We can now add Six Day Racing to the 2018 CHPT3 roll of honour, alongside Paris Roubaix, Tour de France, the Transbromptonental and an Everest summit, to name a few.
Of course, Adam Blythe aka the Captain did us proud representing on the boards, but it was thanks to our behind the scenes team that he was equipped in the appropriate manner.
Many brands have what they like to call Skunk Works, British Cycling used to have the Secret Squirrel Club, Google has the X-Lab, the US government had the Manhatten Project. Well, here at CHPT3, we have Mrs Mills.
You see, we only found out a few days before the Captain was to take part in the London Six Day that he would need Madison shorts. We all just looked at each other blankly when we heard that, of course, not so blankly that we looked completely clueless, but enough to indicate to each other we had no clue what Madison shorts were while not panicking Adam. Of course, we were completely clueless.
He explained they were shorts without bibs that you tuck your jersey into, old school, there was no real clarity as to why, but it was clear he needed them. There was only one option, we had to make Madison shorts, and we had to make them fast, and what do you do when the going gets tough and you need to get going? Yep, you got it, you call your Mum. There was only one Mum nearby and capable of delivering this nearly impossible task, and that was one of the CHPT3 partners, Steve Mill's Mum, Gillian, aka Mrs Mills, codename Mumma Mills.
Mumma Mills took it in her stride. Thankfully our Origin 1.11 Shorts are made of a heavier and more luxurious fabric than any other cycling short on the market, meaning they were fit for this modified purpose. The prototype pair in Climbing Ivy were finished in two days, a beautiful customisation made to the Captain's spec. The colour wasn't important as the Captain wouldn't know his designated team colours till he arrived at the velodrome, so there was no point in worrying about it. But then this happened:
I received the above image on Whatsapp from the Captain, it simply said, "David. Molteni x CHPT3." My head nearly exploded, the Captain had been put in a Molteni jersey, arguably the most iconic cycling jersey in the history of the sport and not seen in a race for 40 years. One thing was clear, as good as the Climbing Ivy shorts looked, he would look better in Outer Space blue 1.11 Origin shorts. The CHPT3 top level Whatsapp group went into overdrive, the outcome?
Mumma Mills customised a second pair of shorts by 2pm the next day, the Captain received them at 7pm that evening. The rest is history. Thank you Mrs Mills, you rock.
