A few days before the start of the 2024 Tour de France in Florence, the Visma-Lease a Bike team has unveiled its “Control Room”.
A van filled with cutting-edge technology and equipment, which will serve as the nerve center for real-time data collection during the stages of the Tour de France.
This control room is a high-tech van, equipped with advanced software, which is making its debut at the Tour de France. With this mobile unit, the team can immerse itself directly in the race, ensuring perfect coordination with the other members of the performance team.
A Control Room which is already causing debate within the UCI.
This control room collects and analyzes crucial real-time data such as live TV footage, weather forecasts and race radios.
This allows the team to support the sporting directors in the car and help them make the best possible tactical decisions more quickly.
An innovation made possible thanks to the support of the main sponsor, Visma, a pioneer in enterprise software, and their valuable expertise in data collection and visualization. BetCity, a Dutch provider of online sports support services, also provided great support throughout the implementation process.
Mathieu Heijboer, Head of Performance:
We are very excited to be able to expand the control room with our innovative partners, allowing us to collect and analyze even more live data and get a better overview of the race. This will allow us to support the sports directors in the car and help them make the best possible tactical decisions more quickly.
Together with these partners, we are taking a new step in the development of the world of cycling. We are proud of this and look forward to using the control room from the very first stage of the Tour de France in Florence.
Merete Hverven, PDG de Visma:
We are excited to provide ongoing software expertise through the control room to help the Visma Lease a Bike team achieve their best results. Together we are innovating elite-level cycling, demonstrating the power of digital solutions to support decision-making and improve performance, not just for business and society, but also across the world of sport.
The UCI’s position
The UCI quickly issued a statement after learning of the existence of this Control Room.
The International Cycling Union (UCI) has taken note of the recent announcement regarding the use of a “Control Room” by the UCI WorldTeam Team Visma | Lease a Bike. We are currently carrying out checks to ensure that the system put in place by the team complies with the regulatory framework in force, particularly with regard to the collection and transmission of data as indicated in article 1.3.006bis of the UCI Regulations. .
Our priority is to ensure the integrity of the sport by guaranteeing sporting fairness, equal access to technology and the primacy of man over machine. The UCI is determined to ensure that these principles are respected and will take appropriate measures based on the conclusions of its investigations.
