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 crew time trial.
Following its success, drone use will now be mentioned with the stakeholders of the Tour de France, in accordance with Anthony Forestier, broadcast director at France Télévisions, the corporate liable for the Grand Tour’s feed.
“Based mostly on the suggestions we had [from Paris-Nice], everyone cherished it,” Forestier instructed RMC Sport. “Some groups even acquired in contact with us to ask us to share the footage with them.”
⚡️ Cette vitesse ! 🤩⚡️ That velocity! 🤩#ParisNice pic.twitter.com/GmSgJldNeGMarch 5, 2024
Forestier added that France Télévisions is now “excited about” doing the identical on the Tour this July.
“Nothing is in place, however we’re excited 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 learn how to do it in a protected approach.”
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 exchange helicopters on the highway quickly. In keeping with Forestier, the footage could be complementary within the protection, “there to place us within the riders’ footwear”, reasonably than showcase the surroundings.
A part of the rationale for that is that drones have a restricted battery life. Talking to Biking Weekly, Will Glover, a drone pilot for Flying Photos, 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 may be flown within the sky.
“We’d like to consider one of the simplest ways to place them in place,” Forester mentioned. “However, regardless of the case, drones are a wonderful solution to make the product as stunning as attainable.”