Axel Dopfer, reigning British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Individual Pursuit champion and record holder, hopes to beat the German hour record of 51.11km in the Grenchen Velodrome in Switzerland, ten years after it was set by Jens Voigt.
A year in the making, the project is an innovative aerodynamic and physiological approach to optimise cycling performance, combining º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s world-leading academic excellence and performance sport support services.
Axel, who graduated this Summer from º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ with a 2:1 Masters in Mechanical Engineering, has dominated the BUCS Championships since 2022, taking seven titles spanning road and track events. As Axel’s winning streak continued, Paddy Harrison, exercise physiology doctoral researcher and coach to the Lightning Cycling Elite Development Team and riders in the º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ Cycling Academy, approached Duncan Walker, Professor of Applied Aerodynamics, to consider whether a truly holistic approach could make Axel an hour record contender.
Project lead Duncan commented: “Axel has the potential to beat Jens Voigt’s record but will need all our combined knowledge to achieve this. Optimising aerodynamic drag is key but the balance with physiological performance is often neglected. Can an athlete maintain performance in the extreme body positions required for aerodynamic optimisation? And how can their physiology be developed to withstand this challenge which is brutal on so many levels? We’ve left no stone unturned in this project to explore every facet of physiological, scientific and engineering knowledge to discover the answers.”
In the Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering wind tunnel laboratory, Duncan and Dr Dan Butcher applied their expertise more commonly focussed on improving the performance of jet engines and vehicle aerodynamics to reduce Axel’s drag. They applied existing academic knowledge of the key aerodynamics processes including optimising body position and helmet choice, validated in controlled tests at Silverstone Engineering Sports Hub and Derby Velodrome. Vorteq Sports has reduced drag even further with a specially developed skinsuit. Sports has reduced drag even further with a specially developed skinsuit.
Dr Richard Ferguson, Reader in Human and Exercise Physiology, worked with Paddy to assess and adapt Axel’s physiology. Axel undertook lactate threshold, critical power, VO2max, and heat tolerance tests, as well as hour record simulation efforts in º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences physiology laboratories and Cycling Performance Hub. The tests were repeated throughout the year, with the data being used to better understand Axel’s physiological profile and adapt his training programme to ensure he can meet the demands of the hour record.
“Over the past year, we have worked closely to put together a comprehensive performance coaching plan, both on and off the bike, to prepare Axel for the German hour record attempt,” said Paddy. “Alongside his training on the road and in the gym, we have focused on technical development sessions at the velodrome, improving his line efficiency and execution of an effective pacing strategy.”
“And then there’s the heat, it can get up to 30 degrees in the velodrome and Axel is likely to lose more than 2 litres of sweat during the hour,” Richard adds. “To prepare him for this, Axel has been undergoing rigorous heat training to improve his ability to perform in the heat, along with implementing a range of cooling strategies, including the use of an ice vest and ice slurry.”
In collaboration with colleagues from the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, the team developed individualised fuelling, hydration and supplementation strategies for Axel's hour attempt.
Throughout this iterative process, Joshua Cresswell, Lead Physiotherapist for Cycling and Triathlon, optimised Axel’s bike fit to prevent injuries and aid aerodynamic and biomechanical efficiency.
The project has demonstrated that improved aerodynamics have reduced Axel’s drag (CdA) by over 20% which could mean he can cover as much as 3km extra distance in the hour. Improvements of 5-10% across a range of Axel's physiological markers could mean he can cover an additional 1-2km in the hour.
The team aims to publish research findings across multiple disciplines in the coming year.
Professor Jo Maher, Pro Vice Chancellor for Sport at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ commented: “This project has taken an exceptional athlete and shown how the cross-disciplinary expertise and facilities of º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s world-class sport ecosystem can put them in the very best position to be a record contender. It lays the foundation for a talent pipeline from º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ into the cycling industry at the very cutting edge of performance and innovation.
“Axel has dedicated so much time and effort to both his cycling and academic performance over the past year and we wish him and the project team the very best of luck in Grenchen next Wednesday.”
Later this month, Axel will be combining the practice and theory of cycling performance when he returns to º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ to study a PhD with Duncan on Cycling Aerodynamics: Impact of Fabric Design, part-sponsored by Tudor Pro Cycling.
Image credit: Neil Akinyemi