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Tour de France

Tour de france teams are beautiful, complex enterprises in hope.

Just as eight riders help one man win the Maillot Jaune, it takes a near-batallion of support to make a Tour de France team function on a daily basis. And yet despite their precision and diligence, those well-laid plans still rest on hope.

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Ask anyone who has competed in it, the Tour de France is a hot flash in a feverish sports season. "It's a tree compared to a branch, 10 times bigger than any other race." It's early wake-ups, and precisely planned meals, little downtime and meetings with media. There is press -- so much press -- hovering around staging areas in start and finish towns, crushing riders too tired to be angry.

It's stress echoed and then absorbed by those tasked with keeping riders sane; a level of tension such that it's all you can do to keep from going into rigor mortis. When I told one team's communications manager I would be driving along the last nine stages of the Tour de France, he told me to plot my escape. He said that the only time he worked the race, he was so caught off guard by the fatigue that he was forced to pay attention at every moment, except for the 15 minutes he stole every so often to read his book. He had never done anything so intense, and isn't sure how he is going to make it through his second one.

Photo credit: Bryn Lennon

In addition to the nine riders, this is what a racing team looks like:

Minimum 17 staff: four soigneurs , four mechanics, a general manager, two race directors; a cook, a press officer, a hospitality manager, a technical director, a doctor and a photographer.
10 vehicles: one truck, one bus, one sprinter, one van and six cars.
27 road bikes, 18 time trial bikes and 80 pairs of wheels.
2,000 bottles
400 musettes
1,000 energy bars
1,500 gel packs
The kit per each rider, which includes the following: four bibs, four short sleeve jerseys, two long sleeve thermal jerseys, two short sleeve thermal jerseys, three knee/leg/arm warmers, two wind vests, two rain jackets, five pairs of socks, two helmets, two aero helmets, 10 cycling caps, three pairs of gloves

The riders are still asleep when the day begins for everyone else. The mechanics and the soigneurs have to be on top of their tasks sooner than anyone. The mechanics handle the bikes, and should have tires inflated and gear loaded into the team cars by about 8:30 a.m. The cars are packed so that the bike of the team's most important man that day -- perhaps a general classification contender, or a top sprinter -- is on the outer right hand side of the bike rack. The bike of his best teammate or domestique -- think Richie Porte to Chris Froome in 2013 and 2014, or Froome to Bradley Wiggins in 2012 -- gets the spot on the outside left.

The soigneurs take care of the riders. They are also up early, preparing food and mixing electrolyte packets with water to be handed out to the team during that day's stage. They pack everything in musettes , sacks filled with the goods to be snatched on the fly at a mid-point of the stage by starved riders. The soigneurs must then drive hellbent towards the finish, navigating the back roads that haven't yet been closed off by gendarmes. There, they greet riders at the line, help them walk to the bus, and stave off the press -- again, there's a lot press. Later, the soigneurs collect wet and sweaty kits for the wash, then perform perhaps their most vital function: evening massages for whoever wants one. Everyone always wants one.

That includes the race directors, who drive and coordinate the two team cars out of a procession of 44 behind the peloton, ready to mash the gas pedal if one of their riders crashes or, more happily, gets in a breakaway. They use a system of radios to direct everything:

Race radio: A one-way feed run by Tour de France organizers. Team cars are stuck behind cyclists with limited visibility, so they rely on race radio to relay information about which riders have been involved in crashes or are pulling away from the peloton. Race radio gives clearance to team cars to break procession order and speed ahead to aid their riders.
Car-to-car radio: A channel open to only the two team cars. Amidst so much chaos, the two race directors must be in constant contact, communicating who will help which riders, and whether to pull over and swap rider-specific equipment based on which rider is in which part of the peloton.
Car-to-rider radio: A channel that puts race directors directly in in the ears of team riders. This communication line has been open since the mid-90s, though some want to abolish it, claiming that it has eliminated spontaneity during stages in favor of robotic coordination and tactics. Riders like it, however, and teams insist that the radio is used almost entirely for communicating times and potential hazards ahead, and that little collusion takes place.

A rider collects a bidon from the team car, Photo credit: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Cars follow the peloton according to the team rankings, from best to worst. That means that at the moment, Astana drives the first car (and 23rd, or first in the next set of cars) behind the peloton, followed by Belkin, Team Sky, and on down the line to France's Bretagne-Seche Environnement. Positioning is vitally important during each stage. Front cars can come to the aide of their riders much sooner and more easily, saving them precious time against the competition.

Cars cannot break out of procession order until someone on the one-way race radio says they can. Conditions for this include: a rider is in a breakaway that is at least one minute ahead of the peloton, a rider just crashed, or a rider is in need of medical assistance. The procession drives on the right side of the road so that cars that get called up to cyclists can pass on the left. This of course assumes two lanes exist. God help you if your team leader slips on a hairpin descent in the Alps.

Everything to know about the Tour de France

Tyler bleszinski, love the tour de france.

The race radio lords over all, but it isn't infallible. Stage 16 during of the Giro d'Italia in May was the best example of this, when bad weather made for a harrowing descent from the race's highest peak. Some took a word of caution from race commentators as an announcement that the race would be neutralized -- that is to say, effectively canceled -- and eased up. Others -- like eventual winner Nairo Quintana -- bombed down the mountain and gained precious minutes on other general classification contenders. Never mind that the confusion reached the Giro's own Twitter account , the rest of the field was stuck behind an insurmountable gap to Quintana, perhaps the world's best climber (and an unfortunate Tour de France absentee).

But on occasion everything goes more or less to plan -- potential problems are quickly snuffed out, the equipment works, the riders get their mid-stage pick-me-ups, the weather complies and legs feel fresh -- and you have a man brazenly leaving the peloton on his own. He needs one last boost, so you ping your communications manager in the other car and tell him to get to the 60-kilometers-to-go mark ready with an impromptu water bottle. The communications manager is now no longer the team's resident mediaite, but its only chance to win the day. He has to navigate a landscape he is only familiar with in abstract, but he is deft and makes the handoff in time. And at that moment hope is at its highest.

The entire enterprise can thus be summarized as hope management -- taking care of everything in your control so that for the last few meters of a long day you are free to listen to the finish and pray. A job well done leaves only the hope that the guy on the bike doesn't fuck the whole thing up.

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Behind the Scenes: How Does Communication Work in the Tour de France?

Modern technology has revolutionized this regularly overlooked aspect of the race

You may not have given much thought to the communication systems used by riders, the support and team vehicles, and even the press. The Tour de France has been more crowded than ever before in recent years – 22 teams of eight riders now compete in this prestigious competition. The 176 participants would simply be lost without a fool-proof way of communicating with their teammates and the support vehicles carrying spare parts and even whole new bicycles for emergency use.

Team Communications

Each of the 22 team’s requires their own unique and exclusive radio frequency on which to communicate, and setting up these channels is an essential step when preparing for the race. The director of each team needs to be able to communicate with their riders, perhaps to inform them of their current position, or to assist in developing a strategy for the current stage of the race.

The communication between team members and their directors must be kept private. This is because radio will often be used to communicate each rider’s role in the current team strategy. No matter how well you plan for each stage of the Tour de France, the ability to communicate updated strategies to your teammates is essential to the modern race.

If there are dangerous patches ahead, unexpected obstacles, or even the occasional pile-up involving several riders, team directors must get this information to their riders as soon as possible. The current leader from each team will often want to know how far ahead he is in comparison to both his rivals and the other members of his team.

Emergencies and do occur during the Tour de France, and whether it is a rider in urgent need of medical attention or hydration or perhaps a broken-down bike, instant communication is more vital than ever in these scenarios.

Who are the teams to watch this year?

Last years winner Tadej Pogacar and his UAE Team Emirates are currently way ahead of the pack according to bookmakers such as Unibet Indiana . A bet on Tadej to win is currently priced at -305 – worlds apart from his nearest competitor David Gaudu, who is presently priced at +450.

It’s not just the bookmakers who believe Pogacar will cruise to victory in this year’s race. Respected cycling news sites have been monitoring Pogacar’s performance in early season WorldTour races, the rider has been on excellent form during these early races.

Those who watched last years Tour de France will no doubt remember Pogacar’s breathtaking finish when he dramatically denied Jumbo-Visma’s Primož Roglič a win, snatching his yellow jersey with a remarkable finish at the last possible moment.

Of course, the full Tour de France does not begin until Saturday, June 26 th , and the bookmaker’s odds are likely to become extremely volatile once the race is in full swing. If you believe in Pogacar and his ability to repeat last years performance, you are unlikely to get better odds than what is on offer right now!

