100% agree!drones, we need more drones
100% agree!drones, we need more drones
My favorite shots are the bike-mounted cameras. I thought we’d see more of them.
They may be ready now.I understand that drone technology isn't ready yet to cover an entire race, but you would expect more drones to be used for specific parts and scenarios. Yesterday on Pradel, was a perfect scenario for instance. Steep climb, narrow road, mountain pass... Heavy motors get in the way of riders and team cars, have difficulty riding a slow pace alongside riders because these motos with 2 people and camera equipment can weigh 450-500kg. They risk overheating or falling over at these slow speeds, with plenty of potential issues as a result (rider safety, spectator safety, influencing race dynamics etc).
Another example is the last kilometer before the finish, perfect for drone footage. Also certain sectors in Paris Roubaix, where motos are an actual danger to riders as well as to spectators. Ideal for drone footage. Let motos take a detour and get back on the main roads. Drone technology is already good enough for these scenarios. Organisers, UCI should gain experience, so that whenever the technology is ready for longer flights, farther range, better image quality, that at that time the transition can happen quick and easily.
Definitely need more drones, but I'm not sure what's Pogs problem, was , a decent lead and not going to be caught, just sit back and the let the police clear the way. Less risky than riding into the throng alone.
On a climb, you can have drones really close to the riders, as they can hover over the cliff or rockside. You can also have multiple drone operators in one vehicle (like a van) which can be hundreds of meters ahead or behind the riders, so unlike cameramotors they don't need to be riding among the cyclists directly disrupting the flow of the riders and causing all sorts of danger.as for drones, the problem is always going to be rider safety the drones will have to operate some distance away from the riders at the least, and how you get the pictures back to broadcast.
and it still means your drone pilot has to be moving alongside with the race, they cant as they do at CX or in skiing stand on a hillside and wait just for the race to pass, and the easiest way to do that is in a vehicle, so are we really solving the problem using drones, or just because it looks different favouring it as new tech.
Logic mosgtly answered this, but I'll emphasize that the vehicle (moto, car...) with a camera has to be very near the riders, while a drone vehicle doesn't.as for drones, the problem is always going to be rider safety the drones will have to operate some distance away from the riders at the least, and how you get the pictures back to broadcast.
and it still means your drone pilot has to be moving alongside with the race, they cant as they do at CX or in skiing stand on a hillside and wait just for the race to pass, and the easiest way to do that is in a vehicle, so are we really solving the problem using drones, or just because it looks different favouring it as new tech.