UAE Team Emirates’ latest sponsor has drummed up a fair bit of chatter on social media, with fans accusing the team of “sportswashing” by having a UAE-based artificial intelligence startup with a social media account with 37 followers (at the time of writing), and apparently, just 14 when the announcement was made, onboard as a sponsor.
“14 followers, can they stop acting like this isn’t just another branch of the UAE Team? This is why budget caps will never work in cycling,” wrote Elias on Twitter, while another fan account noted: “19-follower AI business, at least TRY to make it less obvious.”
Andreas Hedensted, meanwhile, commented: “Just buy some fake followers to make it more believable.”
The company in question is called Analog AI, launched during the Davos Forum 2023 by Abu Dhabi-based Brazilian engineer Alex Kipman. It received an undisclosed amount of funding from another UAE-based AI and cloud computing giant G42 last year, with the latter also sponsoring F1 team Mercedes-AMG Petronas.
Analog AI wrote on LinkedIn: “At Analog, we are driven by the belief that technology should amplify human potential. We’re honoured to join forces with UAE Team Emirates as their Official Technology Sponsor.
“With Analog Sports, our all-in-one platform, we’re not just managing data—we’re transforming it into insights that elevate team strategy, foster unity, and unlock untapped possibilities.
“This partnership represents a shared vision of reimagining what’s possible in cycling and beyond. The future of the sport is here — and we’re building it together.”
Analog AI is also behind the pro cycling outfit’s AI data bot ‘Ana’, which is helping them craft “artificial intelligence solutions centred around human needs, effectively narrowing the gap between potential and reality,” with insiders believing it can transform the team’s performance future and give them an edge in the “artificial intelligence arms race”.
Speaking to Velo, UAE Team Emirates’ performance co-ordinator Jeroen Swart said: “The capabilities [of AI] are crazy. That’s where we’re heading at the moment. It’s in the process of being transformative. So we have to work out how best to utilise that technology and where to get the benefits. That is a very key area that we’re working on.”
I reckon road.cc isn’t the first place that you’d come to read about the wildfires that are unleashing unseen horrors in Greater Los Angeles, however, there’s always an intersection of climate change and the people affected by it.
While several pictures of the monstrous wildfires in Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst have been taken, perhaps a minimal and personal vignette of the horrors unfolding in the area and the wreckage left in their wake can be summed by this picture shared by Seamus Blackley on the social media platform Bluesky, writing: “My co-founder Josh Weinsch took this photo of his little daughter’s bike, which was in their driveway when they evacuated. Their neighbourhood was vaporised.”
My Co-founder Josh Weinsch took this photo of his little daughter’s bike, which was in their driveway when they evacuated. Their neighborhood was vaporized.
— Seamus Blackley (@seamus.bsky.social) 12 January 2025 at 18:33
Cyclists have been left horrified at the temperatures reached by the fires to completely eviscerate a bike most probably made out of aluminium (which melts at 660C), some even describing the situation as a “21st-century Pompeii”, and comparing the image with shadow imprints left after the nuclear explosions in Hiroshima.
One person said: “Dear lord... to see the metal gone (all but the hardest bits) is just crazy. The heat must have been incredibly intense.”
Shana Bright commented: “I saw your post earlier this morning and I just can't get this image out of my head. Thank you for sharing. I hope your friend and his family are safe and supported. My friend lost her home. It's been a nightmare for all,” while Nicki Stephens wrote: “A single image conveys the insane power of wildfires, the undeniable power of climate change and the dangers of belligerent inaction.”
A US-based bike shop has stepped up in efforts to assist the local Californian cycling community in “rebuilding their lives and returning to the sport they love” after the devastating impact of the wildfires that have destroyed several neighbourhoods and killed 25 people so far.
Cycle Limited said in a press release: “As a company founded on the belief that cycling brings communities together, we've witnessed the profound impact these fires have had on our extended cycling family. The loss of homes, businesses, and cherished bikes has deeply affected the California cycling community, and we're committed to playing our part in the recovery process.”
Danny Israelian, Founder of Cycle Limited, added: “The cycling community has always shown remarkable resilience and unity in challenging times. When cyclists face hardship, we ride together toward recovery.”
The bike shop is launching a comprehensive support initiative for the month of January, including a special bike donation programme on their Instagram, where they are collecting stories and gifting bikes to those most impacted by the fires, along with a $350 discount on all bike purchases and free shipping on all bikes and components for California addresses.