In a season exactly where technological advances for athletes are becoming hot subjects in the pro cycling planet, there’s a new technologies coming to the peloton this weekend for the Paris Roubaix race.

And no, it is not continuous glucose monitors. Nope, this tech talks straight to riders’ bikes—or, a lot more particularly, their tires.

BikeRadar reported now that Jumbo Visma and Group DSM will be debuting wireless tire stress handle technologies at the famed cobbled classic. Though BikeRadar reported the rumor very first to the English-speaking crowd, it was Dutch website Wielerfliets who very first reported that Group DSM and Jumbo Visma would be working with wireless tire stress devices in-race. Jumbo Visma is reportedly working with tech from Hubtech.

The HubTech Kinetic Air Stress Program (KAPS) functions by working with an in-hub pump, and an electro-pneumatic program that controls the activation of the pump on demand, permitting riders to add or subtract air in their tires as required.

Group DSM is reportedly working with a related program by Scope. In a press release from the brand, they reported that Group DSM will in reality be working with their Atmoz tire stress handle program, which makes it possible for riders to adjust their stress although riding by working with remote buttons on their handlebars.

Is this a race altering benefit?

At a race like Paris Roubaix that hits smooth pavement, cobbled sectors and some sections that a lot more closely resemble singletrack, the capability to dial in stress for various components of the course could be a potentially enormous benefit.

In reality, according to Scope’s web-site exactly where the item can be bought for the low, low price tag of three,998 Euro, the adjustments that can be produced in seconds will supply gains of “up to 30 wattage of lowered rolling resistance, combined with enhanced comfort and security in rough and wet circumstances.” (They’re at the moment out of stock, in case you have been prepared to hit the Invest in Now button.)

Why haven’t teams applied this tech ahead of?

Group DSM nearly did final year, but at the final minute, opted against it. “Paris-Roubaix is ​​one of the most chaotic races on the calendar and calls for complete concentrate from the riders more than the whole 259 kilometer distance. For that explanation, riders should be totally at a single with their bike and be capable to intuitively handle all elements,” they stated at the time, according to Wielerfliets.

The argument could be produced that the capability to handle tire stress in-race pulls concentrate from the race and could result in a rider to be distracted—but on the other hand, the capability to drop stress in a cobbled section could in fact give a rider a lot more traction, therefore rising rider security. (Even though definitely not for the entire peloton.)

In reality, this could add to chaos in the peloton, with teams working with the tech superior capable to place down energy on the road sections, and then hit technical sectors of the course at greater speeds. We’ll be interested to see if it plays into the race dynamics this weekend.

Somebody has to say it: Continuous glucose monitors in racing are banned, but the capability to handle tire stress wirelessly in-race is fine by the UCI? Definitely, it is a wild planet of contradictions that we reside in.