Ensuring team communications are fair

Several days before the start of the race, the organisers will assign a specific frequency to each team and set up tiny 200-gram radio transceivers for each rider. These transceivers are locked to a specific frequency, ensuring that teams cannot listen in on communications between other competitors and their support cars.

Each support car is also equipped with a race radio. In case of an emergency, the support cars can request permission to break away from the procession to assist the team member who requires assistance. Support cars are usually required to organize themselves according to the current team standings. If a rider has crashed and requires urgent medical assistance, or is currently in a breakaway with a lead of at least one minute over the peloton, permission will usually be granted for the support car to break away from the procession and go to the aid of their team member.

Other communications, and why these systems are so important

Each team is allocated a second frequency for direct contact between the two cars that serve each team. This is essential, as team directors need to be able to speak to each other to establish who is in the best position to help a rider. If one support car doesn’t have the necessary bike or equipment that a team member needs, they can use their second channel to talk to their second support car to make sure their team member receives what they need as quickly as possible.

It’s hard to imagine the Tour de France without these communication systems. In truth, the system in use today is the culmination of decades of hard work on the part of the organizers, keeping up to date with the latest improvements in technology and passing on their findings to the teams who are competing.

Whenever you see a rider with a punctured tire receiving a new bike just seconds after dismounting, or the leader of the pack stopping to drink some water after making a breakaway, all of these things are only possible thanks to years of research and investment in the perfect communications system.

You’ve got to hand it to the French – they have done a superb job of ensuring their premier cycling event takes full advantage of the latest technology. And on that note – it will be fascinating to see what improvements they make to the communications systems over the next few years.

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How the Tour de France is Broadcast To the World

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

Watching the Tour de France is easy. You grab a beer, switch on the TV, and let the time pass by for the next five hours while the race meanders past 13th century castles, emerald green lakes, and panoramic mountain views while the breakaway hangs out to dry. Easy, right? Well there’s a fascinating technical solution and a detailed production plan that brings it all to your living room.

The Tour de France started out as a publicity stunt designed to increase sales for the newspaper l’Auto. Journalists and photographers followed the race as much as they could, filled in the gaps, and embellished the rest into a story of heroism and grandeur. Coverage was largely through writing and nobody knew any different.

The first Tour de France started outside the Café Reveil-Matin in the village of Montgeron. L’Auto reported:

“The men waved their hats, the ladies their umbrellas. One felt they would have liked to touch the steel muscles of the most courageous champions since antiquity. Who will carry off the first prize, entering the pantheon where only supermen may go?”

A century later the Tour de France is a world wide phenomenon and the third largest sporting event in the world after the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics. There’s barely a moment that we don’t get to see as it happens in real-time. The first Tour de France that was broadcast to television was 56 years ago and it was done by using a motion picture camera and a mobile processing laboratory. Five minutes of coverage would be produced for each stage and it would be broadcast to the rest of France.

France Televisions and Euro Media France are the two companies at the centre of the host broadcast production. Euro Media France are responsible for the technical solution to bring the on-course audio and video images back to the production rooms. France Television mix and produce the images so the feed can be distributed to licensed broadcasters. France TV also produces their own programming for the TdF to show to its audience. I spoke with Euro Media France’s CTO, Mr Luc Geoffroy who was generous with his time to give me a detailed explanation of the technical solution behind broadcasting the Tour de France.

A few stats before we begin to give you an idea of the scale of this year’s Tour de France and its media following:

• 3,360km of racing

• 35 different start/finish town stages

• broadcast in 190 countries

• 450 journalists

• 121 TV stations covering the event, of which 60 do so live, with 260 cameramen working on motorcycles, in helicopters and at the finish line

• 72 radio stations

• 560 accredited media organisations

• 2400 vehicles on course (organisation, media, publicity caravan, etc.)

• 4,500 people, from riders to organisers to media to members of the publicity caravan and so on

• A 12km long publicity caravan that includes 180 vehicles, 600 people and that distributes nearly 15 million items to fans

The technical compound (“Zone Technique”) behind the stage finish area contains dozens of production trailers, generators, support vehicles, catering and more. When set up and running, there is barely place on the ground where hundreds of kilometers of cables aren’t crossing over each other.

At the core of the live race broadcast is the use of five VHF wireless cameras on motorbikes, two journalists reporting from motorbikes, and images captured from two helicopters with Cineflex gyro-stabilised camera systems. The five cameras on motorbikes capture the drama of the race from within while the helicopters cover the race but also capture much of the beauty of the French countryside which is such a large part of the production. At the finish line there can be between 1 to 20 additional cameras in place (depending on the broadcaster’s production) to capture rider interviews and the post-race action. Also new this year is a camera mounted on the Tour de France race director, Cristian Prudhomme’s car.

Images from motorcycle and helicopter cameras are transmitted via VHF links to relay helicopters flying at ~600 meters altitude. The signal is then retransmit them to aircraft flying at 3000-8000 meters (dependant on weather). These aircraft (some are unpressurised) need to circle very slowly therefore the turbulence can be highly uncomfortable for the pilots and technicians. If the weather turns bad then the use of the aircraft flying above the clouds becomes integral to the broadcast. In this case the GPS system on each bike becomes very important so that the aircraft can actually locate the motorbikes from 25,000 feet in the air.

Once the signal is sent to the helicopters and aircraft they are then relayed onto intermediate points sitting along the course (trucks which relay the signal onwards). In a typical stage there are two intermediate points. If it’s a very complex course with difficult terrain, there are sometimes three. These intermediate points are needed because stages can be as long as 225kms and the video signals need to be relayed from start to finish. The first intermediate points receives the signal and send it up to satellite. The second intermediate point forwards the signal to the town where the finish line is located via 4 receivers mounted on a crane 50 meters high. The eight camera signals are then decoded at Euro Media France’s OB truck ( outside broadcast truck ) which then performs some signal processing and minor colour correction to then send onto the France Television’s production truck sitting next door.

Time gaps that you seen on television are measured via GPS transponders mounted on the television motorcycles. This is not the time gap information used by the race officials however. You might notice the time gaps changing wildly on television. This is because the motorcycles are moving quickly, not because the gap is changing. Read more about how the time gaps are measured here .

As you can imagine, coordination of all of the vehicles is very complex. All of the moving vehicles need to communicate their exact co-ordinates to each other via GPS so their antennas can automatically move in sync with each other via motor mounts.

(It’s in French, but a good animation of the technical solution is from 1m50s onwards)

Why not use satellite?

A question you might be asking is why they don’t simply transmit the terrestrial signals to satellite in the first place instead of using relay helicopters and aircraft? It seems the obvious solution, however it’s not so simple. Receiving a satellite signal is one thing. Transmitting to satellite is another.

Satellites cannot be used is because the camera motorbikes and helicopters are constantly moving in and out of obstructive areas and there is approximately a 1% tolerance to aim the transmitted signal to a satellite. One Intermediate Point will transmit to satellite however because it is stationary and a sufficient power supply is more feasible. The other Intermediate Point will transmit the signal via microwave link to the finish line as discussed above.

A little more technical…

Because of my previous career as an engineer, Mr. Geoffrey and I were able to geek-out on some of technical aspects of the HF Long Distance system. For all you propeller heads out there, this is for you. If you’re not familiar with technical jargon, skip to the Production section, because there’s some more interesting things taking place there.

Euro Media Group spent three years developing their own modulation technique and chipsets that would deliver the special requirements of broadcasting a moving circus like the Tour de France. Mountains, valleys, heavy foliage, buildings, and multipath require dynamic modulation methods depending on signal conditions. Their proprietary digital modulation technique (based on DVB-T ) uses QPSK, QAM16/32/64 combined with 16 bit time-interleaving over a carrier with 10MHz bandwidth achieving 15Mbps (14Mbps video, 1Mbps audio). It might sound complex, but compared to modern day cellular communications, this is relatively straightforward.

The MPEG4 1920×1080 HD bitstream is encoded and modulated at the camera end. The digital signal is preserved by being encoded and decoded only once throughout the whole chain of events (encoded at the camera and decoded at the OB truck at the finish line).

There can be only one video feed that gets distributed to the licensed broadcasters of the race, otherwise there would be hundreds of cameras and multiple sets of infrastructure out on the course. That raw video feed is done by Euro Media Group and then passed onto France TV to mix and create a single feed for the rest of the broadcasters to wrap up in their own production. Pre and post race shows, interviews, commentary, on-screen graphics, advertising, etc. For example, NBC had 75 staff working at the Tour de France and 15 others back at the studio in the US putting the whole production together. In comparison, SBS for the first time had two crews at the Tour with with less than a dozen people bringing you all of their coverage.

