{"id":3801,"date":"2025-11-25T10:41:21","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T10:41:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/?p=3801"},"modified":"2025-11-25T10:41:22","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T10:41:22","slug":"fully-funded-phd-opportunity-race-strategy-in-professional-cycling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2025\/11\/25\/fully-funded-phd-opportunity-race-strategy-in-professional-cycling\/","title":{"rendered":"Fully Funded PhD Opportunity: Race Strategy in Professional Cycling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>We&#8217;re pleased to highlight an exciting, fully-funded PhD opportunity at <a href=\"http:\/\/swansea.ac.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Swansea University<\/a> exploring the cutting edge of performance analysis and tactical decision-making in elite professional cycling. Delivered in partnership with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ineosgrenadiers.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">INEOS Grenadiers<\/a>, this unique studentship blends physics, computer science, and sport science to shape the future of race strategy at the highest level of the sport.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Open to:<\/strong> UK applicants<br><strong>Funding providers:<\/strong> UKRI CASE Conversion and INEOS<br><strong>Mode of study:<\/strong> Full-time, with time split between Swansea University and INEOS Grenadiers<br><strong>Funding duration:<\/strong> 4 years<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Professional cycling has undergone rapid tactical evolution in recent years, influenced by changes in course design, environmental conditions, peloton dynamics, team strategies, rider ability, and the increasingly sophisticated use of performance data. This PhD project aims to develop a deeper, evidence-based understanding of these factors to improve strategic planning and live race decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The successful candidate will work at the intersection of data science, performance modelling, and applied sport science, gaining hands-on experience within a WorldTour cycling team environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The main goal is to establish a comprehensive evidence base on professional road racing trends and identify the key tactical moments that influence race outcomes. This will involve:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Historical race analysis:<\/strong><br>Examine 3\u20135 years of data from Grand Tours, major one-day races, and select WorldTour stage races. Sources will include race video, rider power and speed data, and expert commentary.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Post-race analytical framework:<\/strong><br>Develop processes and data-driven tools to deliver immediate tactical insights to Sport Directors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Race prediction modelling:<\/strong><br>Create a stage-race prediction model capable of informing real-time tactical decisions as races unfold.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout the project, the candidate will play an active role in data collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation within a professional performance environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Eligibility Criteria<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Applicants must hold a <strong>2:1 or above<\/strong> in one of the following disciplines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mathematics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Physics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Computer Science<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sport Science<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A strong understanding of cycling performance science\u2014particularly the metrics that drive race outcomes\u2014is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Highly desirable experience includes:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Work or competitive experience in professional sport, ideally road cycling<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Data visualisation software (Power BI, Tableau, Google Data Studio)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Programming skills (MATLAB, Python, R, C)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Application of machine learning algorithms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>English Language Requirements:<\/strong><br>IELTS 6.5 overall (5.5+ in each component) or Swansea University\u2013recognised equivalent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This fully funded scholarship includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Full tuition fees<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Annual UKRI stipend (\u00a320,780 for 2025\/26)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Additional top-up stipend of at least \u00a33,000 per year<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Research expenses of up to \u00a31,000 annually<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Closing date: 3 December 2025<\/strong><br><strong>Project start date: January 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.swansea.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/scholarships\/research\/race-strategy-in-professional-cycling-rs912.php\"><strong>Apply<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We&#8217;re pleased to highlight an exciting, fully-funded PhD opportunity at Swansea University exploring the cutting edge of performance analysis and tactical decision-making in elite professional cycling. Delivered in partnership with INEOS Grenadiers, this unique studentship blends physics, computer science, and sport science to shape the future of race strategy at the highest level of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":190346150,"featured_media":3807,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[1366],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Wordpress-2.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pfwlnl-Zj","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3096,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2025\/06\/04\/phd-opportunity-identifying-key-performance-indicators-in-cycling\/","url_meta":{"origin":3801,"position":0},"title":"PhD Opportunity: Identifying Key Performance Indicators in Professional Cycling Victories","author":"meganchick1","date":"4th June 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A fully funded UKRI PhD studentship at Swansea University will develop evidence on professional cycling racing trends and define the best indicators of how and when races are won. There are multiple factors that influence the strategy and tactics in professional cycling racing, and these have changed significantly since Covid.