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For many years, I had heard about the Science & Cycling conference, held a few days before the start of the Tour de France. This year, I was fortunate enough to attend it in person at the Université de Lille.
Anton van Gerwen, the owner and organizer, started this conference in 2015 after deciding to switch careers. He combined his personal experience in conference organization, education, and geophysics with his passion for cycling.
Save for the pandemic year of 2020, his conferences always coincide with the start of the Tour de France and are held in the start city. This ensures maximum convenience for coaches and trainers from the world’s biggest teams, as well as for paying attendees from around the globe.
Anton puts in huge amounts of work each year. Although the conference lasts only two days, his planning begins a year to a year and a half in advance and is extremely time-consuming to organize.
And while he knows the start location of the Tour de France well in advance, he still must locate and book a venue in the start city, select keynote speakers, organize the program of presenters, and manage catering and registration.
A whirlwind
Science and Sport Conference (Photo: Bobby Julich)
The Science & Cycling conference is all about cooperation and sharing information in a relaxed setting. Unlike some other coaching events, it encourages open discussions. The press is kept out to ensure everyone feels comfortable speaking openly.
When selecting presenters, Anton focuses on hot topics in cycling and seeks input from committee members and past participants. His goal is to balance scientific experts with team practitioners, researchers, and new product specialists.
Anton and his team did an amazing job, and I thoroughly enjoyed my two days in Lille. Our days started at 9 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. With over 50 presentations on the packed schedule, we were given a program, and it was up to everyone to decide which of the two simultaneous presentations to attend in two different meeting halls.
It’s not an easy task: with so many great presenters and presentations, it was sometimes difficult to choose which one to attend.
I am glad I bought two new notebooks before my flight to France, as I took many notes despite suffering from severe jet lag due to delayed travel the day before.
The conference was a bit of a whirlwind for me, and it is hard to determine which presentation was my favorite, as there were many very smart people in those rooms.
Invaluable insights
Bobby Julich’s Science and Sport Conference pass (Photo: Bobby Julich)
With the Tour de France currently underway, I can assure you that many of the people, practices, and products we learned about during these amazing few days together play a significant role in the lives of the riders we are watching on TV.
Attending the Science & Cycling Conference 2025 was an incredible experience that provided invaluable insights into the world of cycling and innovation. The meticulous planning by Anton van Gerwen, his team, and presenters ensured that the event was both informative and engaging.
The opportunity to learn from leading experts and practitioners, along with the chance to network with fellow enthusiasts, made this conference truly memorable.
I encourage coaches, trainers, and anyone passionate about the sport to attend next year’s conference in Barcelona. It promises to be another exceptional event that promotes collaboration and advances the science of cycling.
More information is available here.