Cyclists around the world can now receive coaching from an AI chatbot version of Sir Bradley Wiggins, following the launch of a new training app called The Coachsters.
The 2012 Tour de France winner is one of six ‘AI mentors’ on the platform – alongside rower Sir Steve Redgrave, cricketer Sir Alastair Cook, and Paralympic cyclist Dame Sarah Story – who have provided real-life interviews that will be enhanced by AI.
Users of The Coachsters will not speak directly with their coach, but will instead pose questions and receive AI-written responses “drawn from their hard-earned wisdom”, according to the website.
“Today’s a big day for me,” the five-time Olympic champion wrote. “After months of work – and countless hours of deep interviews – I’m really proud to finally share my new coaching app. Working with the team at The Coachsters, we’ve captured thinking, experiences and lessons that I’ve never shared publicly before, and shaped them into something athletes can access whenever they need it.
“You can ask the app any question you’d ask me in person and receive an answer drawn directly from my own experience. You can even try three questions for free before deciding whether it’s right for you.”
Subscriptions to The Coachsters start at £5 a month for the ‘Lite’ version, which includes three questions a month. Users can ask unlimited questions with the ‘Pro’ version at £22 a month, while £39 a month will also give them access to interviews and group webcasts in the ‘Elite’ tier.
The platform’s launch comes against a backdrop of a growing number of AI training apps. Already, cyclists can subscribe to a virtual coach with HumanGo, or receive AI-powered plans through platforms like Spoked, Vekta, and Garmin Coach. Last spring, Strava acquired AI running app Runna, which claimed in 2023 to have “hundreds of thousands of users”.
“This is coaching for the AI generation,” runs the tagline on The Coachsters website.
For cyclists who prefer to have direct, human interaction in their training, and would like to have an Olympian as their coach, former world champion Lizzie Deignan launched her coaching service Deignan Performance last month. Olympic gold medallist Dani Rowe also offers person-to-person coaching through her business Rowe & King.
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