Jean-Maurice Ooghe is the production director of France TV for the Tour de France. By his side is Ronan Pensec who watches the multiple camera images in the control room and helps Ooghe and his production team understand the nuances and race situation within the Tour. Pensec, a yellow jersey winner himself, has the intimate knowledge of bike racing so that the viewers don’t miss a moment of the race itself. Inside the France TV production trailer there are as many as 20 ingress camera feeds coming into different monitors (helicopters, motorcycles, multiple fixed cameras, audio) that need to be assembled according to the production plan. The race obviously takes priority, but for many of the people who tune into the Tour de France, it’s not about the bike race. For a wide audience it’s a opportunity to discover the regions of France from the sky.

For each stage a very detailed production plan (or script) is created by Jean-Maurice Ooghe. From January until the end of May Mr. Ooghe scouts the geographic and cultural points of interest within a 10-15km radius of the race route. Castles, lakes, waterfalls, tourist attractions, and celebrations put on by the towns (those large displays in the farmers fields don’t happen by accident). He will then create a shot book so that every church and other landmark they deem worthwhile is in the script. All of these points of interest are also given waypoints so the helicopters follow the shot list and the production plan for each stage.

[royalslider id=”11″] Back in production trailers for the various broadcasters, commentators such as Phil, Paul, or Matt Keenan are given a Speakers Book which give detailed information about almost every single kilometer near the race route of different points of interest that will be covered. The Church of Saint-Pierre will be shown at kilometer 3.4 of the race (not necessarily along the race route – it could be 15 kilometers adjacent), a waterfall at kilometer 16.3, etc. The commentators see the post-produced race feed with all graphics, commercials, etc and are free to decide how they want to speak to their respective audiences.

As you can see the technology behind the Tour de France broadcast is equivalent to broadcasting a moving AFL Footy Grand Final for 22 days straight. It’s an enormous task that is just about to begin its planning for 2013. The production of the live feed to broadcasters is meticulously planned months ahead of time to meet the needs of many commercial objectives and almost every moment of imagery is scripted. As you can see, there’s much more than a simple bike racing going on behind the scenes.

This article was originally published in Oct 2012.

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"},{"title":"woman who threw cap at mathieu van der poel\u2019s wheel says she had \u2018an afternoon of aperitifs\u2019","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/woman-who-threw-cap-at-mathieu-van-der-poels-wheel-says-she-had-an-afternoon-of-aperitifs\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/woman-who-threw-cap-at-mathieu-van-der-poels-wheel-says-she-had-an-afternoon-of-aperitifs\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"woman who threw cap at mathieu van der poel\u2019s wheel says she had \u2018an afternoon of aperitifs\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/woman-who-threw-cap-at-mathieu-van-der-poels-wheel-says-she-had-an-afternoon-of-aperitifs\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"woman who threw cap at mathieu van der poel\u2019s wheel says she had \u2018an afternoon of aperitifs\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n woman who threw cap at mathieu van der poel\u2019s wheel says she had \u2018an afternoon of aperitifs\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"breaking: ncl pulling plug on 2024 season \u2018effective immediately\u2019","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/breaking-ncl-shutting-down-immediately\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/breaking-ncl-shutting-down-immediately\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"breaking: ncl pulling plug on 2024 season \u2018effective immediately\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/breaking-ncl-shutting-down-immediately\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"breaking: ncl pulling plug on 2024 season \u2018effective immediately\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n breaking: ncl pulling plug on 2024 season \u2018effective immediately\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"chris froome \u2018comes to reality\u2019 that winning a fifth tour de france is \u2018very, very difficult\u2019","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/pogacar-vs-froome-in-his-prime-who-would-have-won-it-would-have-been-interesting\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/pogacar-vs-froome-in-his-prime-who-would-have-won-it-would-have-been-interesting\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"chris froome \u2018comes to reality\u2019 that winning a fifth tour de france is \u2018very, very difficult\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/pogacar-vs-froome-in-his-prime-who-would-have-won-it-would-have-been-interesting\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"chris froome \u2018comes to reality\u2019 that winning a fifth tour de france is \u2018very, very difficult\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n chris froome \u2018comes to reality\u2019 that winning a fifth tour de france is \u2018very, very difficult\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"cycling and civil rights icon major taylor finally gets the documentary he deserves","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-culture\/cycling-civil-rights-icon-major-taylor-finally-gets-documentary-he-deserves\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-culture\/cycling-civil-rights-icon-major-taylor-finally-gets-documentary-he-deserves\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"cycling and civil rights icon major taylor finally gets the documentary he deserves\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-culture\/cycling-civil-rights-icon-major-taylor-finally-gets-documentary-he-deserves\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"cycling and civil rights icon major taylor finally gets the documentary he deserves\"}}\u0027>\n cycling and civil rights icon major taylor finally gets the documentary he deserves\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"why are so many gravel pros doing levi leipheimer\u2019s new road race","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/gravel-pros-levis-gran-fondo-road-race\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/gravel-pros-levis-gran-fondo-road-race\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"why are so many gravel pros doing levi leipheimer\u2019s new road race\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/gravel-pros-levis-gran-fondo-road-race\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"why are so many gravel pros doing levi leipheimer\u2019s new road race\"}}\u0027>\n why are so many gravel pros doing levi leipheimer\u2019s new road race\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"\u2018not my specialty but i\u2019m going to try\u2019: can mathieu van der poel pip pogacar at li\u00e8ge-bastogne-li\u00e8ge","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/not-my-specialty-but-im-going-to-try-can-mathieu-van-der-poel-deny-pogacar-at-liege-bastogne-liege\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/not-my-specialty-but-im-going-to-try-can-mathieu-van-der-poel-deny-pogacar-at-liege-bastogne-liege\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018not my specialty but i\u2019m going to try\u2019: can mathieu van der poel pip pogacar at li\u00e8ge-bastogne-li\u00e8ge\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/not-my-specialty-but-im-going-to-try-can-mathieu-van-der-poel-deny-pogacar-at-liege-bastogne-liege\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018not my specialty but i\u2019m going to try\u2019: can mathieu van der poel pip pogacar at li\u00e8ge-bastogne-li\u00e8ge\"}}\u0027>\n \u2018not my specialty but i\u2019m going to try\u2019: can mathieu van der poel pip pogacar at li\u00e8ge-bastogne-li\u00e8ge\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"jonas vingegaard undergoes surgery in spain, with recovery time \u2018not yet clear\u2019","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/jonas-vingegaard-undergoes-surgery-in-spain-with-recovery-time-not-yet-clear\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/jonas-vingegaard-undergoes-surgery-in-spain-with-recovery-time-not-yet-clear\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"jonas vingegaard undergoes surgery in spain, with recovery time \u2018not yet clear\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/jonas-vingegaard-undergoes-surgery-in-spain-with-recovery-time-not-yet-clear\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"jonas vingegaard undergoes surgery in spain, with recovery time \u2018not yet clear\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n jonas vingegaard undergoes surgery in spain, with recovery time \u2018not yet clear\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"marianne vos lunges by celebrating lorena wiebes to nab amstel gold race women","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/marianne-vos-lunges-past-lorena-wiebes-to-nab-amstel-gold-race-women\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/marianne-vos-lunges-past-lorena-wiebes-to-nab-amstel-gold-race-women\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"marianne vos lunges by celebrating lorena wiebes to nab amstel gold race women\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/marianne-vos-lunges-past-lorena-wiebes-to-nab-amstel-gold-race-women\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"marianne vos lunges by celebrating lorena wiebes to nab amstel gold race women\"}}\u0027>\n marianne vos lunges by celebrating lorena wiebes to nab amstel gold race women\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"results: lauren de crescenzo and keegan swenson win the growler at levi\u2019s gran fondo","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/results-lauren-de-crescenzo-and-keegan-swenson-win-the-growler-at-levis-gran-fondo\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/results-lauren-de-crescenzo-and-keegan-swenson-win-the-growler-at-levis-gran-fondo\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"results: lauren de crescenzo and keegan swenson win the growler at levi\u2019s gran fondo\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/results-lauren-de-crescenzo-and-keegan-swenson-win-the-growler-at-levis-gran-fondo\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"results: lauren de crescenzo and keegan swenson win the growler at levi\u2019s gran fondo\"}}\u0027>\n results: lauren de crescenzo and keegan swenson win the growler at levi\u2019s gran fondo\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"patrick lefevere issues public apology over controversial comments: \u2018it was never my intention to harm anyone\u2019","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/patrick-lefevere-issues-public-apology-over-statements-it-was-never-my-intention-to-harm-anyone\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/patrick-lefevere-issues-public-apology-over-statements-it-was-never-my-intention-to-harm-anyone\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"patrick lefevere issues public apology over controversial comments: \u2018it was never my intention to harm anyone\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/patrick-lefevere-issues-public-apology-over-statements-it-was-never-my-intention-to-harm-anyone\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"patrick lefevere issues public apology over controversial comments: \u2018it was never my intention to harm anyone\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n patrick lefevere issues public apology over controversial comments: \u2018it was never my intention to harm anyone\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"sean kelly: tadej poga\u010dar\u2019s giro-tour double prospects have leaped forward","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/sean-kelly-tadej-pogacars-giro-tour-double-prospects-have-leaped-forward\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/sean-kelly-tadej-pogacars-giro-tour-double-prospects-have-leaped-forward\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": 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\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/amstel-gold-notebook-pidcocks-redemption-vos-old-school-lesson-and-van-der-poels-mystery\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"amstel gold notebook: pidcock\u2019s redemption, vos\u2019 old-school lesson, and van der poel\u2019s mia mystery\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/amstel-gold-notebook-pidcocks-redemption-vos-old-school-lesson-and-van-der-poels-mystery\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"amstel gold notebook: pidcock\u2019s redemption, vos\u2019 old-school lesson, and van der poel\u2019s mia mystery\"}}\u0027>\n amstel gold notebook: pidcock\u2019s redemption, vos\u2019 old-school lesson, and van der poel\u2019s mia mystery\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"tom pidcock grabs dramatic amstel gold race in four-man 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clearances","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/new-enve-fray\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/new-enve-fray\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"the enve fray is an all-road bike with near-gravel tire clearances\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/new-enve-fray\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"the enve fray is an all-road bike with near-gravel tire clearances\"}}\u0027>\n the enve fray is an all-road bike with near-gravel tire clearances\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "}]' > >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>advertise >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>privacy policy >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>contact >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>careers >", "name": "footer-menu", 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Mixed reception as Tour de France proposes broadcast of team radio conversations

