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Visma-Lease a Bike, one of the top teams in professional cycling, is making waves with its adoption of a cutting-edge training tool: the Tymewear breathing sensor. This "transformational" technology, developed by the U.S.-based brand Tymewear, is being touted as the next big leap in physiological monitoring, potentially rivaling the impact of heart rate monitors, power meters, and other historical advancements in cycling. The team, which includes stars like Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert, has fully embraced the technology, which promises to deliver lab-level insights into metabolic effort and performance thresholds during real-world training and racing.
The Promise of Breathing Sensors
Breathing sensors, or ventilation monitors, measure minute ventilation—the total volume of air exchanged in the lungs. This metric provides a more accurate and consistent measure of metabolic effort compared to heart rate, which can fluctuate due to factors like caffeine, fatigue, or heart rate drift. By tracking ventilatory thresholds (VT1 and VT2)—the points at which the body shifts from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism—athletes can better understand their effort levels and pacing strategy.
Tymewear’s VitalPro, the latest iteration of its sensor, combines a breathing monitor with a heart rate sensor on a single chest strap. The data is transmitted to a Garmin head unit and can be synced with platforms like intervals.icu. Tymewear claims its device has a 97% and 96% accuracy for VT1 and VT2 measurements, respectively, compared to gold-standard lab tests. This level of precision makes it a powerful tool for training and potentially even racing.
Visma-Lease a Bike’s Partnership with Tymewear
Visma-Lease a Bike was one of the first teams to experiment with Tymewear’s technology, starting with a trial by Norwegian rider Per Strand Hagenes in 2024. The team was so impressed with the results that it formalized a partnership with the brand this winter, using the sensors across both its men’s and women’s squads. While the team has been tight-lipped about specific applications, Mathieu Heijboer, Visma’s head of performance, hinted that ventilation metrics could become a major focus in cycling, much like nutrition and aerodynamics in recent years.
Tymewear’s co-founder and CEO, Arnar Larusson, described the team’s enthusiasm for the technology, stating that Visma coaches referred to it as "striking gold." The team is reportedly using the sensors for specific workouts and applications, with positive feedback so far.
Why Breathing Sensors Matter
Breathing sensors offer a unique window into an athlete’s physiology. Unlike heart rate, which can plateau during intense efforts, ventilation data provides a more nuanced understanding of perceived effort and metabolic load. This makes it particularly useful for interval training, where the physiological cost of each effort can vary even if heart rate remains steady.
The technology also has potential for pacing in races. By tracking ventilatory thresholds, riders can better manage their effort levels, avoiding burnout or inefficient pacing. However, the use of breathing sensors in competition remains uncertain. The UCI is reportedly investigating the technology and may ban it from in-race use, limiting its impact to training.
Challenges and Skepticism
While breathing sensors hold significant promise, some experts have urged caution. Dan Bigham, an engineer and performance guru at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, compared the technology to the slow adoption of power meters in the early days. He emphasized that the key to its success lies in figuring out how to interpret and apply the data effectively.
Bigham also drew parallels to continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), which, despite initial excitement, have yet to deliver meaningful insights for most athletes. The challenge with breathing sensors will be separating the useful data from the noise, especially in a sport already saturated with metrics.
The Future of Breathing Sensors
Tymewear’s VitalPro is set to launch soon, and interest is already high across the WorldTour, as well as in other sports like soccer and cross-country skiing. The device will be compatible with Garmin computers and intervals.icu, with a Strava integration in development. A partner app will offer data analysis, and an optional subscription-based coaching service will be available.
While the technology is unlikely to be a silver bullet for race success, it could provide the marginal gains that make a difference in elite cycling. For amateurs, it offers a new way to understand and optimize training. However, as with any new tool, its true value will depend on how effectively it can be integrated into training programs and racing strategies.
Conclusion
Tymewear’s breathing sensors represent a potentially transformative addition to the arsenal of physiological monitoring tools available to cyclists. By providing lab-level insights into ventilation and metabolic thresholds, the technology could revolutionize training and pacing strategies. Visma-Lease a Bike’s adoption of the sensors highlights their potential, but their ultimate impact—and whether they’ll be allowed in competition—remains to be seen. As the cycling world watches closely, Tymewear and its sensors could well be at the forefront of the next big leap in performance optimization.
