Dimension Data at the Tour: any use at all?

[Armchair Cyclist]

Because of work/family commitments, I saw very few stages live, and when I did I was often without a computer, but was the live positioning streaming of any use at all? There is an obvious problem when bikes are changed, but even aside from this, the lack of reference to the data in threads and the evident confusion of commentators as to where key riders were placed suggests that it is still very much a facility with potential rather than realisation.

Did anyone find it reliable/useful?

Is it really necessary to have such obtrusive equipment as those under-saddle rhino-horns? The more useful data-streaming at the Tour of California does not use anything as obvious. How far away are we from having something reliable and sufficiently light and small enough to carry on jerseys or helmets?

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Perhaps a lot of behind the scenes testing was done this year before it becomes better integrated with coverage.

One wonders if it will make a difference in any case, with ill-informed commentators misunderstanding the data and sprouting nonsense.

e.g. even with the occasional dual speedos being displayed on screen for the break and their pursuers, it was so annoying for commentators (P&P in my case) to comment on the difference in speed of each, as if it meant one group was catching or extending their advantage over the other when it means nothing of the sort.

 

[Netserk]

Re:

Perhaps a lot of behind the scenes testing was done this year before it becomes better integrated with coverage.

One wonders if it will make a difference in any case, with ill-informed commentators misunderstanding the data and sprouting nonsense.

e.g. even with the occasional dual speedos being displayed on screen for the break and their pursuers, it was so annoying for commentators (P&P in my case) to comment on the difference in speed of each, as if it meant one group was catching or extending their advantage over the other when it means nothing of the sort.

It would have been more interesting of the speed of the break was from where the peloton currently was, so it'd be comparable.

 

[Fight.The.Power]

The Tour of California has led the way IMO as far as technology is concerned. Dimension Data (a UK dot-com company) has clearly been given a green card to develop the IT of the TDF.

Patience my dear .. x x x

I absolutely think we will all enjoy live times, data, heart rates etc in due course.

But as one member pointed out weeks ago it is very frustrating how we can have good images of pluto and have no idea where Contador is after his crash. LOL

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Re: Re:

Perhaps a lot of behind the scenes testing was done this year before it becomes better integrated with coverage.

One wonders if it will make a difference in any case, with ill-informed commentators misunderstanding the data and sprouting nonsense.

e.g. even with the occasional dual speedos being displayed on screen for the break and their pursuers, it was so annoying for commentators (P&P in my case) to comment on the difference in speed of each, as if it meant one group was catching or extending their advantage over the other when it means nothing of the sort.

It would have been more interesting of the speed of the break was from where the peloton currently was, so it'd be comparable.

The rate of change in the time gap would make more sense.

 

[jens_attacks]

absolutely zero
if anyone got money from this, chapeau to him/her though.

 

[Popchu]

The gap between the breakaway and the peloton was more accurate than the difference we saw on the television. So in that way it was useful.

 

[samhocking]

I used it every day. It adds a lot of immediate race situation information that Tour Tracker can't really provide or would have to wait for hours and still often not get from the commentators or the TV feed. I noticed Paul Sherwen was using it most of the time alongside race radio, so it clearly offers something in a live situation for them. It beats Tour Tracker hands down for simply rider tracking obviously, but I can see the ultimate end game is to merge live Moto, Rider & Broadcast feeds. When that happens Eurosport will be a thing of the past, although by then nobody will be watching broadcast TV, it will all be app-based web feeds anyway I would think.