'Can you imagine we’d reveal our conversations on TV? '

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Tour de France organisers ASO have proposed to this year’s participating teams that their race radio conversations be made public, according to Ouest-France .

The French newspaper reports that multiple teams have accepted the proposal but others, like Groupama-FDJ manager Marc Madiot, have rejected the idea.

If the project goes ahead, radio conversations during all the stages of the 2023 Tour de France would enable the public to hear selected samples of conversations between riders and teammates as well as their conversations with the team car. As part of the deal and to preserve other teams from eavesdropping on 'live' conversations, the radio exchanges would apparently be broadcast with a time delay, having first been monitored by team officials.

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This innovation was already a part of coverage of last year's Tour de France Femmes, and the idea has reportedly brought majority support from men's teams, though not all are convinced. Groupama-FDJ team manager Marc Madiot was vigorously opposed to the idea, Ouest-France reported.

"Can you imagine we’d reveal our conversations on TV? ," Madiot told the newspaper.

"Do you really conceive a TV camera being allowed to film a football team trainer giving his players their half-time instructions.”

On the other hand, Jean-René Bernadeau of TotalEnergies was far more open to the idea, saying “we have nothing to hide, so we’re ok with this.”

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His sports director Benoît Génauzeau was equally positive, saying “that forms part of the evolution of our sport, and I don’t think this will give away any secrets. It will be screened [before being broadcast], I can work with this.”

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Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews , he has also written for The Independent , The Guardian , ProCycling , The Express and Reuters .

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Is Le Tour de France the best piece of content marketing ever?

The Tour de France is surely one of the world’s most gruelling races, during which 198 riders will cover 3,540km, visiting 4 countries over 3 weeks with just the occasional rest day. But is the race the best example of content marketing of all time?

I would suggest that it is.

To make my case, I would cite three key constituents of the race, which of themselves are not enough to satisfy my claim, but when combined together might just be enough.

Firstly, and most obviously, the race reaches a huge global audience each year. This year, the race organisers are expecting 12 million people to spectate from the roadside, who will be joined by armchair cycling enthusiasts watching 105 hours of live coverage in 190 countries, plus a digital audience of more than 36 million people consuming content produced in four languages*.

Impressive. But from a content marketing perspective, the use of Le Tour in tourism marketing is arguably more impressive. France is the most popular destination in the world for tourists, with 82.5 million visiting in 2016** and doesn’t Le Tour do its best to boost those numbers. If you’ve never watched a stage of Le Tour (and if you haven’t I can heartily recommend it) you have missed, as a best guess, about a third of the live coverage being dedicated to the scenery and history of the regions and Departments that the race visits.

Each of the 190 countries airing the race take their feed from the official race broadcaster and as such, all beam incredible footage of chateau, mountain ranges, river gorges, outrageously cute villages and some of the most picturesque countryside in the world to their viewers. In addition, each of the commentary teams is clearly feed information on historical or other points of interest, the names and locations of which are shown on screen. And if that’s not enough, both the Assemble Des Departments De France and the Ministere De L’Interiuer are both official race sponsors.

The whole production is part race and part ‘Wish You Were Here. It’s brilliant.

Finally, and most interestingly, at least from an historical perspective, is that Le Tour was started as a content marketing campaign by a French cycling magazine to boost its circulation.

The first Tour was stage in 1903, started by L’Auto a sports newspaper which was formed to compete with Le Velo, at the time, the largest daily sports newspaper in France. L’Auto was in effect losing the circulation battle and started Le Tour to create a unique content event which they could use to drive their circulation numbers above those of their rival.

L’Auto’s circulation rose from 25,000 in 1902 to 250,000 by 1908, almost exclusively on the back of Le Tour. Le Velo was driven out of business in 1904.

So I rest my case. Le Tour – surely the most successful content marketing campaign of all time?

* www.letour.com

** French Foreign Ministry

Richard Spencer, CMO

Loren is an experienced marketing professional who translates data and insights using Isentia solutions into trends and research, bringing clients closer to the benefits of audience intelligence. Loren thrives on introducing the groundbreaking ways in which data and insights can help a brand or organisation, enabling them to exceed their strategic objectives and goals.

What We Hope For the Future:

Through our partnership with Change Our Game and the Victorian Government, we hope to pave the way for a future where women in sport are celebrated and recognized on equal footing with their male counterparts in the media. By increasing the visibility and representation of women in sports media, we aim to inspire the next generation of athletes, journalists and content creators and drive positive change towards a more inclusive and equitable sporting landscape. Together, we can create a world where every athlete, regardless of gender, has the opportunity to thrive and succeed.

About Change Our Game:

Change Our Game is an initiative by the Victorian Government aimed at achieving gender equality in sport and active recreation. Through advocacy, funding, and partnerships, Change Our Game works to address systemic barriers and promote inclusivity and diversity across all levels of sport.

About Isentia:

Isentia is a leading provider of media intelligence and analysis services, helping organisations make informed decisions based on actionable insights from media data. With a comprehensive suite of solutions, including media monitoring, analysis, and insights, Isentia empowers clients to stay ahead in an ever-evolving media landscape.

Select to be taken to Change Our Game's full report

Isentia co-launches report: representation of women in sports coverage 2022-23.

The story around supermarket prices has been evolving for a number of months, finally reaching an inflection point as the Woolworth’s CEO appeared in a challenging interview with Four Corners and then announced his upcoming retirement only two days later.This chain of events underscores the critical importance of understanding the connections made by broadcast media, as they can significantly influence public perceptions and shape the narrative surrounding key industry players.

It was only the latest in a series of media items to seize Australia’s attention, and cast the nation’s supermarkets into something of a PR and Comms crisis.

And yet, viewing events through this framing also only gives a partial picture. As the discussion surrounding the impact of supermarkets on the rising cost of living intensifies, we've observed a notable surge in the usage of terms such as 'shrinkflation' and 'skimpflation'. Reaching back even further, we can see how the topics attained a gradually greater place on Australian news and social channels. Shrinkflation and skimpflation are tactics employed by supermarkets during economic challenges. Shrinkflation involves reducing product sizes while maintaining prices, subtly passing on costs to consumers. Skimpflation maintains product sizes but compromises on quality to preserve profit margins. These strategies often frustrate supermarket shoppers, especially during economic strains like inflation.

Clearly, the topic has become ubiquitous. But if we want to understand how information and perceptions have been communicated to mainstream Australian audiences, then it becomes vitally important to pay particular attention to broadcast media.

