[Gobik is originally a Spanish brand. What does it mean for a Spanish brand to welcome the Tour de France to Barcelona? This is the first time it's been in Barcelona, right?]

Yes, it’s the first time in Barcelona, though not the first time in Spain. The Tour has also been in Bilbao and, a long time ago, in San Sebastián in 1992.

It feels really special, and that’s why we decided to create something around it. Even though Gobik is based in Yecla, in the Murcia region in the south of Spain, it is still a Spanish brand. The Tour is the biggest expression of competitive cycling, so this is a very special moment for us. We felt we had to do something, and everybody is really excited about it.

[Tell us what’s happening here at Casa Gobik.]

The first important thing we want to show at Casa Gobik is that we produce in Spain – this is a huge value for our brand.

Around 98% of our products are made in Spain. Some accessories, like merchandising items, are produced in Asia, but our core business – jerseys, bib shorts, jackets, and other main products – is produced in our own factory.

We control the entire process: we design the products, cut the fabrics, print them, sew everything, and then distribute them worldwide. A big part of Casa Gobik is dedicated to showing people what it takes to create these products.

We are also presenting several special collections launching these days. One of them is a collaboration with Carlos Sainz, the Spanish Formula One driver. We are presenting the Supersonica collection, a special capsule created together with the Netcompany Ineos Sports Director, focused on high-speed products and reducing aerodynamic drag.

We are also presenting The One Off, a special experimental line within Gobik where there are fewer boundaries in terms of products, communication, and distribution. It allows different areas of the company to experiment without the usual business limitations, like margins or traditional sales channels.

Beyond the collections, we have created several activities – social rides, social runs, a party, a customization point where people can customize musettes and flags, and cheering points where people can join us to support the teams starting the race in Barcelona.

It’s important for us to be close to the final consumer. Not only through the products, but also through emotional connections and experiences.

[The One Off that you mentioned – is it a separate brand or just a collection within Gobik?]

There is a big question mark around that: is it a separate brand or a line? In the end, it is an experimental part of Gobik.

Some people may call it a separate brand, while others see it as a special line. It shares some similarities with Gobik because some people behind the project are also connected to Gobik, but in other aspects, it is completely different.

Gobik has its own business background and history, while The One Off gives us the freedom to remove many of the boundaries you normally have when developing a brand.

We are not focused on revenues or costs in the same way – we want to experiment. It also attracts people who want something different. Some are Gobik fans, but because the brand has become quite popular, they are looking for something more exclusive.

The limited production, special fabrics, and advanced constructions also make the products more expensive than regular Gobik items, so it remains a very limited line.

[Can you share some insights into the collection – the fabric selection and what you learned from this experimental approach?]

We have tested different levels of moisture management and breathability. Gobik products already perform very well in these areas, but with this collection we are pushing performance further.

Another important element is construction. We have used many bonded seams, where fabrics are joined without traditional stitching. This is a very costly process, so when developing products for a regular business model, you need to be careful with how much you use this type of construction.

The main feature of the bib shorts is comfort. The pad we use is also our highest level of comfort. We have a jacket and vest using Pertex fabric, which provides excellent breathability and moisture management. We have also developed a long-sleeve jersey combining technical fabrics with merino wool.

Merino wool naturally manages temperature and moisture very well, and here we combined those benefits with technical fabrics. Until now, no other product in our catalogue used merino wool, so this is one of the key innovations of this collection.

[For Spain and the Vuelta, the main challenge is heat. Are you developing anything specifically for cooling riders?]

For races, the warm-up period is extremely important. The race itself matters, but preparing the body before the start is also crucial. We developed a special vest with ice cells. The cells are placed in the freezer, and then riders can cool down the upper body and core while warming up their legs – the muscles that need to be activated before racing.

This will be especially important tomorrow during the time trial sections. It is a very specific racing product, but we are also making it available to regular consumers because we want to bring athlete-level solutions to the final consumer.

We also know that colour has a big impact on temperature. That is why our summer collections usually include lighter colours, especially white. Our studies show that the colour of a garment can reduce body temperature by almost two degrees. We apply this knowledge with the teams we sponsor as well. For example, with Movistar at La Vuelta in previous years, we used white-based kits for the hottest races, even when the regular collection colour was different.

In Spain, La Vuelta takes place in August and early September, when temperatures are very high, so these details can make a difference.

[Did you develop anything specifically for this year’s Tour de France teams?]

The TT suit has been a very important area of development. We create individual TT suits for every rider – not only in terms of fabric selection, but also construction.

Depending on each rider’s body and morphology, they use specific fabrics and different constructions. These are almost handmade products, created individually for each rider.

For example, the fabric channels can have different widths depending on the rider. We have developed this through wind tunnel testing, analysing each rider and creating a specific product for them.
Hopefully, tomorrow we can see teams like Ineos and Movistar proving in competition that this development work makes a difference. It is not only about the clothing itself, but about showing the results of the process behind it.

[If you are an apparel brand supporting teams during races like the Tour de France, Giro, or Vuelta, how does that support work? Do you follow teams during the race or provide special services?]

Normally, we don’t travel with the teams or follow them every day. But we need to stay aware of whether they need any special product modifications – and this is something only a few brands are able to do.

Everything is already tested, and riders have the complete package they need. But if they require an adjustment, we can send the request to our factory and adapt the product very quickly.

For example, we can make an adjustment tonight and have it delivered the next morning wherever the team is.

We have done this before – adjusting a pad, changing the length, or adapting products because a rider’s needs can change during a three-week race.

Even if a rider prefers one bib short length during the season, after starting a Grand Tour they may want something different. We can produce these adjustments in less than 24 hours.

We don’t need to follow the teams every day, but we need to be prepared for anything that can happen during a Grand Tour.