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AI helps cyclists work out how much to eat during the Tour de France

Cycling teams are beginning to plan their riders' diets using statistical models that analyse data on the route, weather conditions and individuals’ power output

By Matthew Sparkes

18 April 2023

Wout van Aert of Team Jumbo-Visma at the Tour de France in 2022

Shutterstock

Elite cyclists are using artificial intelligence to get precise estimates of how many calories they will need for each stage of endurance races such as the Tour de France.

Riders burn around 6000 calories a day during the Tour and food is so important to success that most teams employ numerous chefs and nutritionists.

Kristian van Kuijk at Maastricht University in the Netherlands and his colleagues worked with the Dutch professional cycling outfit Team Jumbo-Visma, using machine …

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