Artificial intelligence is everywhere and naturally cycling could not escape this evolution. The world of cycling discovered an unconditional love for new technologies in the mid-2010s, with the Sky team structure (now Ineos) bringing this sport to another dimension. But the arrival of AI raises questions: what is its role? What are the advantages and dangers?

Frédéric Grappe, performance manager of the French Groupama-Fdj, guides us to see things more clearly.

The United Arab Emirates dominate the technology and artificial intelligence sector: Anna is the name of the software, developed by the Emirati company G42, which helps Pogacar become even stronger. Jeroen Swart, performance manager of UAE Emirates, provided a concrete example of how AI contributes to the team: "For example, artificial intelligence can tell us: for the Amstel, Pogacar would perform better at 65.5 or 66 kg of weight, rather than the 64 kg he weighs for the Tour de France", he explained to bici.pro.

Frédéric Grappe adds: "We have been gradually implementing artificial intelligence for several years. Within the team, we have developed an internal private platform that centralizes all data: daily training, equipment, races, tests, nutrition, mental preparation. What previously required several days of development can now be done much faster".

AI is not used only for performance and related aspects, but also allows the development of race strategies. For example, during the 2025 Tour, UAE Emirates simulated the 18th stage to refine the team's movements, but it should be noted that AI use during the race is not possible. Grappe says: "AI can provide models in advance, before the race, to determine preliminary models and scenarios. But it is necessarily a retrospective analysis, because we do not have access to real-time data. We have started to use it, and we will use it even more, mainly for race strategy throughout the year: calendar, which races to do, point projections, rider efficiency and where to gain more points".

There are also other aspects that reveal how teams use artificial intelligence to detect parameters invisible to the naked eye. During the 2024 Tour, the Lotto team platform (called Brailsports) advised Victor Campenaerts to slow down to avoid excessive stress during a stage. Result: three days later, the Belgian triumphed at the Barcelonnette stage finish. "Because an athlete's performance depends on many factors: training, nutrition, stress, enjoyment, environment, acute and chronic workloads, race conditions. Artificial intelligence will allow us to identify groups of factors that we could not detect before", Grappe explains further.

"ChatGPT is like my mentor", seems to be said today. Depriving ourselves of artificial intelligence seems self-destructive, given how "formulated" this sport is. Frédéric Grappe agrees, while warning of the dangers: "Today we cannot do without artificial intelligence, it makes no sense. It exists, it works, so we must use it, but we must be able to control it. We will never be able to stop technology, but we must regulate it. Without regulation and in-depth reflection, artificial intelligence risks being misused."

But will artificial intelligence replace human expertise? Matthias Skjelmose, Danish rider of Lidl-Trek, winner of the 2025 Amstel ahead of Pogacar and Evenepoel, stated in an interview with Rouleur: "One of my favorite activities is reading studies about everything. I realized how effective ChatGPT is for this kind of thing: I ask questions and it gives me so many answers that always leave me breathless. It's like having my personal professor".

However, Grappe warns against this type of analysis: "When we talk about artificial intelligence, we must be very cautious. There are different types of artificial intelligence and, today, some can still produce about 30% errors depending on their use. The mistake would be to take artificial intelligence results as absolute truth. The more artificial intelligence there is, the higher the level of expertise needed to verify the validity of models and decide what to use and what not to use".