The printed administrators of the Tour de France are contemplating utilizing drones to seize the race for tv audiences this summer season.
The expertise was used for the primary time in a WorldTour occasion at Paris-Good final week, the place remote-controlled cameras adopted the riders at over 60km/h within the staff time trial.
Following its success, drone use will now be mentioned with the stakeholders of the Tour de France, in response to Anthony Forestier, broadcast director at France Télévisions, the corporate chargeable for the Grand Tour’s feed.
“Based mostly on the suggestions we had [from Paris-Nice], all people beloved it,” Forestier advised RMC Sport. “Some groups even received in contact with us to ask us to share the footage with them.”
⚡️ Cette vitesse ! 🤩⚡️ That pace! 🤩#ParisNice pic.twitter.com/GmSgJldNeGMarch 5, 2024
Forestier added that France Télévisions is now “eager about” doing the identical on the Tour this July.
“Nothing is in place, however we’re eager about it,” he mentioned. “There are two time trials within the Tour this yr, after which a stage round Troyes with gravel roads which goes to be spectacular.
“We’re going to sit down down quickly with the UCI, ASO and the groups to debate if it’s worthwhile. That appears to be the case, so we’re going to consider how you can do it in a secure manner.”
Drones have already been used to movie cyclo-cross and mountain bike occasions, permitted in each instances by the UCI.
Nonetheless, it’s unlikely that drones will substitute helicopters on the street quickly. In response to Forestier, the footage could be complementary within the protection, “there to place us within the riders’ footwear”, moderately than showcase the surroundings.
A part of the explanation for that is that drones have a restricted battery life. Chatting with Biking Weekly, Will Glover, a drone pilot for Flying Footage, mentioned essentially the most superior gadgets can broadcast for round 20 minutes. Different obstacles embody their decrease broadcast high quality, and legal guidelines in France relating to the place and when drones could be flown within the sky.
“We want to consider one of the best ways to place them in place,” Forester mentioned. “However, regardless of the case, drones are a superb solution to make the product as stunning as attainable.”
