The use of rider power data as a form of anti-doping is likely to be a hot topic at next month's Tour de France, after the International Testing Agency (ITA) revealed details of a two-year feasibility and pilot study exploring whether power data could be a supplementary source of intelligence for anti-doping purposes.
Using rider power data, like how biological samples are used to create the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) has been discussed for several years but critics have often cited a lack of accuracy and concerns about privacy.
However, the ITA has revealed that 60 riders have consented to participate in the trial project, including riders from Visma-Lease a Bike, Picnic PostNL, Jayco AlUla, Decathlon CGM CMA and Cofidis. Others are said to be in advanced discussions continuing with the ITA.
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The research is being carried out in collaboration with the University of Kent and University College London. The ITA was founded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as an independent non-profit foundation to carry out a multi-sport approach to anti-doping, taking it out of the hands of individual governing bodies.
Depending on how the trial project goes, using power data could eventually be part of the fight against doping in pro cycling and even other sports such as triathlon.
However, there has been considerable pushback against power data analysis from some part of the sport. Tadej Pogačar's agent Alex Carera described it as 'stupid' and an extra burden on athletes. Earlier this year, he told The Athletic that measuring any evolution in performance was not needed because "we do not have a doping problem."
Adam Hansen, the president of the CPA riders’ unions also has concerns about using power data as an anti-doping tool, with different stakeholders in the sport at loggerheads about who owns and controls rider data.
“I highly believe it won’t be successful. And then it will be scrapped. But we will see how it goes," Hansen told Road.cc.
“At first they said it’s just a test. I said, 'OK, that’s fine. But what happens when it’s not a test? What happens when a rider does not submit his training data? What happens if his SRM or Garmin is flat? What happens if his power meter does not work?
“While this is voluntary at the moment, I’m really worried when it becomes mandatory.”
However, the ITA claimed it has the support of the UCI, who is funding the research from revenue that is partly paid by riders, teams and race organisers.
"If validated by the ITA and approved by both the UCI Funding Committee and the UCI Management Committee, the UCI regulations will be amended to require the mandatory sharing to the ITA of individual power data for all professional men’s road riders," the ITA said as it detailed the testing.
It also said that "The study is being conducted with riders participating on a voluntary basis and in full compliance with applicable data protection regulations."
ITA said the research includes two incremental phases over two years after first revealing the idea in 2025.
"The first year focuses on retrospective analysis using historical rider data to determine whether a meaningful and sufficiently reliable longitudinal monitoring approach can be developed.
"If the feasibility phase demonstrates that the modelling principles are scientifically and operationally robust, the project would progress into a pilot implementation phase using current season data.
"Its purpose is not to establish anti-doping rule violations through performance data, but to evaluate whether certain patterns or evolutions in performance may, in the future, help inform areas such as targeted testing strategies, sample retention decisions, additional laboratory analysis or investigations."
The ITA could use power data to look for what it calls “excess performances” compared to their peers and across their careers, much like the Athlete Biological Passport does for blood values.
“We are constantly looking at how to make the cycling anti-doping program smarter and more effective," said ITA Director General Benjamin Cohen.
“Power data has been part of the conversation in cycling for many years. It is one of the sport’s most widely used performance tools, yet until now its potential contribution to anti-doping has remained largely unexplored.
"Thanks to the commitment of riders, teams and recognised experts, we now have the opportunity to assess its potential through a structured scientific process and determine whether it can meaningfully complement the anti-doping toolbox in the future."
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