When Team GB and Huub-Wattbike track cyclist Jonny Wale was contracted to assist on Filippo Ganna’s Hour record attempt, he was informed about the tone and nature of the project as soon as he logged on to his emails. “I had signed a big NDA [non-disclosure agreement] when I arrived, and the subject of the first email was: ‘don’t f***ing say anything, Jonny!’ I got the message.”
It may seem a little absurd that a man – or an Italian Stallion as Wale refers to him – riding his bike around a velodrome for 60 minutes should necessitate such confidential levels of operating and for papers to be watermarked with TOP CLASS SECRET, but that would be to misunderstand the importance of the project, and the investment–both financially and of time – that was ploughed into the venture over two years.
This was serious stuff and the mission was simple:
