Ready for the heat: how AG Insurance - Soudal prepared for Australia with CORE

Ready for the heat: how AG Insurance - Soudal prepared for Australia with CORE

Introduction

While our riders are currently racing in the heart of the Australian summer, every effort on the road is backed by months of careful preparation. Competing in Australia brings a completely different challenge compared to Europe, with temperatures often climbing well above 35 degrees Celsius.

To ensure the team was fully prepared for these conditions, AG Insurance - Soudal worked closely with the CORE device, an innovative sensor that monitors core and skin temperature and allows for highly individualised heat training. We take you behind the scenes and let our coach Martijn Kusters explain how data science and training came together in the build-up to racing in the heat.

What does the CORE device measure and why is body temperature so important?

The CORE sensor uses a proprietary algorithm to estimate both an athlete’s core and skin temperature. For the coaches, this means continuous monitoring, sometimes even in real time. Body temperature is a crucial parameter in elite sport: the warmer the body becomes, the less efficiently it functions. Power and speed decrease, sweat loss increases, leading to greater fluid loss. In extreme cases (above 40°C), this can become dangerous and may result in heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

How do the coaches use this data in practice?

The riders wear the CORE sensor during both training sessions and races. The data is analysed afterwards to better understand how the body responds to effort and environmental conditions. Based on these insights, coaches enter into dialogue with the riders and apply targeted interventions, such as heat acclimation protocols or specific cooling strategies.

Why is heat training so important when preparing for Australia?

When it is winter in Europe, it is summer in Australia. Without proper preparation, this temperature gap can lead to a performance loss of 10 to 25%. Through structured heat acclimation, this loss can be significantly reduced or even eliminated. These physiological adaptations take time and usually require at least two weeks.

How was CORE used before travelling to Australia?

The riders trained with the CORE sensor during their regular outdoor sessions and additionally completed several indoor heat training sessions per week, lasting 50 to 60 minutes. These sessions were often done with extra clothing or a dedicated CORE heat suit. This allowed the heat stimulus to be precisely controlled and monitored, without adding unnecessary physical stress.

How do you balance sufficient stimulus with avoiding overload?

During heat training, coaches do not prescribe intensity based on power output, but on body temperature. The goal is to gradually increase core temperature to around 38.5–39°C and maintain it for at least 30 minutes. This approach avoids excessive stress and ensures an optimal training stimulus while safeguarding recovery.

Do all riders respond the same way to heat?

No. There are clear individual differences, influenced by factors such as sweat rate, body composition, body mass, hydration status, genetics and previous heat acclimation. CORE helps make these individual responses visible and measurable.

How does CORE support individualisation?

Thanks to continuous data collection, training sessions and cooling strategies can be tailored to each rider. This applies, for example, to warm-ups or race-day strategies in hot conditions. Some riders simply require more cooling than others.

Is CORE only used during heat training?

No. During heat training, CORE data plays a leading role in guiding the session. During regular training and races, the data is mainly used for post-session analysis, to better understand the physiological load experienced by the rider.

How does CORE fit into AG Insurance - Soudal’s performance philosophy?

The team follows a science- and evidence-based approach, working with experts across multiple domains such as nutrition, sleep and hormonal health. Technology like CORE fits perfectly within this philosophy, helping the team continuously search for small, well-founded performance gains.

Was the preparation visible in Australia?

Absolutely. During the Tour Down Under, even in temperatures around 35°C, the riders experienced little to no heat-related issues. Both objective data and subjective feedback confirmed that the approach was effective, and importantly, effective for every rider.

What does this say about data-driven training today?

Data has become indispensable in modern cycling, but it should never tell the whole story on its own. At AG Insurance - Soudal, data is seen primarily as a starting point for dialogue, not the final decision-maker. The athlete behind the numbers always remains central.