1. Who are you?
I’m Gerd Kodanik, Head of Technical Performance and Development at the German WorldTeam BORA – hansgrohe.
2. What does a performance manager do at BORA – hansgrohe?
Actually, I am the Head of Technical Performance, as in our team we divide the two departments into technical and physical performance.
Together with our sponsors and the team, my main task is to ensure that our bikes and technical components are as fast as possible. The goal is to provide top athletes with top equipment. I work together with sponsors, perform tests and receive feedback from riders, and help to fit all the small puzzle pieces into one big picture, together with the other departments.
3. What does bike care mean for you?
Bike care is very important in professional cycling from a performance perspective. It’s also extremely important that the whole team and its bike sponsor have a good image and that everything is perfectly presented! This is why our mechanics always give the bikes a Dynamic bath right after a race so that we are in perfect condition for the next race or stage.
Something that should also be mentioned is that it’s really important to take care of your bike as a consumer at home. Using bike specific products like Dynamic’s will not only make your bike look great, it will also make your equipment last longer and save you a lot of expenses.
4. What is important for you when it comes to drivetrain lubrication?
We know that there are power gains to be had from using the right lubrication for the right conditions. Therefore, it is very important from a performance perspective that the riders have a clean and well lubricated chain on every race day. All small gains add up and could make the small difference that decides whether you cross the line first or second. This is also why we value Dynamic’s performance-oriented approach, so we can keep increasing those gains through co-development.
5. What is your experience with the Dynamic products?
My personal experience with the products is definitively positive, however somewhat limited. What makes me really satisfied with our partnership with Dynamic is that the work and partnership have already brought excellent results and we’ve already been able to develop a few new products together, for example the “Turbo Boost” spray.
6. What is your favorite Dynamic product?
That is a hard question to answer because I am really satisfied with all products I have personally used so far. But from a team perspective I can definitely say “Badass Bubbles.” The feedback from our experienced mechanics regarding this product was fabulous. “Mechanic Magic” is also already a favorite among all mechanics. In fact, the list with loved products list is long.
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