OPQS rider and UCI World Road Champion Michal Kwiatkowski visited Bakala Academy on Wednesday, a facility where "science meets sports." Established in 2013 thanks to the commitment of OPQS team owner Mr. Zdenek Bakala, Bakala Academy aims to create a center of excellence to promote innovation and education in cycling and sports in general, as well as contributing to the development of sports within an international, cultural, and economic context. Bakala Academy utilizes research and innovation to provide high quality services to both professional and recreational athletes.
"It was nice to come back here and say hello to the guys who work at the Bakala Academy," Kwiatkowski said. "For riders like me it's super nice to have such great quality services at our disposal, in order to check our condition and work on our performance data to improve as a rider. As everybody knows I am really into data, I like this information and think in professional cycling it's important to know yourself, with data as your guide. To me it's also a simple process as I work with OPQS trainer Koen Pelgrim, who is also involved with Bakala Academy. I remember the first test I did in 2008 with OPQS. It was Koen that ran this test. So, he's been following me basically since that day. To me it's perfect to be in an environment where I can profit from the services of Bakala Academy, which links to the training of the team provided by Koen. What's even nicer is that all I can touch with my hands here is at the disposal of all athletes — recreational or professional. It's nice to know Bakala Academy helps us with their knowledge and experience, which we can transfer from them to our performance on the bike. It's even nicer that Bakala Academy does the same thing for the people on the road who exercise to achieve their personal goals."
"My direct connection to the Bakala Academy makes me a much better trainer for OPQS," Pelgrim said. "The daily scientific input I am getting through the Bakala Academy is of utmost importance to me. I also realize that top riders such as Kwiatkowski expect me to make them better athletes via the most up-to-date training and coaching strategies. Here I am getting this scientific support day after day. I could argue that I am a product of Bakala Academy. Bakala Academy delivers the multidisciplinary approach I need to be able to function at this high level of elite athlete performance. I get continuous updates about novel training strategies, new developments in sports nutrition, cycling position and aerodynamics, performing in the heat/altitude, etc. The full spectrum of determinants of cycling performance is covered in a single location: the Bakala Academy."
"It was a great day for us to have a world champion here saying hello," said Professor Peter Hespel, who handles endurance and nutrition at Bakala Academy. "Kwiatkowski and all of OPQS are the examples of how hard work always pay off. As for Bakala Academy, we're happy to be a part of this success story. It's really important to work with such top riders consistently over time, because we can transfer knowledge we collect with those riders to recreational athletes. We can offer the same individualized and customized services to everybody. As for what is next here, we're looking forward to having all of OPQS here in the near future to make the first tests prior to the new season. With this team we can grow and enjoy the great success of OPQS together."
