Sports celebrates hard work, persistence, perseverance and skill. Technology plays a pivotal role in helping the world’s top sportsmen and women overcome the limits of human performance through continuous innovation and ever-evolving sports engineering.
By Chris Buchanan, client solutions director at Dell Technologies South Africa
This is never truer than in professional cycling, where tactics, teamwork, technique and split-second bursts of speed – among many other factors – dictate the difference between winning and losing.
Dell Technologies is proud to renew its involvement in the world of cycling by partnering with the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. Previously, Dell was the technology partner of this World Tour cycling team when it raced as Team Dimension Data and NTT Pro Cycling.
General manager Doug Ryder explains that Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team is a progressive, diverse team that pushes the boundaries of performance cycling while setting out to redefine the future of the sport and its impact on the world.
“We believe in the power of the peloton to move people and performance forward, and we are committed to getting the best out of each member of the team,” he says.
By supporting the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team with robust, cutting-edge solutions, Dell embraced the opportunity to help this highly innovative, passionate team lift its game even higher. Commenting on the role of technology in the team’s success, Doug says innovation is driven by data.
“We make extensive use of data-driven rider selection as well as pre, post and during race data that we leverage to make more informed decisions faster. Technology definitely gives us a competitive advantage as through greater insight and active intelligence we can give our riders the best chance of success.”
The synergies between Dell and the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team extend even further, as we both care about uplifting communities, sustainability and the environment. For example, the team and some of its key sponsors work with Qhubeka, a charitable social mobility organisation that donates bicycles to schoolchildren and key workers across South Africa and southern Africa, helping rural communities move forward.
“We have always been a purpose-led team that focuses on people, performance and the planet,” Ryder says. “We do this by using our power, success and partnerships to make vast improvements in communities.”
Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team management team travels the globe, so they need to be able to work from anywhere using robust devices that offer built in security and unrestricted mobility. Dell has provided the management team with the systems and solutions required to make this a reality.
First up, the Dell G15 gaming machine has been installed in the team’s headquarters to run the Zwift virtual training app which enables them to interact, train and compete in a virtual world. With its high-end graphics and Intel Core processors, the Dell G15 delivers powerful, consistent high-end performance during every virtual ride. The smooth, uninterrupted experience and vivid visuals make it easy for the team members to immerse themselves in every Zwift session. Even better, the G15 doubles up as a high-performance laptop.
“The gamification of cycling became incredibly important during the pandemic, as it enabled people to ride virtually and physically with some of the best in the world – something that’s difficult to do in other sports. A virtual Tour de France was created, which we won at that time, and we now have virtual world championships,” Ryder says.
“Another plus of virtual cycling is the ability to test riders across the African continent, this is particularly relevant with the World Road Cycling Championships taking place in Rwanda in 2025. It also helps us connect with our partners, sponsors, fans and communities. Of course, you need powerful machines to make it work, and Dell is heavily invested in that capability, so it’s a win-win for us.”
For Ryder, a powerful and portable laptop is a must – and he has it in the Dell XPS 13 Plus (9320), Dell’s most powerful 13-inch XPS laptop. Lightweight, with a long battery life and the latest Intel Core processors, the Dell XPS 13 Plus gives him a stunning combination of speed, performance and premium mobility.
In addition, the extended management team ensures that everything is on track with Dell Latitude 2-in-1 devices. These 5G-ready PCs with Intel vPro guarantee the team fast, secure and reliable connectivity regardless of where they are – from mountains and valleys to truly remote locations and bustling cities. It boosts capacity and performance for mobile broadband and provides real-time edge compute capacity as well as purpose-built connectivity for end devices. The Latitude device maintains the highest levels of performance and connectivity, giving the team a laptop that’s light, powerful and equipped with enhanced battery life as well as Intel Core i7 processors.
Another benefit of the 2-in-1 devices is the ability to use Dell’s Premier Rechargeable Active Pen. With this pen, they can write onto their computer devices as naturally as putting pen to paper. The active pen offers more than 4,000 levels of pressure sensitivity, virtually no lag and up to 40 days of battery life on a single charge – perfect for those pre-race strategy meetings in a hotel or on the team bus.
“We race over 200 days across the globe, and the logistics of moving cyclists to all those different events don’t stop just because we’re on the road,” Ryder says. “Having fast, reliable technology is incredibly important – we couldn’t survive without it. We need a mobile, secure, connected space to make it all work and, with its ability to make that happen, Dell is the perfect partner for our team.”
With the distinct competitive edge delivered by these technologies, we look forward to seeing Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team thrive as they compete on the global stage.