Visma-Lease a Bike’s supervisor Richard Plugge has mentioned that different WorldTour groups will copy their controversial management room at subsequent yr’s Tour de France.
The Dutch crew introduced initially of the 2024 Tour that they’d have a high-tech van amongst their car fleet on the race, a spot the place sports activities administrators might analyse real-time knowledge equivalent 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 bought underway, Visma mentioned that the transformed van would allow the crew “to make the most effective tactical choices, shortly and precisely.”
Inside days, nevertheless, the game’s governing physique, the UCI, have 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 unlimited array of information, earlier than relaying it to their colleagues on the race.
One crew instructed 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 the most effective crew [after winning all three Grand Tours in 2023], however we attempt to be forward of the sport on a regular basis and do issues in another way and higher, and that’s the place the management room is available in,” Plugge instructed CW.
“We wish to have a greater and safer atmosphere for our sports activities administrators who’re at all times taking a look at their telephones [in the car], and now now we have numerous info coming from one supply which is the management room. I believe subsequent yr you will notice extra groups doing the identical.”
Plugge’s confidence stems from his crew having a historical past prior to now 5 years of progressing developments within the sport. “You could 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 mentioned. “We attempt to drive the game, and the approaching of Crimson Bull [who became co-title sponsors of Bora-hansgrohe ahead of the Tour] is superb as they’ll drive innovation as nicely, like Ineos at all times did.”
In a swipe on the UCI, Plugge mentioned: “I hope the UCI will embrace it, as a result of generally I’ve the sensation that they wish to return in time, however we have to transfer forward, look into the long run.”
CW requested varied 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-Group Emirates’s Tadej Pogačar after stage 15.
