BRITAIN’S cyclists could have an edge over the competition at the Olympics and Paralympics thanks to a Poole company which will take care of their bicycle chains.

Muc-Off, a bike care business based at Tower Park, will treat and supply all the chains for the Great Britain Cycling Team.

It will supply more than 75 chains to athletes including the likes of Sir Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish, Laura Trott and Liam Phillips. Its partnership covers the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Tack World Cup series and Track World Championships.

A unique hand treatment process applied at the company’s Poole base will reduce friction, saving up to six watts of power compared with conventional lubricants, the company says.

Chief executive Alex Trimnell, who launched Muc-Off in 1994, said: “We’re always looking for new ways to optimise performance using cutting-edge innovations.

“Working so closely with the British Cycling technical team at the highest level of international sport is a huge project for us and an absolute privilege to be a part of.

“We owe our success to all the hard work carried out by the dedicated enthusiasts on the Muc-Off team who constantly push the status quo to keep us ahead of the curve. The relationship is proving so effective and beneficial that we’re already looking past Rio to Tokyo 2020 with further exciting developments in the pipeline.”

Dave Parsons, commercial and technical manager with British Cycling, said: “We’ve been working closely with Muc-Off to ensure that the chains used by the Great Britain Cycling team are of the highest possible standard, and obviously lubrication plays a huge role in this.

“This is why we have entrusted Muc-Off to deliver highly optimised chains as well as faultless service to the team.”

Muc-Off’s treatment for chains includes speed-grading each one and collecting data in tests to help optimise speed. The chains are then cleaned and hand treated with its special formula.

Since races can be won on small margins, Muc-Off says peak performance can give a cyclist an edge over the competition.

Muc-Off is the official supplier of Team Sky, supplying equipment including lubricants and cleaning products.

Its range includes more than 150 care products and is sold across 45 countries.