Asymmetric Effects of Tire Pressure Optimization

If the starting state is "unknown pressure, but looks round", you can get up to 10% improvement.

for competition purposes, there may be maximum widths (depending on the exact rules, more like 33-38mm), not based on the label but measured directly

10% of X might sound a lot until you realize that X only accounts for 2.2% of the total.

It does change the nature of the challenge when it’s not entirely about the individual on the bike.

Swimming -> buoyant suits; Basketball -> Lighter, stiffer shoes; Soccer -> Cleats, Uniforms; Running -> Carbon fiber plates;

Sports that depend on some mechanical variable seem to trend toward improving/tuning that variable in whatever ways allowed by that sport (car/bike/boat racing).

There are competitions where everyone is given the same machine to put emphasis on the human performance. In cycling for instance, Japanese "Keirin" racers all use the same low tech steel bike that they maintain themselves.

Anyways, money is always going to matter. More money gives you better training, better nutrition and medical support, better equipment and can allow athletes to focus exclusively on their sport by offloading them from the usual chores. In teams sports, also better teammates. There is no way around it, but it doesn't mean the athletes lose merit, even with performance enhancing drugs, it takes a lot of effort and dedication to come out on top.

discussing Natural or Not Natural (Tour de France, but he'll call out anybody).