Team DSM to use on-board ‘tyre pressure control system’ at Paris-Roubaix

The Scope Atmoz tyre pressure control has been confirmed as race legal in a press release from the UCI, just five days out from the start of Paris-Roubaix, one of the most anticipated races in the calendar. 

This UCI authorisation of a built-in management system for tyre pressures for professional road cycling has given Team DSM the green light to use the wheels in the forthcoming race. Scope is an official supplier partner of the Dutch-based WorldTour team, who are due to officially unveil the system to the public on Friday. 

The integrated set-up will allow riders to digitally inflate, deflate and monitor tyre pressure on the move via air reservoirs, located in the hubs, which are connected to the tubeless tyres via a hose into the rim. 

According to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). the announcement dates back to April 1 2022, (yes we also had to check it wasn't a belated April Fools too) but was confirmed yesterday. 

"Authorised in line with article 1.3.004 of the UCI Regulations, the tyre pressure management system is controlled by buttons on the handlebar and uses mechanical valves to regulate airflow between the air reservoir and the tubeless tyre," the UCI said. "The system does not alter the structural integrity of the wheelset and does not contain any moving parts or compressors."

Scope says the Atmoz system uses mechanical valves which regulate airflow between an air reservoir and the tubeless tyre. This allows the rider to adjust the tyre pressure in real time. 

Paris-Roubaix is a notoriously tricky race with regards to tyre pressures. On Sunday riders will be faced with a 257.2km route that includes 96km of smooth asphalt to begin with before they tackle 54.8km of brutal pavé delivered across 30 sectors. 

Being able to alter tyre pressure between these varying terrain has obvious benefits. There's a huge potential for wattage savings on the hard pavé sectors. At low pressures, the tyres' ability to deform to the road surface significantly improves, making for smoother and faster riding. Scope puts the number at 30 watts lower rolling resistance.

On the other hand, the optimal tyre pressures on smoother roads are much higher than the roughest cobbles. With this system, riders shouldn't have to balance a trade-off between different parts of the course - or at least, that's the hope. 

A similar set-up was released by another Dutch brand Gravaa last year, which also used a miniature hub-based valve system to adapt tyre pressure while riding, albeit in a much bigger unit, but the internal mechanisms shouldn't be wildly different. 

In line with UCI regulations, Scope's Atmoz system has to be commercially available for all. As such, you too can own a pair for just €3.998,00 according to the brand's website.