America’s Cup: Power People – Théry Schir

America’s Cup: Power People – Théry Schir – Swiss team cyclist

by Magnus Wheatley/America’s Cup Media August 13, 04:08 UTC
13 August 2024

Tracing the careers of the sailors in the 37th America’s Cup by Louis Vuitton is a fascinating project. And while many of the helmsmen and trimmers have progressed through their countries’ elite Olympic sailing programs, winning gold, silver or bronze medals, others have found their way into endurance competitions, martial arts or even the military.

For Théry Schir, a cyclist for Alinghi Red Bull Racing and an incredibly popular member of the team, his path into competitive sailing was mapped out from a young age, but took a detour along the way. With his father a keen and successful racer, young Théry was enrolled at a sailing school in Morges on the shores of Lake Geneva at the age of 12 and his path to the five rings of the Olympic Games seemed set.

However, Théry discovered his love for cycling and competitive sailing and made the switch two years later with refreshing honesty, as he explained: “To be completely honest, I was never particularly successful on a boat. I wasn’t bad, but at 14 I was looking for an excuse to stop sailing. My dad was a bit sad, but I wanted to ride a bike,” he explained. “Fifteen years later, I tell myself it was a good decision. I was able to build a career in cycling and am now back at the highest level of sailing. So I feel like a 14-year-old again!”

Théry’s cycling career took off when he devoted himself fully to this most demanding of disciplines. A second place at the 2014 UCI Track Cycling World Cup and silver in the Omnium at the 2015 European Games were his first successes before he switched to the road, where he was equally successful, finishing third at the 2021 national road championships. Théry also competed in the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games in Rio and Tokyo.

However, the lure of the America’s Cup and the fame of the Swiss team Alinghi Red Bull Racing – undoubtedly one of the most popular sports teams in the country – drew Théry back, as he explains: “I wanted to take part in one of the most historic competitions in the world. And at Alinghi Red Bull Racing we have a team full of extremely talented people. Alongside the Olympic Games, the America’s Cup is a dream for any top athlete. In addition, it makes me very proud to take part with a 100% Swiss team. We are a small landlocked country, but it seems that our team has an unfinished story with the Cup.”

Théry has made the transition back, albeit in a cyclor role aboard a powerful AC75 where the demands are just as dynamic, with flying colours. He says: “In terms of physical performance, it hasn’t really been that different. I would say you’re trying to be an endurance athlete but still be able to put on a strong performance. In terms of endurance level, that hasn’t changed because I was doing more endurance training back then than I am now, but the biggest difference for me was gaining weight and strength. For a regular cyclist, that’s not usually very good, but for a cyclor, being heavy is a good quality. The main difference is that on a road bike you have to carry your own weight. On the boat, it’s all about pure strength. Nothing is proportional to body weight.”

When Théry was racing long races on the road, hydration and heat management were crucial. These requirements also apply to the cyclists in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup and all power teams have to deal with them. It’s the same for Alinghi Red Bull Racing, as Théry explains: “Heat management will be a key element of performance on the boat. On a very long day of sailing, you can lose up to 2-3 litres. In a 30-minute race, you really have to keep your hydration under control from morning to evening so you don’t run out of energy. So ice jackets, ice socks and cold baths after sailing! Being in Barcelona for the last two years, we were able to train that, get used to the heat and find the right solution and routine for each of us.”

Alinghi Red Bull Racing was the first team to start training in Barcelona aboard their heavily modified ‘BoatZero’, which eventually positioned the Cyclor pods inside. On their beautiful (and radical looking) ‘BoatOne’, the Cyclors are now housed outboard and it’s very clear that the Power Group has worked hard on tactical power delivery, as Théry explains: “Of course there’s a tactic behind power delivery! It’s like managing your car’s tank. You can go fast for two laps, but if you overdo it too early, you can run out too soon. There’s a science behind delivering the right amount of power. But in general, you have to provide energy as soon as the sail starts moving. It’s a very intense sport and I think if these boats had more power, they would use it. There’s never enough power.”

Théry and his Power Group colleagues also focus on the bigger picture during training and races, and even get the chance to see the extraordinary from time to time, as he explains: “Of course, the main job of a cyclist is to focus on power delivery. But depending on your profile, you can add value to your teammates and give them information about our opponents or the race track. I think that’s the difference between a good and a great cyclist. Ultimately, understanding what’s happening helps us a lot to better fulfill our role. It’s great to be able to get a look at the opponent, especially when you’re faster. But the best part was when we saw dolphins swimming next to our boat!”

The Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup is a long-distance programme for all athletes and the demands on the Power Group are extreme. Over the last two years, Alinghi Red Bull Racing athletes have been subjected to an intensive training programme, but the results are impressive and Théry has clearly enjoyed it, he says: “It is extremely demanding. But because we are well trained, we understand the demands and can muster the energy needed to do one or two races a day. I can still cycle home after a day of sailing! It’s very similar to track cycling. You have to perform at your best in the race, but still keep going and perform at your best day after day.”

The third and final pre-regatta begins on August 22 before the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup on August 29, where every point counts. The demands on the cyclo teams are therefore enormous. They have prepared for this role and one thing is certain: the Alinghi Red Bull Racing Power Group is more than up to the task and is aiming to win the America’s Cup for the third time.