Sports

GoPro is about to forever change how we watch the Tour de France

Daniel McMahon

2015-07-02T14:43:00Z

Tour de France GoPros close ups of riders

The world's most grueling high-speed endurance contest, the Tour de France, is about to get much more interesting for viewers after organizers announced Wednesday that on every stage at least eight bikes will be equipped with onboard cameras.

GoPro struck the deal with Tour organizer ASO and Velon, a group of 11 cycling teams "working together to grow and evolve through a growth in fan excitement and technology."

While most of the bike-cam footage will be edited and published after the stages, organizers said they'll be testing live images from the bikes on stage two during the neutral start.

"By mounting cameras to the fastest cyclists in the world as they take on the 21-stage race, GoPro will be capturing immersive, never-before-seen content, bringing cycling fans inside the peloton," GoPro said.

The race starts in the Netherlands on July 4 and finishes in Paris on July 26.

Here's how the bike cams should give us a new perspective on one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

A team mechanic installs a GoPro camera under a rider's saddle.

Tour_de_France_tech_GoPro_bike_cameras_2015

And then installs a second GoPro on the front of the bike, under the handlebar.

Tour_de_France_tech_GoPro_cameras_under_handlebars_2015

While onboard cameras have been tested in races in the past, this year's Tour riders will be on camera in greater and more consistent numbers.

With onboard cams it's like climbing in the pack alongside the world's fittest athletes.

Tour de France GoPro mid pack riding climb

With a cam mounted on a rider's handlebar we get us a close-up look at the athlete's face, breathing, and reactions as he focuses on the wheel in front of him at between 20 and 70 miles an hour depending on terrain.

Normally we wouldn't get to see such close-up images of a guy hugging the side of the road like this as the bunch is ripping along.

Tour de France GoPro rider hugging road edge

From deep inside the peloton we get to see the nervous moments — such as rain-soaked riders fighting for position and quite literally rubbing elbows. There are effectively four riders in a space that would normally allow for just three.

Tour_de_France_GoPro_cameras_close_up_behind_riders

Imagine watching the Tour's yellow jersey this close in a team time trial, at 30 to 50 mph, from his trusted teammate's saddle cam less than a foot from his wheel.

Tour de France GoPro cameras riders close up

Seeing riders take tight turns this close at speed from inside the peloton is intense.

Tour de France GoPro cameras turning in the peloton

We can watch the race from a bike that's not being ridden, from a cam installed on a spare bike atop a team car. Multiple points of view will give us unprecedented insights.

Tour de France GoPro cameras on top of cars spare bikes

We've never really been so close to the riders in action at the Tour — until now.

Tour de France GoPros cameras upclose shots

Here, a rider's GoPro shows his teammates lined out in front of him, hammering during a team time trial. (Those tube-like things you see on the left are the rider's aerobars.)

Tour de France GoPros in team time trial

GoPros pick up the crashes too — this one involved a rider who went tumbling with a cam apparently intact.

Tour de France GoPro cameras capture crashes

With bike cams we'll get into the mix and dangerous argy-bargy of the hectic, high-speed field sprints, when the fastest riders fight for position before the final 200 meters.

Tour de France bike cameras in sprints Shimano AToC

Rival bike-cam company Shimano has used cameras in races as well. This video, from 2014's Tour of California, gave us a rare look inside the intense finale of a sprinting stage.