Chris Froome believes that the depth and breadth of data in professional cycling raises the bar and makes the sport more dangerous in terms of overall standards of performance.

The four-time Tour de France winner began his career in 2008 and is now in his 15th season as a professional. During that time, he says the sport has changed beyond recognition.

"In general, we've seen a huge uptick in terms of the general level of performance in professional cycling," Froome said in a Quad Lock sponsored video (opens in new tab).

According to Froome, the main driver of this change is the rise of the power meter. Power meters measure the force with which a rider pedals and help the rider judge his or her effort. While riders may have once relied on their senses to race and train, Froome notes that performance is now dictated by numbers.

Froome himself, who was famous for carefully measuring his efforts and not fearing a brief drop rather than risking a deficit, argued that even in the last few years, advances in power and other performance-related data have changed the game for professional cyclists in general.

"There are a variety of technologies that have played a major role in shaping the sport over the last 10 to 15 years. First of all, the amount of data available through power meters and the collection and correlation of all the data has made performance more guided.

"Before, power meters had been around for a while, but no one really understood how to train with them or what the data really meant. Now we have a lot of data from athletes winning big races around the world, and that data is the basis for all training plans and all preparation leading up to a race.

"Now everyone has a structured training program. It's a big change from 15 years ago."

"Now everyone has a structured training regimen.

In addition to making the sport more competitive, Froome also pointed out the shortcomings of datafication in pro cycling. Speaking recently on safety issues related to time trial bikes and gravel roads, the 36-year-old suggested that new technology is making the sport more dangerous.

Froom referred primarily to modern mapping technology, noting that every racer knows the exact route of the race. The coaches are able to study the race path in detail and communicate this information to the athletes in real time.

"We receive a wealth of data about the conditions of the road we are about to take.

"It's mental. Someone says this." We're going to go through a really narrow and dangerous little village. The road is really narrow, and there's a little bridge, and there's a corner at the end of it. If you're behind, you're going to be stuck in traffic to get through a pinch point. It's probably the only sport where you can pick up the pace if someone tells you that there's danger ahead. It's mental."

"I think the race has become more dangerous as a result. With more data, the race has basically become more dangerous. Before, we wouldn't have known that each pinch point was there, and we wouldn't have been in such a panic over positions. We just got there and everyone would have been more relaxed and gotten through it without any problems. But it's changed quite a bit."

Froome has yet to compete in the 2022 race after injuring his knee over the winter.