Deceuninck-Quick-Step riders are constantly looking for ways to train better, improve and get stronger. At Quick-Step, we completely understand that drive to push boundaries. Quick-Step, long-time sponsor of one of the world\u2019s leading cycling teams, gave the home gyms of riders such as world champion Julian Alaphilippe and Belgian climber Pieter Serry total makeovers to help them train and perform at their very best. The latter\u2019s exclusive \u2018pain cave\u2019 boasts calming, yet playful elements, and an ultra-strong Alpha Vinyl floor.<\/p>\n
FEEL GOOD, TRAIN BETTER<\/p>\n
We all perform better in an environment we feel good in. For cyclists, a well-equipped and beautifully designed home gym is indispensable to making the prospect of a workout more attractive. That\u2019s where our pain caves come in. As an experienced interior brand, we decided to help the Deceuninck-Quick-Step riders by turning their home gyms into stylish environments with all the necessary tools for optimal indoor training.<\/p>\n
Julian Alaphilippe: \u201cDuring the season, I\u2019m often on the road for races all over the world. But in winter, I work out at home three to four times a week to physically prepare for the upcoming season. That\u2019s where a fully designed, comfortable home gym comes in handy. I\u2019d already had a small fitness room in my house, but I always dreamed of a home gym where I truly feel at ease to perform at my very best. I was really impressed when I entered my pain cave for the first time. I immediately felt at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pieter Serry: \u201cSince Belgian weather is quite changeable, to say the least, I rely on my inside bike trainer throughout the entire year. Besides that, I use my home gym for power training, core stability exercises, squats and so on. In other words: my home gym is definitely one of the most important rooms in my house. That\u2019s why it should be a room where I feel comfortable and prepared to perform.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo wonder I was super excited when I heard that Quick-Step would turn my home gym into a personalised pain cave. I was confident that their interior experts would come up with something nice, but they really exceeded my expectations. I was overwhelmed when I first saw the result. The design of the room perfectly matches my taste and personality. The big photo of me in competition is a source of inspiration and reminds me that hard work pays off.\u201d<\/p>\n
BOLD COLOUR PALETTE<\/p>\n
The blue tones in Alaphilippe\u2019s pain cave immediately catch the eye. And they\u2019re there for a reason: blue stimulates optimism and happiness, but also creates a relaxing feeling, which is important when you have an intense training session on your schedule. Blue stands for integrity, power and health \u2013 values that all symbolise the French cyclist.<\/p>\n
Alaphilippe is a big fan of vibrant autumn hues \u2013 hence the Alpha Vinyl floor \u2013 and dark colours \u2013 think earth tones, chocolate brown \u2013 even give the cool blue tones a warm appearance. This combination matches Alaphilippe\u2019s energy and explosive style very well. Colourful gold and marble accents add a playful, luxurious touch to the room.<\/p>\n
This remarkable colour palette gives the pain cave both a bold and cosy look and feel. Exactly how you would describe Julian Alaphilippe\u2019s personality \u2013 and an environment that reflects who you are and inspires you to perform better.<\/p>\n
PEACEFUL ATMOSPHERE<\/p>\n
Serry\u2019s favourite bike races are those that involve beautiful mountain scenery. That\u2019s why we used cool mint green as the basis of the Belgian cyclist\u2019s pain cave. Green reflects nature and has a calming yet refreshing and uplifting effect. Serry: \u201cThat sense of nature helps ease my mind so that I can fully focus on my training and unwind after an intense workout.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Belgian climber loves his rest and peace, but never for long. His friends and teammates call him \u2018the running joke\u2019. The pain cave\u2019s playful colours and shapes \u2013 hence the mountain contours \u2013 reflect that witty side of Serry\u2019s personality, resulting in a peaceful atmosphere with a twist. The abundance of light opened up colour blocking opportunities by contrasting the mint green with darker green tones.<\/p>\n
The addition of wood-inspired materials \u2013 with an Alpha Vinyl floor as the piece de resistance \u2013 and earthy, white and black interior elements give the pain cave a warm and natural look and feel. \u201cI simply adore the combination of the sleek design and rustic
\naspects\u201d, Serry adds.<\/p>\n
ALPHA VINYL: STRONG, AUTHENTIC AND SWEAT RESISTANT<\/p>\n
Julian Alaphilippe chose Alpha Vinyl Medium Planks as his flooring solution: \u201cSince I often use weights and other equipment during my training sessions, I needed a strong, scratch-proof and impact-resistant floor. Alpha Vinyl is water resistant too, so I don\u2019t have to worry about working up a sweat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe warm, natural look and feel of the floor helps me relax after an intense exercise or training session. Thanks to the floor\u2019s realistic structure, combined with the Autumn Oak Honey design, every training session feels like an outdoor ride in the woods.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pieter Serry\u2019s pain cave is covered with Alpha Vinyl Medium Planks (Sea breeze oak beige). The realistic vinyl planks are undistinguishable from real wood and offer a warm and soft feeling. Serry: \u201cThe pure oak look \u2013 without knots and cracks \u2013 and natural feel of the floor add to the relaxing atmosphere.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy floor doesn\u2019t only look good, but it is extremely strong too. I used to be very careful with my weights, squat rack and other training gear. But from now, I don\u2019t have to worry about scratches or other damage. Heavy sweating is no issue either, because Alpha Vinyl is water resistant, which makes it easy to clean. Bring on those rainy training days, I\u2019m covered.\u201d<\/p>\n
More info about our Alpha Vinyl collection on quickstep.com.
\nSamples of each of the floors are available for mood boards and stylists.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DISCOVER THE ‘PAIN CAVES’ OF QUICK-STEP’S TOP RIDERS Deceuninck-Quick-Step riders are constantly looking for ways to train better, improve and get stronger. At Quick-Step, we completely understand that drive to push boundaries. Quick-Step, long-time sponsor of one of the world\u2019s leading cycling teams, gave the home gyms of riders such as world champion Julian Alaphilippe […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":659626,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-659625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ulster-rugby"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/659625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=659625"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/659625\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/659626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=659625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=659625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=659625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}