Broadcast media (which includes television, radio and podcasts) plays a pivotal role in shaping public discourse and influencing perceptions, particularly on pressing issues such as the cost of living crisis.

Using Isentia to monitor these data sources, we gain valuable insights into their contribution to consumer attitudes. From identifying which organisations are most associated with the issue to pinpointing key public figures and preferred channels within radio and TV, broadcast media monitoring allows us to understand the complex dynamics that shape public opinion.

It’s the oldest of these media types which accounts for the most mentions of the supermarket crisis. Beyond reporting updates on the senate inquiry and government actions, radio excels in facilitating in-depth conversations between hosts and listeners, which surfaces more individual consumer stories than television or podcasts can match.

ABC's predominant coverage of the topic corresponds with the network's content strategy. Major programs such as the Supermarket Four Corners special and podcasts like The Briefing attract substantial listenership and garner attention from other channels. Channel 7, in addition to delivering key news updates, focuses on the shopper experience within supermarkets, shedding light on everyday challenges faced by audiences, such as navigating shrinkflation and skimpflation tactics.

Understanding the majority share of broadcast channels within this topic is important as it reflects who has the loudest voice, and is most persistently advancing a certain narrative or way of framing the situation.

Coles and Woolworths dominate the conversation, reflecting their prominent presence in the retail landscape. Their widespread accessibility and familiarity to consumers make them prime subjects for discussion in the context of rising costs and economic pressures.

Conversely, Aldi and IGA, while still significant players in the grocery market, may receive comparatively less focus in these discussions. Aldi's reputation for offering lower-priced alternatives and IGA's decentralised business model, with independently owned stores, may also contribute to their reduced presence in conversations about supermarket practices during times of economic strain.

Each channel and network approaches discussions about supermarket groups differently. While Coles and Woolworths understandably dominate each station's broadcasts, the precise balance (and the time afforded to Adi and IGA) is revealing.

For instance, 4BC has encouraged audiences to diversify their shopping habits, with one 4BC broadcaster highlighting that "Aldi and IGA are actually doing more than the other two to really help enormously with the cost of living."

In the discourse on supermarket practices during the cost of living crisis, a number key figures emerge across broadcast channels. Anthony Albanese, the Australian Prime Minister, is predictably prominent on just about every channel, particularly broadcaster 2SM.

All of them, that is, apart from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), which spotlights Allan Fels, an economist and former ACCC chair who has analysed price gouging by major corporations. Other notable politicians mentioned include Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Craig Emerson, Steven Miles, and David Littleproud.

Media's focus on these figures is crucial for shaping public discourse and policy responses amid economic pressures. While supermarkets are often discussed as a key antagonist in the cost of living crisis, they are increasingly being viewed in the context of potential solutions, particularly regarding government policy to regulate supermarket giants.

At the same time, focus does not only fall on the prominent individuals driving business decisions and policymaking. Country Hour (NSW), for instance, focused a story on cherry grower Michael Cuneo, who ceased selling to supermarkets after he made a financial loss on a shipment of fruit. And it was this story that achieved the greatest media reach of any radio content on the topic.

Clearly then, the topic has not played out in any one way across any one channel. The prominence of key figures and top broadcast channels in this conversation underscores the importance of understanding how media coverage impacts public discourse and regulatory decisions. Isentia's broadcast capabilities offer unparalleled insight into the role of broadcast media in shaping the narrative surrounding supermarket practices. By harnessing Isentia's monitoring and analysis tools, organisations can gain deep insights into how influential discourse and coverage can impact an industry.

How Australian broadcast media has shaped the cost of living crisis narrative

The rising cost of living is not just an issue in Australia but a global concern that affects countless individuals, with people facing the daunting challenge of affording basic necessities while striving to maintain a decent standard of living. It’s a topic that can touch a nerve for many, but it’s also a dynamic conversation that drives the media, public opinion, and individual experiences.

What’s driving the cost of living concerns?

A range of factors are driving the cost of living in Australia, with some having more of an impact than others. Using data from our sister company, Pulsar, inflation (as the overarching issue) is gaining the most media coverage as the price of goods and services continues to increase over time.

The chart also shows the rise in energy costs, interest rates, and housing prices (rent and mortgage prices) as other main drivers for cost of living concerns. As energy prices continue to increase, households are feeling the pinch as their expenses soar. And when it comes to housing, whether it's the skyrocketing rent or the burden of increasing mortgage payments, many individuals and families are finding it increasingly challenging to secure affordable accommodation.

Let’s take a closer look at these topics.

Energy fuels the discussion

Energy sources and prices are hot topics in the media, impacting households, affordability, and vulnerable populations. But a troubling discrepancy emerged in the May 2023 Budget: businesses got more attention than households in energy relief measures. Surprisingly, only 13% of media coverage focused on the struggles faced by individuals, while a whopping 29% centered around the politics and policies of Australian businesses. This raises valid concerns about whether the media is truly addressing the needs of Australian communities.

The energy narrative and the cost of living

Sectors feeling the heat of media scrutiny

Media outlets play a crucial role in shaping public opinion and influencing the cost of living. When it comes to specific energy sectors, they have become the subject of intense media scrutiny. Data from our Energy Transition report shows that coal and gas are in the hot seat, with a significant portion of media coverage - 43% for coal and 26% for gas - dedicated to discussing these fossil fuels. This media focus highlights the ongoing conversations surrounding the environmental impact of coal and gas, their contribution to climate change, economic considerations, and the urgent need for policy changes to transition to cleaner energy sources.

the great energy debate and the rise in the cost of living

Feeling the pinch

The cost of living crisis goes beyond numbers; it’s intertwined with the housing market and interest rates. Escalating housing costs, fueled by rising prices and interest rates, can put immense strain on household budgets, leading to financial stress and widening economic inequality.

But the conversation doesn't stop there. The story behind the data is clear: the cost of living is an issue that affects us all, and the media plays a crucial role in shaping and amplifying the conversation. Google searches and social media activity reflect people’s ongoing concern about the weight of living expenses, especially around RBA announcements. Anxiety emerges as a dominant theme, with a staggering 93% of media coverage highlighting the keyword.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows living costs have reached an all-time high. Over the past 12 months, all living cost indices have risen between 7.1 percent and 9.6 percent for all households, compared to a 7 percent annual increase in inflation.

The difference largely stems from living cost indices taking into account mortgage interest charges. Housing and interest rates have been the largest contributors to the rise in the cost of living, with home owners feeling the pinch from rising mortgage payments and renters feeling the brunt of it. According to the RBA, the average mortgage size in Australia has increased by 38% in the past decade. According to Pulsar data, unsurprisingly, 84% of Australians are left feeling sad about the cost of living.

Influential figures shaping the conversation

Data from the Pulsar Platform gives a visual snapshot of how several Australian and foreign individuals and groups are influencing the conversation, including politicians, economists, consumer advocacy groups, and business owners.

Unsurprisingly, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) holds significant influence when it comes to shaping the cost of living conversation in Australia’s political landscape. As the governing body in Australian Parliament, their policies and initiatives subjectively bear the everyday Australian in mind, aiming to tackle the affordability challenges that many face. The ALP resonates with citizens worried about rising living costs due to its focus on income inequality, social justice, and fair economic policies. But are they doing enough?

Treasurer Jim Chalmers, along with other influential ALP members including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Chris Bowen, and Mick de Brenni, are leading the conversation in an effort to alleviate living expenses and promote income growth. Despite their desire to achieve these outcomes, the public outcry on Twitter shows the frustration Australians are feeling. The Prime Minister and Treasurer are in the firing line, with the public urging more action on the cost of living crisis.

How media intelligence can help you navigate the cost of living

Advocacy efforts can be significantly enhanced through the use of social listening and media monitoring. These tools allow you to effectively navigate the dynamic narratives surrounding the cost of living. By tailoring your advocacy approach, you can foster a more equitable and sustainable solution that brings positive change to communities and influences public opinion.

Additionally, by staying well-informed about the ongoing public discourse and trending discussions related to the cost of living, you can develop compelling communication strategies that effectively inform and engage your stakeholders.

Curious about how media intelligence can enhance your communication strategies to connect with your audience? Request a demo here , and our expert team will reach out to help you develop your communication strategies.

The Story Behind the Data: Navigating the Cost of Living

The rising cost of living is not just an issue in Australia but a global concern that affects countless individuals. Within our shores, people are facing the daunting challenge of affording basic necessities while striving to maintain a decent standard of living. It’s a topic that can touch a nerve for many, but it’s also a dynamic conversation that drives the media, public opinion, and individual experiences.

