<\/p>\nAvoid a return to the past<\/h3>\n That\u2019s the scientific AI battle. But what about the psychosocial? Let\u2019s return to the start and Zabala\u2019s concerns that AI will send cycling back to the dark ages, namely Armstrong, Puerto\u2026 \u201cWe must never forget the past,\u201d he says. \u201cFrom Armstrong to Operation Puerto, cycling in the 1990s and 2000s was horrendous. It was a time when doctors ruled.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zabala calls this period and the time before, \u2018Cycling 1.0\u2019. He says that cycling followed a hierarchy and training relied on random coaching wisdom rather than empirical evidence. The absence of structured scientific collaboration blurred medical, ethical and professional boundaries.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen \u2018Cycling 2.0\u2019 took over in around 2012,\u201d he adds. \u201cThis involved multidisciplinary co-operation between coaches, scientists, physicians and nutritionists. Now, experts were mainly in charge, not backroom staff who were dopers of the past. Importantly, the rider went from a passive subject \u2013 the knowledge is held by the doping doctor \u2013 to an informed collaborator. This enhanced compliance, motivation and accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n
In short, Cycling 2.0 \u2013 deemed cleaner than ever \u2013 passed ownership to the rider. We\u2019re now onto \u2018Cycling 3.0\u2019 where AI can magnify potential through predictive modelling but, Zabala says, it must not replace human judgment. Over-reliance on AI without critical thinking can lead to poor decision-making and a loss of ownership.<\/p>\n
\u201cA rider must maintain their autonomy,\u201d he says. \u201cIn the doping days, coercion and fear of exclusion was very real. With unregulated AI, we have similar fears. Biometric over-monitoring and opaque decisions could leave a rider vulnerable. Without ethical governance, AI could reverse 2.0\u2019s gains.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
\n
(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTo that end, Zabala proposes that riders and coaches must become AI literate. \u201cThat means they capitalise on its benefits and not be captured by it. As we enter this third evolutionary stage, cycling stands at an unprecedented crossroads between human wisdom and machine intelligence. Artificial intelligence will not replace the coach, the scientist or the athlete, but it will augment them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe success of Cycling 3.0 will depend not on how quickly we adopt new algorithms, but on how wisely we integrate them into a culture of shared knowledge, respect, transparency and responsibility,\u201d he says. \u201cIf the spirit of Cycling 2.0 remains our compass, then AI can become the next ally in a journey that should continue to be profoundly human. The challenge is not merely to predict performance but to protect meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ultimately, like every sector of life, AI has the potential to transform cycling for better or worse. It may uncover talent, personalise training and strengthen anti-doping, yet potentially accelerate novel drugs and sophisticated enhancement. The lesson from Cycling 2.0 is clear: technology works best when athletes remain informed participants. Cycling 3.0 must embrace AI without surrendering human judgement, transparency or the hard-won lessons of its past.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"“Is artificial intelligence the new doping?” asked former Movistar director of performance Mikel Zabala at this year\u2019s Science & Cycling conference, held each year the week prior to the Tour de France Grand D\u00e9part. It\u2019s where cycling\u2019s most progressive academics, sport scientists and WorldTour staff present their work, featuring the latest research on training, nutrition […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":258631,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6804],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-258630","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=258630"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258630\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/258631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=258630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=258630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=258630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}