The magic “blue tape”

The blue tape you saw on some of our riders during Paris-Roubaix is called Kineseotape (right, Will Frischkorn’s tape job). It’s an adhesive tape that sticks to the skin. It provides support to damaged joints as well as weak muscle, ligaments and tendons.

Most importantly, since the tape only stretches in one direction, when it is applied properly it assists the muscles in pulling on the joints to retrain them. The joint can then be used correctly without compensation after an injury. It’s worn 24 hours a day (so not only when racing) to speed up the healing process.

The tape needs to be applied according to proper joint bio-mechanics and neuro-muscular firing patterns.

Dr. Kevin F. Reichlin, Slipstream/Chipotle H3O Team Chiropractor

P.S. The tape comes in bright pink and tan, along with the blue. The doctor who created the tape says to always start with the blue tape for an injury; since the blue has a little less stretch, it is more joint supportive. Then progress to the tan. The bright pink is for when there’s a chronic arthritic condition (which none of our guys have!).

We’re just lucky that the blue matches our kits!