Media's Lens: Framing the FIFA Women's World Cup Narrative

The FIFA Women's World Cup has taken centre stage as well as global communication strategies, drawing global attention as the media employs key themes to shape perceptions and illuminate the tournament's core values. From Viewing & Enjoying to Women in Sports, Rankings, Cultural Inclusivity and Representation, Marketing and Advertising, Community and Economy, these themes underscore the event's significance, lofty ambitions, and the collective aspiration for soccer's unifying power.

The media focuses on the excitement surrounding the game, not only because it echoes fans' optimistic expectations for the future of women's sports but also because this is entertainment with genuine fandoms. This strategic coverage not only provides professional athletes with a global platform to broadcast their values to the world but also weaves the Women's World Cup narrative into a vibrant tapestry of empowerment, inspiration, and unity, establishing an influential precedent for the evolution of women's sports.

Studying how news media engage viewers provides insights for organisations aligning their messaging with audience expectations. While WWC promotes women in sports, news media prioritise entertainment and women athletes. A tournament, usually hosted in inconvenient time zones, excites Australian and New Zealand non-sports and sports fans alike, emphasising the value of a localised global platform backed by the media.

Media trends drive organisations to adjust communication strategies. It signals organisations/brands to re-strategise their communications strategy when they observe media and viewer trends and their flow-on effects. For example, media coverage of the cup, focusing on its entertainment value rather than gender, and reporting on ratings, excitement, and atmosphere, demonstrates to organisations that it is a worthwhile channel to invest in and align their communications with.

Brand Strategies: Engaging Audiences Amidst the Soccer Spectacle

top sponsors and their communication strategies strategies

As the FIFA Women's World Cup captivates global attention, it becomes an arena for strategic brand engagement. Our friends at Pulsar provided key audience intelligence insights, helping us bridge the gap between news coverage and audience engagement. The tournament serves as a stage for brands to showcase their commitment to women's sports and connect with passionate fans on a deeper level with their messaging. Among these, a select few stand out, employing unique strategies, like broadcast presence, social engagement and news pickups, to drive forward their values while resonating with WWC’s diverse audience segments. These organisations took advantage of a phenomenon with broad appeal and positioned themselves to represent the themes driven by news media.

McDonald's and Social Engagement – Empowering Fan Participation and Interaction

McDonald's turns its spaces into soccer havens, fostering community engagement through earned content using social media ops and iconic backdrops. Macca's All Stars and personalised collectible cards connect fans, while initiatives like Macca’s Swings infuse playfulness. The Panini Football Stickers Happy Meal celebrates women's football by building fan dream teams.

Lays and Broadcast Presence – Amplifying the Thrill of the Game

With the biggest investment in TV ads for women's sports, Lay's "Taste of Greatness" commercial marks a historic partnership, fueling the excitement of the game. The #LaysGOALdenGiveaway transforms goals into winning opportunities, while the Ultimate Watch Parties and Fan Quest showcase the lively fan culture, bringing supporters together. Lay's top investment in women's sports aligns with how news media and audiences perceive women's sporting events.

Google Pixel and News Pickup – Highlighting Visibility and Advocating Equality

Google Pixel amplifies visibility with the "unblur" function and the campaign message of seeing individual players' diverse stories, thus advocating for gender equality. Partnerships with football associations and players empower Pixel FC members, while the advanced camera and AI technology enhance fan experiences, uniting fans on and off the field.

By exploring these communication strategies, we discover how the FIFA Women’s World Cup goes beyond being just a sporting event. It becomes a symbol of unity, inspiration, and a demonstration of the messages that resonate with audiences.

Lay sponsorship strategy of broadcast presence media exmaple

Sam Kerr: Icon of the Game and Her Diverse Fan Base

Sam Kerr's audience segments and communications strategies

Sam Kerr's journey from aspiring athlete to global sensation exemplifies her exceptional talent and unwavering work ethic. Her iconic status isn't solely due to athleticism; Sam Kerr's genuine authenticity and relatable qualities forge connections with diverse supporters, as seen in the primary fan segments listed above. Her public image highlights how news coverage prioritises entertainment, appealing to a wider audience rather than just sports fans or those with a pro-women agenda.

Organisational messaging can use this to bring their purpose to a wider community. This illustrates a profound connection between the themes the news media emphasise and the messaging organisations should strive for, as demonstrated by Sam Kerr's influence.

Sam Kerr's influence spans diverse groups, including young women who are inspired by social influencers like Tanya Burr, dedicated sports fans who admire her tenacity, and the LGBTQIA+ community who identify with her. Understanding the most popular platforms and channels of her audience further indicates where messaging and brand positioning would be most effective, especially for organisations that aim to reflect the diverse fanbase Sam Kerr attracts. Her impact reflects the universal appeal of the Women's World Cup, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds and uniting them around values such as determination and breaking stereotypes. Sam Kerr's far-reaching impact is a beacon of hope for women's sports.

Getting off on the right foot with the right communication strategies

The FIFA Women's World Cup goes beyond showcasing soccer prowess, intertwining narratives of athlete popularity, partnership strategies, and media coverage. This exploration delves into Sam Kerr's journey, scrutinises the engagement strategies of major brands, and dissects how the media portrays the Women's World Cup. From Kerr's diverse impact on fans to organisations strategically amplifying their brands amid the tournament's excitement and media highlighting essential themes, a comprehensive picture emerges. This holistic perspective crafts a vibrant narrative of empowerment, unity, and inspiration.

As PR and communications professionals, these insights emphasise the potential to align brand narratives with a popular ethos, fostering impactful connections and advocacy that resonate within a changing industry and beyond.

If you would like to learn more about discovering how media intelligenc e can lead to insights across advertising strategy or the active communities leading specific online conversations using audience intelligence , get in touch with our partners at Pulsar today .

Communication Strategies at FIFA Women’s World Cup

Media’s Lens: Framing the FIFA Women’s World Cup Narrative The FIFA Women’s World Cup has taken centre stage as well as global communication strategies, drawing global attention as the media employs key themes to shape perceptions and illuminate the tournament’s core values. From Viewing & Enjoying to Women in Sports, Rankings, Cultural Inclusivity and Representation, […]

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Tag: Communication in the Tour de France

Communication in the Tour de France: How Does It Work?

When you have 22 teams of eight riders each, as in this year’s Tour de France, as well as team vehicles, support vehicles from the Tour de France organizers, the ASO, as well as press motorcycles on the road, and the riders are riding kilometers…

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, June 22nd, 2023

LIVE COVERAGE OF THE 110TH TOUR DE FRANCE BEGINS SATURDAY, JULY 1, ON PEACOCK & NBC

Live Coverage of All 21 Stages of Tour de France July 1-23 Across Peacock, NBC, and USA Network; Final Round Coverage Concludes Sunday, July 23, at 10 a.m. ET Exclusively on Peacock

Peacock to Stream Live Start-to-Finish Coverage of Every Stage, Plus Daily Tour de France Pre-Race Shows

‘Team Radio’ Communication Between Riders and Team Directors to be Featured During Broadcast for First Time

Production Elements Also Include Enhanced Augmented Reality Features, Interactive Stage Maps, GPS Race Tracking & More

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 22, 2023 – NBC Sports will present three weeks of wall-to-wall live and encore coverage of the 110 th Tour de France across Peacock, NBC and USA Network from July 1-23.

Daily live coverage of the Tour de France, featuring all 21 stages, begins Saturday, July 1, at 6 a.m. ET on Peacock with the Tour de France Pre-Race Show , followed by Stage 1 at 6:30 a.m. ET on Peacock and continuing at 8 a.m. ET on Peacock and NBC.

The first weekday stage begins Monday, July 3, with live race coverage beginning on Peacock at 6:50 a.m. ET and continuing at 8 a.m. ET on Peacock and USA Network.

Coverage throughout each day of the 21-stage event begins with the Tour de France Pre-Race Show on Peacock, followed by live race coverage. Final weekend coverage culminates on Saturday, July 22, with Stage 20 live on Peacock at 7:30 a.m. ET, and final stage coverage on Sunday, July 23, live on Peacock at 10 a.m. ET. NBC will present encore coverage of the final stage at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Peacock will stream live start-to-finish coverage of every stage of the 2023 Tour de France, featuring NBC Sports-produced coverage, as well as commentary from the world feed. Peacock will also feature full-stage replays, highlights, stage recaps, rider interviews, and more.

To sign up and watch every minute of live action from the 2023 Tour de France, click here .

