PhD in Physics

The main goal of this project is to establish a strong evidence base on professional cycling road racing trends and identify the key tactical moments that determine race outcomes. This evidence will inform future race strategies and real-time decision-making. Many factors influence professional road cycling strategies and tactics, and these have evolved significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Influencing factors include course design, environmental conditions, peloton strength, team strategy interactions, rider skills, and physiological capabilities during critical race moments. These elements are highly dynamic and interact to shape racing tactics and trends. Specific objectives include analysing race history, developing a post-race analysis framework, and creating a race prediction model for stage races. The successful candidate will gain hands-on experience by being embedded in a professional cycling environment, participating in data collection, analysis, presentation, and interpretation.