Visma-Lease a Bike’s supervisor Richard Plugge has stated that different WorldTour groups will copy their controversial management room at subsequent yr’s Tour de France.
The Dutch staff introduced at first of the 2024 Tour that they’d have a high-tech van amongst their automobile fleet on the race, a spot the place sports activities administrators may analyse real-time information akin to extra TV footage from the race after which suggestions to the DSs within the vehicles behind the peloton.
In asserting its introduction simply earlier than the Tour obtained underway, Visma stated that the transformed van would allow the staff “to make one of the best tactical choices, rapidly and precisely.”
Inside days, nevertheless, the game’s governing physique, the UCI, had been investigating the cell command centre, stressing the significance of “primacy of man over machine”, earlier than refusing the van an accreditation sticker for the race – regardless of Visma not requesting one.
As an alternative, the van is parked shut however away from the race, the place the personnel inside can compute an enormous array of information, earlier than relaying it to their colleagues on the race.
One staff advised Biking Weekly that the van is “little greater than a publicity and advertising stunt”, however Plugge believes that others will search to emulate the concept.
“It’s lower than me to say if we’re nonetheless one of the best staff [after winning all three Grand Tours in 2023], however we attempt to be forward of the sport on a regular basis and do issues otherwise and higher, and that’s the place the management room is available in,” Plugge advised CW.
“We need to have a greater and safer atmosphere for our sports activities administrators who’re all the time taking a look at their telephones [in the car], and now we’ve got numerous info coming from one supply which is the management room. I feel subsequent yr you will notice extra groups doing the identical.”
Plugge’s confidence stems from his staff having a historical past up to now 5 years of progressing developments within the sport. “You may have seen it with all of our improvements, together with the meals coach [app] and different groups additionally now work with a meals coach,” he stated. “We attempt to drive the game, and the approaching of Purple Bull [who became co-title sponsors of Bora-hansgrohe ahead of the Tour] is excellent as they’ll drive innovation as nicely, like Ineos all the time did.”
In a swipe on the UCI, Plugge stated: “I hope the UCI will embrace it, as a result of typically I’ve the sensation that they need to return in time, however we have to transfer forward, look into the longer term.”
CW requested numerous different groups on the Tour whether or not they’re contemplating copying Visma’s cell management room, however none expressed an curiosity in doing so within the near-future.
Visma are at present second within the Tour with defending champion Jonas Vingegaard sitting greater than three minutes behind UAE-Workforce Emirates’s Tadej Pogačar after stage 15.
