Pogačar uses custom 3D-printed saddle and AI-designed helmet

Custom kit moves into the spotlight

Tadej Pogačar is riding for Tour de France glory with an individually-specced 3D-printed saddle and an AI-designed helmet, according to TechRadar.

The result is not just another equipment detail. It points to a wider direction in pro cycling tech: products built less around a generic fit and more around a specific rider, position, and performance target. That matters because the contact points and aerodynamic surfaces are where small design changes can have outsized practical consequences over long racing blocks.

The saddle is the more interesting signal. TechRadar frames 3D-printed saddles as a potential next breakthrough in pro cycling, and the logic is clear. If a component can be individually specced, it gives teams and riders another lever to chase comfort, repeatability, and efficiency without changing the basic demands of the bike.

The AI-designed helmet sits in the same category: not a headline result by itself, but part of the continued push toward more tailored equipment choices at the highest level.

Full details are at the linked TechRadar source.