We all know that a superstar is nothing without a loyal cadre of domestiques he knows will take miles of headwind or break away into no man’s land for him. Bringing to mind the lieutenants and the domestiques, the selfless riders that place team above all else, the Castelli Team Sky Volo Bib Short works as hard as its more photogenic sibling, the Free Aero, without as much glitz and charisma in its straightforward construction. It delivers workhorse dependability on training rides long or short, and won’t break the bank for those of us who haven’t been handed a custom Free Aero kit for race season, just yet. Of course, we can’t help but make a nostalgic comparison to Froome and Porte’s fabled partnership when we ruminate on the GC-domestique relationship and Sky. Like Porte himself, there’s nothing stopping the Volo from breaking away and making a go at victory on its own, if given the chance. Celebrating the new exclusive partnership between Castelli and Sky, the Volo’s team aesthetics match those that you’ll see throughout the peloton this year. It’s built, of course, on the platform of Castelli’s Volo bib short, which features dimpled Affinity BLC fabric on the outer leg to limit drag as you ride, and Affinity Lycra along the inner legs to support and stabilize your muscles as you pull yourself through a headwind on an evening ride. The Volo’s KISS Air chamois represents the most significant difference between the Volo and the Free Aero, with the KISS featuring a slightly less precise shape than Castelli’s top-end Progetto X2 Air. It will still loyally cushion and support your sensitive regions on rides of varying distances, but without as finely tuned of a design.