Look, another day, another press release about an “ecosystem.” But this one actually has some real potential, so pay attention.
AI training and coaching platform Vekta just announced a multi-year deal with Team AMANI, making them the official tech partner through 2028. What does that mean in non-press-release English? It means these emerging riders in East Africa are about to get the exact same high-level, data-obsessed performance tools that the big WorldTour teams are using.
The goal, according to Paul-Antoine Girard, Co-founder and CEO of Vekta, is to ensure “elite performance should not be limited by geography, background, or access.” Fair enough. They’re essentially dropping a sophisticated performance suite onto the continent to help accelerate the careers of AMANI’s men’s and women’s squads.
This is where the real story is. Owen Searle of Team AMANI is stoked, pointing out that everyone knows East Africa is a “running hotbed,” but the potential for cycling is “incredible.” They have this massive, untapped pool of young talent across Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and the rest of the region.
The Vekta partnership is supposed to help them find and develop that talent faster. We’re talking about building a whole new talent ID platform to scout riders who will—and he puts it bluntly—be “racing, and winning, at the highest level.”
Forget the “bespoke tools” and the “advanced AI” talk for a second. This is a partnership that genuinely looks like it’s going to make a difference on the ground. If it can help turn untapped potential into WorldTour victories, we’re all for it. That’s a story worth reading.