THE FORMUL EFFECT

The 2025 Tour de France looks set to be the fastest in history thanks to mind-blowing modelling and speed-seeking simulations. Cycling Plus investigates the rise of big data and big minds, often inspired by the world of racing cars...

- James Witts

Formula 1 effect Where once it was all about a rider flogging themselves and racing by feel, now it’s about slick aerodynamics, no junk miles and huge amounts of number crunching. In fact, you could argue that road cycling at the top table is morphing into Formula 1. We dig deep into the growing influence of performance engineers and data scientists. Strap in for a rather speedy ride...

DEVIL IN THE DETAIL

A performance engineer's role is all about the detail; of unearthing gains where few had looked before. Briton Dan Bigham is arguably the highest-profile engineer in the field. The 33-year-old former hour record holder worked with the Mercedes F1 team before moving to cycling. He’s currently head of engineering at the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe WorldTour team. Before Bigham upped sticks from Ineos Grenadiers (in 2024), he told this writer how a performance engineer's role is heavily focused on equipment selection and even product design. And, of course, incredible attention to detail. Take wheel selection. No longer is it simply a case of shallow or deep rims.

“Wheel choice comes down to variables like a rider's power-to-weight ratio, weight, potential climbing speed and aerodynamic profile,” Bigham revealed. “What you need to know is the magnitude of the difference. So, you might say, ‘This wheel is 100g lighter but has a higher CdA [coefficient of aerodynamic drag] by 0.02m². You need to know the detail. It’s a little like you coming to me and saying, ‘I have 10 buckets of flour - how many buckets of water does that need [to make bread]?’ I can’t answer that. I need to know the bucket size.”