GeoDynamics supports a race safety test using GPS trackers during the Tour of Flanders Youth Day
During the Tour of Flanders Youth Day on Sunday 24 May, GeoDynamics and Flanders Classics are joining forces. As part of a safety-focused test event, the Belgian specialist in real-time tracking and digital monitoring will provide a total of 250 GPS trackers to be used during the U17 races.
The use of real-time tracking technology in cycling is rapidly gaining importance internationally. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) recently called for the mandatory use of GPS trackers during races. The move followed an incident in which a crash went unnoticed for a long time, with serious consequences.
GeoDynamics has been actively responding to this evolution for some time. The Belgian technology company develops solutions for real-time tracking and digital monitoring that are already being tested and deployed in various practical settings.
This Sunday’s Tour of Flanders Youth Day serves as a new test case in which GeoDynamics will apply its expertise with the aim of detecting incidents more quickly and directing emergency services more efficiently during races.
“Real-time visibility is becoming increasingly important in cycling,” says Stijn Stragier. “With this application, we are showing that technology can contribute in an accessible way to greater safety and better oversight during races, without disrupting the racing experience.”
With this application, we are showing that technology can contribute in an accessible way to greater safety and better oversight during races, without disrupting the racing experience
Complexity of the race
Cycling races are logistically highly complex events. Organisers must maintain oversight at all times of riders, team cars, medical crews and race management. Real-time data helps them make decisions more quickly and handle incidents more efficiently. GeoDynamics has already gained experience in cycling in recent years through track-and-trace applications for race vehicles and practical tests with compact GPS trackers for riders.
The technology makes it possible to locate participants live and provides additional transparency and support during race organisation. The trackers are not attached to the bicycle, but are safely carried in the riders’ back pockets. This allows organisers and the relevant safety services to monitor participants in real time without affecting comfort, performance or the course of the race.
“The safety of our riders is always the top priority,” says Nicolas Denys, Head of Road at Flanders Classics. “Innovations such as real-time tracking help us monitor races even better and respond more quickly when needed. For races involving young riders, this is an important added value. We are therefore extremely pleased that GeoDynamics is supporting us in this new test with an eye to the future. Moreover, this is one of the first applications of its kind in youth cycling.”
Supporting young talent
The Tour of Flanders for youth riders brings together young cyclists on a course where experience, performance and safety must go hand in hand. It is precisely in these kinds of environments that the importance of reliable behind-the-scenes support becomes clear.
By deploying 250 GPS trackers, GeoDynamics helps organisers gain additional real-time insight during the race. Not as an end in itself, but as practical support enabling faster responses when needed through the integration of technology: discreetly present, operationally reliable and fully aligned with the dynamics of the race.”
