The peloton couldn’t escape the technological revolution of recent years. The influence of technology is also being felt in WorldTour teams, providing new opportunities to optimize each rider’s performance. UAE Team Emirates reveals using the tool, seeking to explore the possibilities that artificial intelligence can offer to the team.
Advancement in the use of A.I.
Tadej Pogačar’s team hopes that a deep dive into big data will provide new insights into the potential performance of its cyclists. The primary goal? Winning the Tour de France. “Certainly, there will be an advancement in the use of A.I. in the coming years,” said performance coordinator Jeroen Swart in a conversation with Velo.
“Now we are working with an AI partner to analyze large amounts of training, performance data, and other variables that we can input and review. We analyze the training protocol, race selections, and much more.” It’s not certain what this will result in, but the team wants to find out what is possible. “It may not yield much, but investing in A.I. can show us the next step forward,” said Swart.
Romain Bardet disagrees with the use of the tool.
Not everyone is pleased with the arrival of analytical technology in the world of cycling. This applies to Romain Bardet of DSM-Firmenich PostNL. In an interview with Eurosport, the Frenchman expressed concerns about the charm of the sport disappearing.
“I think there used to be a greater human element to it. I’ve always liked the self-taught part of cycling. That part has pretty much disappeared from planning and training. I feel like we are becoming more and more like artists.”
“No preconceived ideas,” says Swart.
For now, Swart only sees opportunities around A.I. “This analysis can reveal all sorts of things. Insights can emerge that we haven’t thought of yet. That’s the great advantage of A.I.: it has no preconceived ideas. It takes the data, analyzes it, and provides a lot of answers. Then you test.”
