Cycling’s Tech Race: How Science & AI Are Rewriting the Rules of Pro Cycling

The relentless pursuit of marginal gains in professional cycling has evolved into a full-blown scientific arms race, with the wealthiest teams investing heavily in technology and expertise to gain an edge. While rider suffering remains central to the sport, the margins between victory and defeat are now often determined by advancements in training, nutrition, and performance physiology.

As cycling performance approaches its physiological limits, teams are pushing the boundaries of scientific innovation. Behind the scenes, scientists, engineers, and PhD researchers are utilizing wind tunnels, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and artificial intelligence (AI) in a quest for even the smallest advantage.

“Cycling wants to believe it’s a pure form [of sport], but when it comes down to it, technology has a massive bearing,” says Dan Bigham, Head of Engineering at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. “If you don’t understand the physics of the sport, you can’t move it forward. You might know that A is faster than B, but do you know why A is faster than B? As soon as you know that, you can make something that’s faster and so continually move forward.”

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s hiring of Bigham last year signaled the team’s ambition to become a dominant force in the sport, fueled by Red Bull’s ownership and financial resources. This prioritization of scientific expertise, even over acquiring riders who accumulate UCI ranking points, is a trend gaining momentum.

Teams are leveraging support from owners and sponsors to advance the science of pro cycling, recognizing that those unable to invest risk falling behind. Red Bull’s Advanced Technologies unit allows Bigham to collaborate with staff from their Formula 1 team and other sports science disciplines. Specialized, as both bike and clothing supplier, provides wind tunnel testing facilities and a dedicated design team.

Lidl-Trek is another outfit significantly increasing its investment in research and development following the supermarket chain’s acquisition of the team. The integration of AI software platform ServiceNow, coupled with the substantial digital support from the Schwarz Group (Lidl’s parent company), is bolstering the team’s logistics and performance capabilities, with a recent headquarters in Germany under construction.

Even traditionally managed teams like UAE Team Emirates-XRG are embracing scientific advancements. Their substantial budget has enabled them to recruit expertise in coaching, nutrition, altitude training, and aerodynamics. The team reportedly tested the bikes of all their WorldTour rivals in a wind tunnel, demonstrating a commitment to data-driven optimization.

Visma-Lease a Bike is as well known for its dedication to innovation, reportedly developing a “secret advantage” for the 2026 season. The team’s partnership with Cervélo, their bike sponsor, and Nimbl, their new shoe sponsor, further enhances their technological capabilities.

“We’re not blind to what’s happening around us, and we understand that we won’t separate ourselves from the rest by copying what others are doing. We try to stay ahead with our own original developments,” says Visma-Lease a Bike head coach Jacco Verhaeren.

Why Innovation Can Be Worth More Than a Star Rider

While the top teams have the financial muscle to invest in cutting-edge science, what about those further down the pecking order? Tudor Pro Cycling, a ProTeam since 2023, has opted to prioritize innovation over simply bolstering their roster with established team leaders.

At their pre-season media day, new signing Stefan Küng praised the team’s focus on performance, prompting interest in their off-bike scientific endeavors. Tudor’s Head of Performance, Ricardo Scheidecker, confirmed the team has a dedicated group of scientists and researchers focused on identifying marginal gains through applied science – the “Innovation Team.”

Long-term financial support from Tudor watch brand provides the resources for both immediate improvements and a strategic, long-term approach. “We are quite discreet about this. We don’t position out photographs of riders in a [wind] tunnel in press releases, that’s not our style,” Scheidecker said, perhaps a subtle jab at rivals like Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.

“Innovation is about being ahead of the game; it’s a non-stop process. To lead the way, you need remarkably competent people, competent technical sponsors, and a synergy to put it all together so One can help the riders head as prompt as they can.”

Tudor leverages its relationship with Red Bull Advanced Technologies, while also benefiting from partnerships with BMC and DT Swiss. The team’s Innovation Team, comprised of engineers, an industrial designer, a data scientist, and PhD students, focuses on both immediate improvements and long-term research projects.

Jonny Wale, who previously worked with the British track team and Huub-WattBike, applies the team’s research on the road. “Over the last two years and particularly in the last year, we’ve built out the innovation team,” says Kurt Bergin-Taylor, Tudor’s Head of Innovation. “There are now seven of us… We also make a lot of internal tools and systems, and we have our own intellectual property.”

Tudor’s collaboration with Oakley resulted in the development of new road racing and time trial helmets, a project completed in just seven months. Independent testing has validated the results, with Cyclingnews Labs reporting the Oakley Velo Mach helmet saving at least seven watts compared to less aerodynamic models.

The team is currently working with BMC on a new time trial bike, and with Sportful on new race clothing, focusing on aerodynamic efficiency and thermal dynamics.

Where Will the Science Take Cycling Next?

Tudor aims to secure WorldTour status by 2029, and believes its long-term investment in innovation will be key to achieving that goal. “We have staff who work on innovation for what we call ‘tomorrow’, working on the products and science for the next 12 months, with the information, knowledge and tools we have now. We also have staff who work on three to five-year projects… If you don’t do that, you’re not going to crack the really complex stuff,” Bergin-Taylor explained.

Bigham shares a similar philosophy at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, emphasizing the importance of understanding the underlying physics of the sport and constantly seeking new knowledge. He draws inspiration from pioneers like Graeme Obree and leverages resources from the Red Bull Formula 1 team.

“The fun I enjoy is in unearthing those new gems,” Bigham said. “I’m really interested in understanding a piece of knowledge that maybe nobody else knows, and how I can leverage that to win more bike races.”

With advancements in nutrition and training plateauing, aerodynamics and thermal dynamics are emerging as key areas for improvement. Individualization, tailoring equipment and clothing to each rider’s specific needs and race conditions, is seen as the next frontier.

“To take the next step, you really have to take everything as a whole system, but then focus on rider individualisation,” Bergin-Taylor suggested. “The rider is now the biggest unknown and creates about 80 per cent of the aerodynamic drag. Reducing that is going to get you the biggest gains.”

Bigham envisions a future where predictive analytics, powered by data from the Red Bull Formula 1 team, will allow teams to optimize equipment choices based on race profiles and competitor strategies. “The question everyone looking at the science of pro cycling is trying to answer is how do we predict what’s going to happen in a race,” he said. “Then we can decide what the optimal setup is for this rider to do the optimal strategy for those conditions, against whoever we’re racing against.”