Speaking on the Domestique Hotseat podcast<\/a>, Hansen said that while the trial was being conducted on a voluntary basis, there were a number of outstanding concerns surrounding how the data would be interpreted, and what would happen in instances where riders were unable to submit their data for analysis.<\/p>\n According to the ITA, however, the trial \u201caims at finding out whether the power data can be used as a potential indicator for doping or not\u201d, and that \u201cthese tools would only be used if they prove to be reliable\u201d.<\/p>\n Why monitor power data? Concerns around feasibility aside, a core tenet of Hansen\u2019s argument against the collection and monitoring of rider\u2019s power data was that it would represent an additional stress on athletes who are already subject to a number of anti-doping tools (such as post-race controls, the Whereabouts system and the athlete biological passport<\/a>).<\/p>\n The ITA, however, says \u201cpower data is at the core of professional road cycling\u201d, and is already \u201cscrutinised” by riders and teams to monitor and improve riders’ performance.<\/p>\n It says the power data of professional riders is discussed routinely by riders themselves, their teams, the media and fans of the sport, but that \u201cparadoxically, the ITA does not have access to it\u201d.<\/p>\n The trial, the ITA says, is therefore designed to study the feasibility of collecting and analysing rider data as \u201ca supplementary tool to help identify potential indicators of doping\u201d.<\/p>\n Counter to Hansen\u2019s claim that irregularities in a rider\u2019s power data could one day lead to them being sanctioned for a doping violation, the ITA says the power-profiling scheme is intended to act as \u201ca supplementary anti-doping tool only.\u201d<\/p>\n The ITA said riders \u201cwould not be sanctioned for potential anti-doping rule violations through an unexpected excess performance as determined by the modelling\u201d.<\/p>\n How would the ITA\u2019s power-data passport work?<\/p>\n To make a power passport that would work, the ITA says it is working with the University of Kent and University College London on a \u201c2-year feasibility and pilot study\u201d for the scheme, with a view to using it to \u201cinform anti-doping strategies as a supplementary intelligence tool\u201d.<\/p>\n Before it is implemented as a mandatory scheme for all professional cycling teams, though, the ITA says the trial must clear the following hurdles:<\/p>\n Establishing typical levels of variability within training and race data, taking into account power-meter systematic and random error. The ITA says it\u2019s important to collect data from both training and racing, in order to \u201cdefine what constitutes \u201cnormal variation\u201d and identify typical rates of progression throughout a rider\u2019s career in comparison to age matched counterparts\u201c.<\/p>\n It says race data alone may not fully represent a rider\u2019s capabilities, if tactical considerations \u201climit their maximal effort\u201d.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, the ITA says \u201clongitudinal profiles will be built on race performance, not training data considering its reliability\u201d.<\/p>\n Training data will instead be used to \u201chelp estimate each rider\u2019s likely maximal performance capacity\u201d and \u201cto review suspicious profiles that present unexpected excess performance\u201d.<\/p>\n What happens when riders can\u2019t submit data? Directly addressing Hansen\u2019s claim that it was unclear what would happen if a rider\u2019s power meter<\/a> ran out of battery mid-ride, or if they lost their bike computer<\/a>, the ITA told BikeRadar that this is \u201cexactly why the feasibility study is being conducted\u201d.<\/p>\n The trial aims to establish \u201cwhat level of performance change can be systematically detected, and how did this relate to actual race performances?\u201d the ITA says.<\/p>\n \u201cThe focus is on changes over time, not the impact of individual training sessions.\u201d<\/p>\n As for factors that may affect a rider\u2019s power output on a day-to-day basis, such as sleep quality, fatigue, their training plan and so on, the ITA says simply \u201cIf a rider\u2019s performance changes, whether positively or negatively, we are concerned only with the outcome, the change in performance itself. It does not matter to us how the change came about, because we do not have the data to explain the underlying cause\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe analysis is simply intended to highlight performance progressions or gains that fall outside the statistically expected \u201cnormal\u201d range for that rider and compared with their peers.\u201d<\/p>\n The ITA says that if a rider were \u201cflagged\u201d by the system, it would \u201cfollow up by reviewing additional data (e.g. training calendar, whereabouts) to determine whether there is an obvious explanation, such as an altitude camp or other influencing factors.\u201d<\/p>\n Nevertheless, it says the tool would be used \u201conly to inform and refine the testing strategy\u201d, and that the system flagging a rider for further analysis \u201cdoes not imply wrongdoing\u201d because \u201cthere may be entirely legitimate reasons for their performance change\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIn such cases, even if they are tested, they would not be expected to produce an adverse analytical finding (AAF),\u201d the ITA adds.<\/p>\n On power-meter accuracy and variability\u00a0 One potential issue we raised with the ITA is the potential for errors due to issues with the power meters<\/a> used by professional cyclists.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Adam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-2195959020.jpg\")
Adam Hansen (left) at the 2026 Tour Down Under. Dario Belingheri \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n
\nUnderstanding the relationship between training data and race performance.
\nDeveloping longitudinal training and race profiles for riders within UCI Professional Road Cycling Teams.
\nDevelopment of a plausible approach for the implementation of performance monitoring in professional road cycling using power data, built on the concept of excess performance that is informed by longitudinal analysis of training data, past race history and relative race performance.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Garmin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Garmin-Edge-1050-04.jpg\")
Hansen’s concern over what would happen if a power meter ran out of battery or a computer was lost is “exactly why” the ITA is conducting a feasibility study. Scott Windsor \/ Our Media<\/p>\n
\n![\"Shimano](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ShimanoDura-AceDi2R9270FairlightStrael-3018-0e41f17.jpg\")
One reviewer called Shimano’s Dura-Ace FC-R9200-P power meter crankset “astonishingly inaccurate”. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/p>\n