If there is one cyclist in the history of the sport who fundamentally embodies the concept of algorithmic, data-driven performance, it is Christopher Clive Froome. During the absolute peak of the Team Sky “marginal gains” era, he won four Tours de France by staring relentlessly at his power meter, effectively turning his body into a highly efficient, emotionless, wattage-producing machine.
So, it makes absolute, undeniable sense that his latest career move involves artificial intelligence.
Vekta, an AI-powered training and coaching platform, told us today that they have officially brought Froome on board as their new Chief Innovation Officer. On top of that, he is stepping in as an investor and the Chair of the newly created Vekta Athlete Advisory Board.
Trying to Teach AI About Actual Suffering
The fundamental problem with most modern training platforms—and the amateur athletes who blindly follow them—is that they treat the human body like a simple math equation. The algorithm assumes that if you hold X watts for Y minutes, you will automatically achieve Z fitness.
Froome, despite his robotic racing reputation, is well aware of this trap. He noted that while modern athletes generate a staggering amount of data, those numbers quickly lose meaning without proper context.
“My focus with Vekta is on making sure performance insights are grounded in reality—how decisions feel day to day, how fatigue accumulates, and how athletes actually adapt over seasons, not just sessions,” Froome explained.
Essentially, he has been hired to teach an AI algorithm that human beings get tired, overtrained, and occasionally need to skip a set of threshold intervals because their legs feel like concrete.
The WorldTour Guinea Pigs
Froome isn’t building this matrix alone. He is dragging some current WorldTour talent into the boardroom with him to ensure the platform isn’t just a vanity project. The newly formed Athlete Advisory Board already includes Eddie Dunbar and Valentin Madouas, who will essentially function as real-world guinea pigs to ensure Vekta’s AI actually translates to the sharp end of the modern peloton.
Vekta CEO Paul-Antoine Girard naturally leaned into the corporate hype, calling Froome’s appointment a “defining moment” for the brand to help shape the next generation of performance tools.
If you are currently experiencing a plateau in your fitness and want to see if a four-time Tour de France winner and an AI algorithm can coach you better than your current setup, Vekta is currently offering a 14-day free trial. Just remember: even if the AI tells you exactly what to do, you still have to be the one actually pushing the pedals.