Skoda has whipped the covers off a new concept car designed to support cyclists, including some unusual extras to make your rides and recovery more pleasant.
The Karoq Velo (which would be ideal for trips into the French Alps for recreating that authentic Tour de France experience) includes several features requested by a team of active cyclists.
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One of the riders' most common complaints was how unpleasant it is to climb into a car with a pile of wet Lycra, so the concept car features a miniature spin-cycle washing machine specifically for sweat-soaked jerseys and shorts. The same water supply powers a pressure-washer for blasting mud off your bike at the end of the day.
There's also a full toolkit and workspace for sorting mechanical issues (with bright LEDs to ensure you can see your way around a derailleur at night), plus a follow-me drone with a magnetic landing pad. Perfect for capturing climbs worth of a polka-dot jersey. There's even a Wi-Fi hotspot so you can upload your video to YouTube immediately.
The car has enough space for three bikes (two on specially designed roof racks, plus one inside) as well as three adult passengers.
Chapeau!
If you're thinking of making the Karoq Velo your personal support car, there's some bad news: as a concept, it won't actually be available to buy.
It is, however, being used to help cyclists ahead of races and competitions. In the video below, amateur cyclists Keira McVitty and Laura Scott can be seen taking it for a test ride.
Just don't use it to try the old 'sticky bottle' trick. It'll all be on camera.
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