Olympic Games 2010: the big secret of the Netherlands

What do motorsport and bobsleigh have in common? A lot in terms of aerodynamics, at least. F1 constructors cannot do without the wind tunnel for the development of Formula 1 cars. They have been using the wind tunnel for many years. The Dutch bobsleigh team, after years of hand-me-downs, suddenly had access to a serious bobsleigh developed by Eurotech and DSM.

The secret of the new bobsleigh
On Saturday and Sunday, the bobsleigh competitions at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games will begin. For the first time – thanks to a new bobsleigh – the Netherlands has a chance at a medal. Nieuwslicht reveals the scientific secret behind the super-fast bob.

During the World Cup competitions in January, the Dutch bobsleigh team already turned the bobsleigh world upside down. Edwin van Calker and Sybren Jansma finished third in the brand-new two-man bob. The bobsleigh was specially developed for them by chemical company DSM and metal concern Eurotech. The major winter sports countries that have been making bobsleighs for more than 30 years are standing by and watching. For years, the Netherlands bought 'hand-me-downs' from Germany and the United States. Because the Dutch bob team became very good, they were no longer allowed to buy second-hand bobs. The Netherlands therefore had to put its teeth into developing a bob itself.

Since the bobsleigh competitions are already this weekend, people will hear the scientific story behind the bobsleigh for the first time. A hint: it has to do with the type of composite and the aerodynamic shape of the shell.

Eurotech active in motorsport and bobsleigh
Eurotech Viking Engineering is an experienced and versatile technical partner for teams and racing classes in motorsport and bobsleigh. The strength of Eurotech Viking Engineering is the combination of knowledge, expertise, and the use of modern equipment. Eurotech Viking Engineering can rely on the Eurotech Group, a full-fledged system supplier in the metalworking industry.

The Netherlands is fully prepared, but still experienced a crash during testing. The scraping sound of a crashed bobsleigh dominated the Olympic track of the Whistler Sliding Centre on Wednesday. A day later, during the second training session, things were already much better, but the fast ice track continues to keep spirits high. On Wednesday (local time), eight sleds overturned, including those of the Dutchmen Edwin and Arnold van Calker. They escaped with a fright, after which pilot Edwin completed two incident-free runs on Thursday with his regular brakeman Sybren Jansma.

Not everyone considers the bobsleigh track in Whistler suitable for the Olympic Games. The track is extremely fast and has numerous difficult curve combinations. Most countries have not yet descended it much, and Wednesday's slides reinforced the criticism that already erupted on the opening day when a Georgian luger lost his life after a failed maneuver at the bottom of the lightning-fast track.

Edwin and Arnold van Calker got off lightly late Wednesday evening Canadian time. Better, in any case, than the Australian Duncan Harvey, who was rushed to the hospital. His injuries ultimately turned out to be minor, as did those of the Swiss medalist from 2006 in Turin, Beat Hefti. Among the Dutch, brakeman Arnold van Calker only complained about a painful rib. The new Dutch sled did sustain some damage, but was back in use less than twelve hours later during training runs three and four.

National coach Tom de la Hunty and Arnold van Calker were not impressed by the series of slides. "Last year in October during the training week here, there were many more crashes," said the British national coach of the Dutch team, who did admit that such a crash does not help in building self-confidence. "But Edwin is an experienced pilot who needs to put this behind him quickly."

Within the German team, the Olympic task is viewed differently. "This track is a joke, simply scandalous," said technical director Thomas Schwab of the German bobsleigh federation. Pilot Thomas Florschütz: "With us, you can only tell what we think of it from our facial expressions and body language. Only the officials are allowed to say anything about the track," he said about an unconfirmed gag order for the bobbers regarding all incidents and the safety of the track.

Arnold van Calker, who also had a heavy side-slide in Whistler last year with the four-man sled, does not want to call the Canadian track dangerous. "That's too strong a word. This track is a challenge, high speeds are achieved. Crashing is part of this sport. It's the risk of our profession. This was just a slight blow to confidence."

The Dutch team is ready, thanks to all companies and sponsors. Hopefully, the Olympic dream will become a reality.

Source: Eurotech