Peacock’s expansive programming offers the most live sports of any SVOD service in the United States , including live coverage of Sunday Night Football , Big Ten football (beginning in September), Olympic Games, MLB Sunday Leadoff, Premier League, Notre Dame Football, NASCAR, NTT IndyCar Series, and much more. Peacock also offers daily sports programming on the NBC Sports channel.

2023 TOUR DE FRANCE

The 2023 Tour de France will cover a total distance of approximately 2,115 miles, beginning in Bilbao, Spain, and finishing 22 days later in Paris.

Expected yellow jersey frontrunners in this year’s field include defending champion Jonas Vingegaard (Team Jumbo-Visma) of Denmark and two-time champion and 2022 runner-up Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) of Slovenia, who won this year’s Paris-Nice. Green jersey contenders expected to compete include Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal-QuickStep), Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny), Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who won two stages last year, and seven-time Tour de France points classification winner Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies). Reigning green jersey winner Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo-Visma) is also expected to compete.

Aiming to make Tour de France history, 34-time stage winner Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan Team) looks to break a tie with Belgian legend Eddy Merckx (34) for the most stage wins in race history.

Americans expected to participate in this year’s Tour de France include 2021 stage winner Sepp Kuss (Team Jumbo-Visma), who helped chaperone Primož Roglič to victory at the 2023 Giro d’Italia, Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), who finished 12 th overall last year, Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar), Lawson Craddock (Team Jayco AlUla), and Joe Dombrowski (Astana Qazaqstan Team).

COMMENTATORS

NBC Sports’ cycling play-by-play caller Phil Liggett , universally known as the ‘voice of cycling,’ will cover his 51st Tour de France alongside analyst Bob Roll . Liggett and Roll will be on-site at each stage, along with reporters Steve Porino and former professional cyclist Christian Vande Velde .

Paul Burmeister will host daily pre-race and post-race studio coverage alongside Sam Bewley and Brent Bookwalter , who make their NBC Sports debuts as cycling analysts .

PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHTS

NBC Sports will integrate several features into its coverage of this year’s Tour de France:

‘Team Radio’ Audio : For the first time, NBC Sports will present select ‘Team Radio’ audio during the broadcast, playing clips of the communication between team directors and riders throughout the race
NBC Sports will utilize a cutting edge “Virtual” graphics Telestrator, which debuted throughout the 2019 Tour de France and produces augmented reality cyclist graphics for the commentators to move and analyze
The enhanced augmented reality features will include 3-D animated maps that track where the riders are in real time on the route and profile the stage terrain
Vande Velde will have a camera focused on him as he reports to offer real-time updates on race situations, while traveling aboard a motorcycle on the course
Real-time data of course gradients and the riders’ speeds

NBC Sports’ coverage will include real-time speeds of both the leaders and the peloton, and additional maps that show more detailed versions of the finishes and each mountain climb.

Coverage will also utilize several production enhancements and updated graphic elements, including a pointer feature to easily identify and focus on one rider in the peloton, and exclusive profiles on teams and riders.

NBC SPORTS SOCIAL MEDIA:

Fans can keep up with the Tour de France through NBC Sports’ social media platforms throughout the race, including exclusive behind-the-scenes photos, interviews, video clips, up-to-date news reports and stories from around the cycling world through the NBC Sports Cycling Facebook page and @NBCSNCycling on Twitter. In addition, fans can visit NBCSports.com/cycling for a live stream schedule, stage maps, results, routes and more.

NBC SPORTS’ 2023 TOUR DE FRANCE SCHEDULE

(subject to change, all times ET)***All live coverage on NBC and USA Network is also available on the NBC Sports app:

– NBC SPORTS –

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An inside look at what America's coolest team did the day before the Tour de France

This year's tour de france starts on the northwest corner of france, in normandy. the cannondale-drapac team have set up camp in coudeville-sur-mer, a commune in the manche department. the team has one big bus for the riders and another for the bikes and all the equipment. there are also several teams cars and vans..

The riders eat every meal together. Here they sat down to a big breakfast the day before the Tour's start. They'd soon head out for a 2.5-hour ride to recon the course for stage one.

The team has its own chefs, a married couple who travel with the team year-round. They often make the riders' food in their mobile kitchen and then bring it to them, usually in the hotel. It's way better than what most hotels serve up, and it meets the riders' preferences. Today for breakfast it was made-to-order omelettes.

There was a scale in the hallway where the riders were staying. Some weigh themselves each morning, in part to help tell if they're dehydrated. A fluctuation in weight can reveal such things. In a three-week grand tour, rest and recovery are critical.

It's common for riders to leave their laundry bags in the hallway for the team support staff to collect each day and wash.

Before the start of the Tour, Cannondale held a press conference at the hotel to announce the big news that it had teamed up with Drapac in a five-year deal.

Out in the parking lot of the hotel, the riders' bikes were waiting. (These bikes have a new-look paint job just for the Tour.)

After breakfast and a little down time to themselves, the riders made their way to the team bus, where they will spend a lot of the next three weeks.

Locals came out to see the riders and score some souvenirs.

Fans hung around for a glimpse of the riders and possibly an autograph or two.

Team boss Jonathan Vaughters checked out the new paint jobs on the bikes before talking to the riders on the bus about the day's plan.

Mechanics are pretty much constantly busy doing one thing or another. If they aren't building new bikes they are washing others. It makes for a long day.

Other support staff are constantly busy too. They do just about everything — wash clothes, run errands, make food, prepare water bottles, you name it.

Each team will go through hundreds of water bottles during one Tour de France.

These are the official transponders that riders must have on their bikes in the Tour de France. They keep track of each rider's location and time on each stage.

Eventually we rolled out. The nine-rider team all rode together for about 2.5 hours. Behind we followed in one of the team cars.

There is two-way communication between the riders and the sporting directors in the car via radios. There is also a map of the racecourse loaded for the guys in the car. On this day before the Tour's start, the riders were guided along part of the actual race route.

During the recon ride, riders worked with mechanics to tweak their fit on the bike. Here a rider had his saddle adjusted.

Sometimes we stopped for nature breaks and so that the riders could make minor adjustments to their bikes. As such, we sometimes had to go ahead of the riders, or hang back, depending on the traffic and roads.

Some local cyclists joined the action, but after a while the sporting directors asked them to hang back a little bit behind the team. It can be dangerous when amateurs get too close to the pros. If the pros have to make a sudden stop, it could spell disaster for all involved, so it's a matter of keeping everyone safe.

The team made three specific efforts during the 2.5-hour recon of stage one. These efforts are sometimes called "openers," where riders go really hard for a short period of time to open up the legs and prepare the body for the next day's racing. The idea is it helps prevent the "shock" the legs might otherwise feel in the actual race.

One rider, Dutchman Tom-Jelte Slagter, dropped back to the car to talk about his bike set-up with one of the mechanics. It's all about tweaking the rider's position until it's perfect for the race.

France's Pierre Rolland is Cannondale-Drapac's team leader at this Tour, meaning the entire team will be riding to support him as he tries to win or finish as high as possible in the general classification. Today he was all smiles.

The team hit 45 mph in one of the three big efforts, which lasted about 5 minutes.

During one of the few stops, American Alex Howes took some time to meet the locals.

We got back to the hotel just before a little rain started falling, so the timing by the sports directors was perfect. And the riders got in a good ride along with some course recon. All they have to do now is make it to Paris, some 2,200 miles away.

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Five teams won't share their radio communications during Tour de France

The Tour de France has its own series on Netflix, but now also goes a step further live in the race. After Ouest France already reported in June that the conversations between team car and riders will be broadcast live on television, L'Equipe confirms the news one day before the Tour. All but five teams are participating.

The audio between riders and teams has always been protected so far and only shared after the finish occasionally. Organizer ASO has now given the cycling teams the option to share their conversations over the radio, so that viewers can listen to what is being said during the race. Seventeen teams have agreed to do so. Alpecin-Deceuninck, Cofidis, Groupama-FDJ, Jayco AlUla and Movistar were the ones who refused to share their communications.

PREVIEW | Tour de France 2023 stage 1 - Pogacar, Vingegaard, van Aert, van der Poel and Pidcock among favourites for brutal opening stage

There will be a few minutes delay, similarly to Formula 1. An internal moderator will be appointed, who will decide which audios can go live and which cannot. Teams receive 5,000 euros from the ASO as compensation.

Groupama-FDJ is one of the teams that will not release its audios during the race. "Imagine if we did... We don't put a camera on football coach who gives instructions to his players at halftime?" said team boss Marc Madiot .