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Wordpress-1-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Wordpress-1-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Wordpress-1-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Wordpress-1-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Wordpress-1-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3953,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2026\/01\/27\/swansea-ineos-grenadiers-collaboration-to-help-transform-elite-cycling-talent-identification\/","url_meta":{"origin":3801,"position":1},"title":"Swansea\u2013INEOS Grenadiers collaboration to help transform elite cycling talent identification","author":"meganchick1","date":"27th January 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Swansea University has partnered with INEOS Grenadiers to develop cutting-edge data and AI solutions that could revolutionise how emerging talent is identified in professional cycling. The collaboration is led by academics from the University\u2019s Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine (A-STEM) Research Centre, which already works closely with leading sporting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Wordpress-2.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Wordpress-2.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Wordpress-2.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Wordpress-2.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Wordpress-2.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2436,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2025\/02\/17\/fully-funded-swansea-university-phd-studentship-in-sport-psychology\/","url_meta":{"origin":3801,"position":2},"title":"Fully Funded Swansea University  PhD Studentship in Sport Psychology","author":"meganchick1","date":"17th February 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Open for applications: Sport Psychology; Sport Management: Fully Funded PhD Studentship in Research Integration for Sport Experiences: Improving Knowledge Translation and Implementation in Youth Sport. Swansea University is offering a fully funded PhD studentship focused on enhancing knowledge translation and implementation in youth sport. This opportunity aims to bridge the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Wordpress-3.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Wordpress-3.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Wordpress-3.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Wordpress-3.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Wordpress-3.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1180,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2024\/06\/24\/full-funded-phd-scholarship-immersive-learning-for-performance-sports\/","url_meta":{"origin":3801,"position":3},"title":"Fully-funded PhD Scholarship: Immersive Learning for Performance Sports","author":"meganchick1","date":"24th June 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Swansea University is seeking candidates to undertake a fully-funded PhD scholarship to research the development, evaluation and application of immersive learning environments for performance sport. This exciting new project is the first formal collaboration between Swansea University\u2019s world-leading Simulation and Immersive Learning Centre (SUSIM) and Department of Sport and Exercise\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-5.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-5.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-5.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-5.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-5.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":644,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2024\/04\/16\/swansea-bay-city-deal-digital-infrastructure-scholarship-opportunities\/","url_meta":{"origin":3801,"position":4},"title":"Swansea Bay City Deal Digital Infrastructure Scholarship Opportunities","author":"meganchick1","date":"16th April 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"We are pleased to announce three, fully-funded PhD studentships available for 2024\/2025. The projects will be aligned to the Swansea Bay City Deal (SBCD) Digital Infrastructure project that is part of NNIISH.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"National Network for Innovation in Sport & Health base at Swansea University","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Wordpress-Featured-Image.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Wordpress-Featured-Image.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Wordpress-Featured-Image.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Wordpress-Featured-Image.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Wordpress-Featured-Image.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":576,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2024\/04\/16\/swansea-university-and-scarlets-rugby-announce-phd-scholarship-to-research-in-game-statistics-in-professional-rugby-union\/","url_meta":{"origin":3801,"position":5},"title":"Swansea University and Scarlets Rugby Announce PhD Scholarship to Research In-Game Statistics in Professional Rugby Union","author":"meganchick1","date":"16th April 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Swansea University, in collaboration with Scarlets Rugby, has unveiled an innovative Sports Science PhD Scholarship to explore in-game statistics and their association with match outcomes in professional rugby. This pioneering initiative represents a concerted effort to push the boundaries of sports analytics and enhance the understanding of performance dynamics within\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/6746-Varsity_2019_%C2%A9jamesdavies_064.jpg?fit=1200%2C589&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/6746-Varsity_2019_%C2%A9jamesdavies_064.jpg?fit=1200%2C589&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/6746-Varsity_2019_%C2%A9jamesdavies_064.jpg?fit=1200%2C589&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/6746-Varsity_2019_%C2%A9jamesdavies_064.jpg?fit=1200%2C589&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/6746-Varsity_2019_%C2%A9jamesdavies_064.jpg?fit=1200%2C589&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/190346150"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3801"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3801\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3808,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3801\/revisions\/3808"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}