transparency and secrecy
An app sparks debates in cycling
04/07/2023, 2:15 p.m
The Strava app is something like the Facebook of cycling. Professionals can share their data there with the whole world or hide it. This sometimes causes debate. However, Strava also gives endurance sports such as cycling, cross-country skiing, triathlon or marathon running more credibility.
At the pinnacle of the cobblestone classics, only brute force counts. On the 257 kilometers from Paris-Roubaix, the cyclists don’t have to overcome any steep climbs on Easter Sunday, instead they cover 29 brutal sectors. In addition to luck and tactics, what counts above all is strength – translated into cycling language: watts. Dealing with these values always leads to discussions, of course also this year. It’s always about transparency and traceability, nobody should be allowed to hide something – but of course everyone wants it.
Recently, in Mathieu van der Poel, one of the favorites to win the “Hell of the North” was at the center of the debate. The Dutchman published his data for a year on the Strava platform, which is accessible to everyone. Something like the Facebook for endurance athletes, if you will. “I kept hearing from left and right that nothing was known about my training,” says the 28-year-old. To counteract possible suspicions, van der Poel made his values public. This is the end of this year.
“Watt doesn’t win races”
The step is understandable, after all, the competition should not know what their own form is like. Van der Poel’s biggest rival Wout van Aert still shares his rides, but omits data such as heart rate and power in watts. “Then it doesn’t really help, because you can’t conclude anything from it,” says van der Poel. Flanders winner Tadej Pogacar does the same: training yes, key dates no.
Former Roubaix winner John Degenkolb takes a much more relaxed view of the issue. “I don’t think the wattage is that important,” says the 34-year-old. “Watt doesn’t win races.” The veteran sees Strava above all “as a great tool to let people participate in the effort you put in.” Anyone who registers on the platform can follow Degenkolb and get an insight into his achievements. So you can see that the native Thuringian covered more than 30,000 kilometers on his bike last year. This year there are already well over 8000.
On the one hand, Strava gives endurance sports such as cycling, cross-country skiing, triathlon or marathon running more credibility. “Of course, the availability of data contributes to transparency. You can certainly estimate where the world leaders are and that can also serve as a reference,” explains Dan Lorang, Head of Performance at the German team Bora-hansgrohe.
“Closer connection between professional and amateur athletes”
On the other hand, the platform creates a closer connection between professional and amateur athletes. You can ride the Paterberg in Flanders or Alpe d’Huez in the Alps, upload your data and compare the numbers with the pros. With these best times for certain sections of the route – the so-called KOM – you often find the names of average Otto consumers ahead of stars like Pogacar or van der Poel. While the pros usually set their best values while passing a race, hobby drivers only concentrate on the respective sections.
The Bora-hansgrohe team even goes so far as to use Strava to find talented young drivers. With the team’s Juniors program, ambitious teenagers can make their Strava data available and have it analyzed by the team. The application phase runs until the end of May. If you then confirm your performance in extensive tests, you get a U19 contract with the Bora development team Auto Eder.
Nils Politt, Bora’s captain at Paris-Roubaix and runner-up there in 2019, uses Strava to plan his training routes. He deliberately did not publish his power data. However, the hunt for best times on certain sections of the route motivates him. “But it’s fun to challenge yourself for a KOM,” says Politt. “I also follow a few friends, but not to see what they train. More to see where they ride.”