There is no denying that the British take cycling very seriously. Maybe not as much as the French or Spanish in the world of professional cycling, but when it comes to the Olympics, the British have done very well. And much of that begins long before the games begin. With London hosting the summer games in 2012 you know the British are going to try to have a strong showing, and thus they’re pulling out all the stops and taking it to the next level in their preparation.
While there remains strict rules and regulations with the actual equipment used in the Olympics and professional cycling, the real arms race is in technology used for training. British cycling pro athlete Sir Chris Hoy (above, photo: Getty) is employing new sensors and gear during the pre-season and for his training rides to get him ready for the 2012 Olympics. An article in The Telegraph this week hints at some of these technological advancements and the people behind these innovative training techniques.
The new technologies include monitoring devices in the velodrome in Manchester and on other U.K. based tracks, but among the most interesting is a microdot sensor that sticks behind the ear of cyclists to send feedback to the coach. There are also biofeedback sensors as thin as a hair that plugs into the skin to send readings via Wi-Fi to computers or smartphones that give the trainers real-time readings. Coaches and competitive cyclists alike can use the data to correct form, shave time and prepare for race-day.
We did say this was akin to an arms race, as the paper notes the British aren’t just exactly pulling out actual big guns, but they are using military-derived hardware including a laser-timing technology “friend-or-foe identification system known as THUMPER,” which can track up to 30 cyclists simultaneously, as well as something known as “Project DRAKE.” The latter employs a “highly classified predictive mathematical modelling software adapted from British naval warship programs, which interrogates data and outputs precise local weather information.”
All this makes us think the plot of the next James Bond movie (if one ever happens given the turmoil at MGM/UA) would be something about 007 saving the British cycling technology from former national rivals such as France, Russia, Germany and even the good ole’ USA.
[via The Telegraph: Athletes use top technology in race to the Olympics]