Netcompany INEOS turns to AI-powered aerodynamics app as team prepares for 2027 season

Netcompany Ineos is preparing to add artificial intelligence to its aerodynamic development program for the 2027 season through a partnership with AiRO, a digital platform designed to make advanced aero testing more accessible. The collaboration will give the British WorldTour team another way to evaluate rider positions and equipment.

AiRO has developed software that creates a three-dimensional digital model of a cyclist, allowing different aerodynamic configurations to be simulated without requiring every experiment to take place in a wind tunnel. The company has confirmed that it will work with Netcompany Ineos next season, although the full details of the agreement are expected to be announced next week.

The partnership comes as professional cycling teams continue to search for marginal gains in equipment, positioning and performance. While wind tunnels remain an important part of aerodynamic development, access to them can be expensive and time-consuming. AI-assisted simulation could offer teams a more flexible way to explore potential improvements before committing to physical testing.

AiRO's latest development is Vayu, an AI-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation tool launched on Wednesday. The technology is intended to help cyclists and bike fitters investigate aerodynamic changes through software, with applications across road cycling, gravel, mountain biking and time trials.

The platform works by creating a digital twin of an individual rider. Photographs are processed using specialist software to produce a three-dimensional representation, which can then be used to assess potential aerodynamic changes. These include trying different helmets or modifying a rider's position.

The service is available through specialist bike fitters, with sessions costing approximately $200. Its consumer-facing approach could give riders access to simulations that have traditionally required more specialized facilities.

For Netcompany Ineos, however, the most significant benefit may be the ability to test a wider proportion of its roster. AiRO's founder Ingmar Jungnickel expects the team to use AiRO alongside conventional wind tunnel testing.

That could allow the team to investigate aerodynamic options for riders who might otherwise receive fewer testing opportunities because of the time and expense involved. It could also help the squad assess road-bike positions, which Jungnickel says can be more difficult to test consistently in a wind tunnel or velodrome than time-trial configurations.

One potential application currently under development is the ability to compare more than 20 helmets against a single rider's digital model, testing each helmet across numerous head positions. Because the helmets would already have been scanned into the platform, the system could eventually recreate the equivalent of more than 400 wind tunnel tests through a series of simulations.

Another planned function would allow users to assess more than 100 small changes to a rider's position, including adjustments to the arms, head and shoulders. The system could rank the simulated configurations according to their potential aerodynamic gains.

The digital models could also allow the team's staff to investigate potential changes without requiring riders to be physically present for every stage of the process. Coaches and technical staff could explore different configurations, identify promising options and prepare further tests before involving the athlete.

Jungnickel also sees a role for the technology in managing the relationship between aerodynamics and biomechanics. If a simulated position appears faster but raises concerns about a rider's movement or physical limitations, coaches and biomechanics specialists could develop a plan to address those issues before the rider adopts it.

The agreement with Netcompany Ineos will be AiRO's first official partnership with a professional cycling team. The precise scope of the collaboration remains under discussion, and further details are expected next week.