How Elite Athletes and Engineers Calculated a World-First Human-Powered Aircraft Takeoff.
Mallorca, Spain – December 15, 2025 – On December 4, 2025, a nine-rider peloton from Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe achieved a world first by pulling a glider plane into powered flight using only human energy. Known as Peloton Takeoff, the project saw the riders accelerate to 54 km/h on a 1,500-metre runway, generating enough force to lift pilot Andy Hediger and his aircraft into the air without an engine or mechanical tow.
While the spectacle captured immediate attention, the achievement was the result of months of applied engineering. Led by Dan Bigham, Head of Engineering at Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and an Olympic silver medallist, the project translated elite cycling power into aerodynamic lift through data modelling, system design and precise execution.
Context
Aircraft takeoff depends on achieving sufficient airspeed to generate lift, traditionally delivered by engines or tow vehicles. Human power introduces additional constraints, including biological limits, force variability and sensitivity to wind. Peloton Takeoff combined cycling physiology, aerodynamics and aviation engineering to determine whether a group of riders could function as a single, controllable propulsion system.
Key Facts
- Project: Peloton Takeoff
- Team: Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
- Engineering Lead: Dan Bigham
- Riders: Florian Lipowitz, Callum Thornley, Davide Donati, Nico Denz, Jordi Meeus, Tim Van Dijke, Laurence Pithie, Gijs Schoonvelde, Adrien Boichis
- Pilot: Andy Hediger
- Aircraft: Glider plane
- Location: Son Bonet Airfield, Mallorca, Spain
- Runway Length: 1,500 metres
- Target Airspeed: ~45–50 km/h
- Peak Speed Achieved: 54 km/h
- Average Rider Output: ~650 watts for ~90 seconds
- Combined Peak Output: ~6,500 watts
- Tow System: Custom-engineered harness and 150-metre cord
Route / Performance Overview
- Engineers modelled the lift-to-drag profile of the glider across varying airspeeds and wind conditions.
- Rider power data and aerodynamic drag coefficients were integrated into a unified performance model.
- A custom harness system was designed to safely transfer force from nine bicycles to the aircraft.
- The peloton accelerated in a seated, synchronised formation to minimise drag and force imbalance.
- Once minimum airspeed was exceeded, surplus power translated directly into climb altitude.
Engineering the Unknown: How Peloton Takeoff Was Made Possible
Peloton Takeoff had no precedent. The glider plane, piloted by Andy Hediger, was never designed to take off while being towed by cyclists, and no existing blueprint existed for such an attempt. Every component of the system, mechanical, aerodynamic and human, had to be designed, tested and validated from scratch.
“It’s not something you can just pick up off the shelf,” said Dan Bigham. “It’s not something that anybody else has ever used in history.”
Modelling human power into flight
To determine whether human-powered takeoff was even possible, engineers built a custom computational model that linked three independent systems into one: the riders, the aircraft and the environment.
“We pulled together a really interesting model where we looked at how the lift and drag of the aeroplane varied with speed,” Bigham explained, “whereas with the riders, we have both airspeed and ground speed that matter.”
That distinction proved critical. Cyclists generate power relative to ground speed, while aircraft generate lift based on airspeed, meaning wind conditions could determine success or failure even with identical human effort.
“That made it a tool we could use to assess the weather conditions, the wind conditions and the power requirements,” said Bigham.
The harness: the critical interface
While modelling established feasibility, the most complex engineering challenge was transferring human force safely and efficiently into an aircraft.
“How high we can get the plane harness was the most critical point of this entire project,” said Bigham.
The harness had to deliver sustained force efficiently, avoid interference with bicycle wheels, allow riders to brake safely, maintain stable tension for the pilot and give riders confidence to perform at maximum intensity. Multiple prototypes were trialled, including early testing in Austria and further development at Niederöblarn airfield.
“We actually learned that there are a few fairly significant flaws with that,” Bigham said of earlier versions. “That brought us to a final concept where everyone was super happy that they could ride full gas without any worries.”
Power thresholds and synchronisation
Once connected to the aircraft, the riders faced a precise physical requirement: accelerate rapidly to the minimum speed required for flight.
“We need to get to a minimum speed—about 45 to 50 kilometres per hour—before the plane can start to lift off and climb,” Bigham explained.
From the data, engineers established clear thresholds. Approximately 550 watts per rider would make takeoff possible, while any additional power would translate directly into climb altitude. In execution, the nine-rider peloton averaged closer to 650 watts per rider, sustaining the effort for up to 90 seconds – comparable to the power normally seen in the final sprint to win a World Tour race such as the Tour de France.
“This kind of effort is what you would think about as a race-winning move,” said Bigham.
Unlike a traditional sprint, however, riders were required to remain seated and perfectly synchronised to maintain system stability.
“You have to do the exact same effort as your partner in the group,” Bigham said, “because you have to balance the forces in a seated, tucked aero position while towing a plane.”
Optimising humans as a system
Rider order within the peloton was determined mathematically, not by instinct or hierarchy.
“The position of the riders within the group was decided based on maths,” said Bigham.
Each rider’s aerodynamic drag coefficient and power profile informed their placement, creating an optimised formation similar to a team time trial—this time with the added complexity of towing an aircraft into flight.
“It’s an optimisation problem,” Bigham said, “just with the unique aspect of towing a plane to lift off.”
Applied science beyond sport
For Bigham, Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe’s Peloton Takeoff validated how elite sport can function as applied engineering.
“It’s been really helpful to dig into the physiological side of things we use to explain rider performance,” he said, “and then apply that to something absolutely history-making.”
The project required multiple test phases, extensive coordination and early-morning execution.
“On this day, we’ve done something monumental,” Bigham said. “Projects like this are game-changing.”
Beyond cycling, Peloton Takeoff demonstrated how interdisciplinary collaboration can translate human performance into real-world engineering outcomes, combining professional cycling and aviation in a way rarely seen before.
Why It Matters
Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe’s Peloton Takeoff demonstrates how elite sport can function as applied engineering. By modelling athletes as dynamic power units within a larger mechanical system, the project shows how data, aerodynamics and human physiology can be combined to overcome real-world physical constraints. The result is a rare example of engineering principles made visible through human effort.
