The Lloyds Tour of Britain will show live speed, power and rider location during its women’s and men’s races through a new partnership with Velon and Elixirr.
British Cycling announced the agreement ahead of the women’s race in Cockermouth. It called the project the first integration of live rider performance data into a women’s WorldTour stage-race broadcast.
Commentators and broadcast partners will use the information to analyse attacks, climbs and other decisive moments as they happen. Data from Velon’s tracking devices will also appear in graphics and rider-perspective videos published through the race’s social channels.
“Through our partnership with Velon and Elixirr, fans will enjoy a richer viewing experience, with access to live rider data and unique performance insight across both races,” said Jonathan Day, director of events for British Cycling Ventures.
Elixirr, the race’s official insights partner, will help present the data. “By bringing together technology, data and insight in new ways, we can help fans get closer to the action and understand more of what’s happening as the race unfolds,” deputy CEO Graham Busby said.
How the live tracking system works
Velon’s device sits beneath the saddle in a lightweight neoprene case and connects to the bike’s power meter through Bluetooth. It uses mobile-phone networks, continually searching for the strongest provider, to transmit data in real time.
The Tour of Britain feed will provide speed, power and rider location. Velon’s wider system can also transmit cadence, although British Cycling did not list that metric for these races. Location data can plot riders on a map, while power figures add context to efforts on the road, subject to the terrain, race situation and individual rider.
Velon debuted the system at the 2016 Tour de Suisse, when selected riders transmitted speed, power, heart rate, cadence, acceleration and position to television coverage and a mobile app.
“Velon has been at the forefront of live race data for a decade now, always seeking new ways to bring the race alive for the fans,” chief executive Graham Bartlett said.
The women’s Tour of Britain runs from August 19 to 23 over 636.2km in England and Wales, from a Cockermouth circuit to a final circuit in Royal Leamington Spa. Our Tour of Britain Women viewing guide details how to watch every stage live.
As detailed in our race preview, the main general-classification test is stage three’s summit finish on The Great Orme. Its final 2.5km averages about 6%, with sections approaching 15%.
