain races, trail runners are increasingly confronted with scorching climbs where shade and opportunities to cool down are scarce. At high altitude, thin air, intense solar radiation and prolonged exertion place enormous stress on the body. The question, therefore, is how to remove this excess heat as efficiently as possible.
Textile architecture: a new discipline
This is precisely where a new generation of sports textiles comes in. Nike recently presented its Radical AirFlow technology, a knitted material incorporating air channels. According to the company, the technology draws on principles from aerodynamics, such as the Bernoulli principle and the Venturi effect, to actively guide air along the skin and accelerate the evaporation of sweat.
Interestingly, the concept may date back to the 1990s. According to several secondary sources, Radical AirFlow builds on the earlier Nike Stand Off material, developed by Ed Harber, who has been described in journalistic publications as a former NASA engineer. Although Nike itself does not explicitly confirm this link, the example illustrates how knowledge from aviation and aerospace is increasingly finding its way into sportswear.
The main difference from previous generations of sports textiles lies in the textile architecture. Whereas conventional breathable fabrics rely primarily on open mesh structures, three-dimensional knits are now being developed in which airflow is literally built into the construction of the garment.
Structure or chemistry?
Not all cooling sportswear works in the same way. Some manufacturers opt for a purely mechanical solution based on smart knitting structures, while others use chemical textile treatments.
One example is HeiQ Smart Temp, a Swiss technology that uses hydro-functional polymers which react to heat and moisture. Unlike conventional phase-change materials (PCMs), which temporarily store heat through a transition from solid to liquid, this finish primarily enhances the body’s natural evaporative cooling process as the body becomes warmer.
The debate between structural and chemical solutions is also taking place within the textile industry. Mechanical solutions are often considered more durable because their functionality is built directly into the fabric, while chemical finishes can lose effectiveness over time through use and washing. At the same time, they are easier to apply to existing textiles. Some manufacturers therefore opt for a combination of the two technologies.
Belgian expertise
Although Nike presents its latest development as an in-house innovation project, Belgium is home to companies with leading expertise in technical textiles. Textile producers such as Liebaert Textiles, Concordia Textiles, Utexbel, VdS Weaving, 3D Weaving and Sioen are among the European specialists in 3D weaving and knitting technologies that make this type of innovation possible.
Belgium also has a link to thermoregulating applications through BekaertDeslee, which collaborates with HeiQ on innovative sleep textiles. This illustrates that expertise in heat and moisture regulation is no longer limited to sportswear, but is increasingly being applied to sleep products as well.
Formula 1 is looking for ways to cool down too
The need for efficient heat dissipation is at least as great in motorsport. Inside a Formula 1 cockpit, temperatures can easily rise above 50°C during summer races. Drivers can lose several kilograms of fluid during a single race, while having to maintain maximum concentration under high G-forces.
Endurance racing, rallying and MotoGP are also facing growing challenges from heat. Manufacturers are therefore experimenting with lighter fire-resistant materials, improved ventilation in racing suits and systems that help control body temperature without compromising safety.
You win the Tour in bed
After hours of suffering on the bike, perhaps the most important phase of the day begins: recovery. Tour winner Joop Zoetemelk said it decades ago: “You win the Tour in bed.”
Today, that saying is taking on a technological dimension. Several WorldTour teams are investing in smart sleep systems that actively regulate bed temperature. Tadej Pogačar’s team uses computer-controlled mattresses that can not only cool the body, but also record heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV) and sleep quality. Increasingly, systems can also detect snoring, while some even automatically raise the head of the bed.
In addition to such mattresses, hotel rooms are equipped with portable air-conditioning units, and teams create their own optimal sleeping environments. The goal is simple: lower core body temperature more quickly, promote deeper sleep and accelerate recovery before the next mountain stage.
Belgian mattress manufacturers such as Revor currently focus mainly on passive ventilation through breathable mattress constructions and airflow technologies, while active cooling systems are currently offered primarily by international players.
The next wave of innovation
For years, sports innovation focused on lighter bikes, aerodynamic helmets and faster shoes. Today, attention is also turning towards temperature management. Not only during exercise, but also in the hours afterwards.
From air channels integrated into cycling jerseys and smart polymers to cooled mattresses, heat is increasingly being regarded as a performance factor just as important as nutrition, training or equipment. At a time when heatwaves are increasingly becoming the backdrop to major sporting events, the athlete’s biggest opponent may no longer be only the expected rival, but the temperature itself.