PREVIEW | Tour de France 2023 - Key stages, how the Pogacar vs Vingegaard battle will unfold and the star-studded peloton

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Thu 18 Apr 2024

"I felt like a bit of a knob" - Geraint Thomas admits tension in Tour of the Alps breakaway on stage 1

Wed 17 Apr 2024

"I have failed many times... But I never stopped believing" - Emotional Katarzyna Niewiadoma finally gets much-deserved big win at La Fleche Wallonne Femmes

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Digital Transformation – Lessons from Le Tour de France

Ability to dissect corporate challenges and succinctly identify, isolate and implement strategies and programs that bring return-on-investment, growth and success.

Sir Dave Brailsford knows a thing or two about transformation. A giant in the world of cycling, he is revered for his coaching methods and man-management skills which combine the best elements of sports science, psychology, technology and business.

His list of achievements in what some regard as the toughest sport in the world, have been nothing short of remarkable. After being appointed as the performance director for British Cycling in 2003, he went on to transform Team GB from very average, under-achieving cyclists into the undisputed best team in the world.

He led Britain’s cyclists to 105 World Championship medals, 50 of which were gold, 30 Olympic medals and 49 at the Paralympics. Not satisfied with this monumental achievement, he then went onto the lucrative world of professional road cycling where he became principal at Team Sky, going onto win the Tour de France yellow jersey a record 5 times in the last 6 years with Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome.

Barring a freak accident he will now make it a 6th time with Geraint Thomas later today. Being an avid fan of both sport and business, his methods have certainly inspired me.

So what lessons can the CxO learn from Sir David Brailsford about Digital Transformation?

“As a Leader you need to be a solid rock of consistency”

Strong Leadership

Brailsford is a great leader . He is a rock of consistency, he reacts in the same way and maintains his composure, even in times of crisis. His attitude is excellent – enthusiastic about his craft, always emitting energy and positivity. There may be days when his motivation fluctuates, but his attitude is always the same. He goes to work to train and to win.

From a business perspective, our projects may suffer from ups and downs but we all have the choice to decide what attitude we should adopt to tackle them. The most important part of any successful business programme is to understand, think, reflect about yourself and how you operate.

“At the nucleus of every great team is a strong CORE”

Building the right team – The CORE principle

Your team is your vehicle to success, so recruitment of the right team members is the difference between winning and losing. To help with this, David came up with CORE, a framework for achieving excellence in human beings. CORE stands for:

(C)ommitment – Attitude is the most important thing to look for in a person. Does the person have an intrinsic drive towards achieving goals? Motivation will ebb and flow but Commitment is the underlying drive to get to a particular outcome. If the commitment from an individual isn’t present, they won’t make it to the team.

(O)wnership – People do not respond well to “Command and Control” style of management. People don’t like to be told what to do, they don’t like to be given non-negotiable tasks. They like to be asked about their opinion, they don’t like to be shouted at, they don’t like people taking about “me, me, me”, “my project”, “my neck on the line”, “you let me down”. One common mistake in Business is hiring great staff and then tying their hands and feet behind their backs. Once you have hired the best staff, let them have an opinion on how the programme should be run. Create that high performing team environment where people are free to speak. Highly motivated individuals want to win and will have plenty of opinions on how the team can achieve this. It is important that Executives and Managers facilitate and support this.

(R)esponsibility – If people are given ownership, then they should take responsibility for their part of the programme. It is the leader’s job to define clearly what people are accountable for, what is expected of them and what attitudes they need to adopt. This where the leader earns their “corn”.

(E)xcellence – If your combine Commitment, Ownership and Responsibility this leads to Personal Excellence. Getting the best from your team members.

“If other people aren’t doing it then you are doing something right”

Marginal Gains

David Brailsford is the inventor of the “Marginal Gains” philosophy, which is based on the familiar business ideas of innovation and continuous process improvement. While analysing the “value chain” for a cyclist, David theorized that that if he improved each activity by a small percentage, a marginal amount, when you combine these gains, you get a significant improvement. This has led to innovations in cycling such:

Anti-bacterial gel to cut down on infections
Introducing psychologists (Steve Peters) to help cyclists to deal with negative thought patterns
Equipment innovations for bike components, protective gear and clothing
Using the same pillows and mattresses before/during races
Creating a mode of transport (The Death Star coach) which keeps the riders relaxed and comfortable
Cooling down on a turbo trainer after the race to help avoid injury

In the world of digital transformation, I can see this starting to happen and there is a license to be very creative about this. From experience I have seen:

Height adjustable desks, to allow a mixture of standing and sitting work
Interactive smartboards which allow you to collaborate online, draw, make notes and save material instantly for sharing
Top of the range computers and tablets with the fastest processing power
Paying for subscriptions to e-learning sites and e-book sites such as Develop Mentor, Lynda and Udemy so that staff can continue their personal development in their own time
Free drinks and healthy snacks to keep energy levels high during the day
Access to a counsellor, psychologist or dedicated human resources adviser so that “life issues” can be discussed in confidence
Modern looking workspaces with unusual and ergonomically friendly designs
Best in class tools to help employees do their job.

As a Change and Transformation consultant, I have my own preferred set of tools which allow me to work fast and stay productive.

“Sometimes out of weakness comes strength, the strength to reach out”

Phone a friend when the going gets tough

When the going gets tough, the tough get going so to speak. In Brailsford’s case he will phone a friend. Fortunately for him, he can call upon friends such as Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Clive Woodward and Alastair Campbell.

In mid-2012, Team Sky had been on the verge of breaking point. Lance Armstrong, the American, a 7 time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor had been stripped of all his results due to a doping scandal. The fallout from this was huge and almost everyone in cycling was impacted. Some coaches at Team Sky were linked to Armstrong so they were the focus of a worldwide press investigation. This put Brailsford under an immense amount of external pressure and he thought about standing down. Fortunately, Brailsford was able to turn to Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s former director of communications. Campbell was able to give him some good advice on how to handle the crisis situation.

As a leader, I am well aware that pride can stand in the way of asking for help. The truth is your pride will suffer an even bigger fall if you don’t. If your digital transformation is not on track, speak to an expert with a track record of success. Your career depends on it.

Pushing the boundaries

Earlier this year, Team Sky were accused of being drug cheats by an explosive UK parliamentary report. The UK digital, culture, media and sport select committee accused Team Sky of abusing the system of therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs), in effect a doctor’s note allowing a banned substance to be used for the treatment of a legitimate medical condition. This did not constitute a violation of the World Anti-Doping Agency code, but the committee argued that it did cross the ethical line that David Brailsford has always drawn for himself and Team Sky.

Success breeds resentment and creates enemies. Digital Disruptors such as Amazon, Uber, Air BnB have also been accused of flouting regulations, bending laws, cheating the system and being anti-competitive.

“Innovation pushes boundaries. It makes the competition feel uncomfortable”

The truth is real innovation does push the boundaries, normally beyond the realms of the status quo and existing regulations. Many people will find this uncomfortable but this is the nature of innovation, it forces changes.

If you want to create something transformational, you are going to need to develop resilience. When Team Sky were accused of cheating in March 2018 the clamour for Brailsford to stand down and Team Sky to be stripped of all their titles was huge.

But they rallied together and survived. That’s the mark of a strong team.

Their road to redemption hasn’t been smooth. During the latest Tour De France, they have been booed at during almost every stage, spat at and had unidentified liquids poured on them by spectators.

“It brought us together,” Froome said. “We bonded faster this year. It feels as if it was us against the world. It was amazing how the team pulled through especially when off the bike, it’s been more difficult.”

An unwavering common purpose, backed by strong management, culture and team spirit can help to create a siege mentality that can block out all distractions, helping the team to focus on the the achievement of goals.

“Focus on the processes that you can control and not on the outcomes you can’t”

Climb every mountain

Any form of transformation is hard. It is ultimately about managing change in both mindsets and beliefs, which means people and culture.

Digital transformation is even harder as you have to add new business models, processes and technologies to that mix.

But like the journey up Alpe D’Huez, you need to train hard, put your bike in the lowest gear, grit your teeth and pace yourself to the summit. If you do this, you too can climb the biggest mountains.

Congratulations to Team Sky and Geraint Thomas for winning the 105th Tour De France!

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Tour de France's proposed radio ban criticised by riders and teams

As the teams gathered here for Saturday's start of the 2009 Tour de France , two prominent riders and one team director today expressed disapproval of the organiser's intention to ban the use of radio communication during two stages in the middle week of the race, claiming that it threatens their safety.

"Next they'll be asking us to ride for two days without helmets, or without cables in our brakes," said the veteran German rider Jens Voigt, twice a wearer of the Tour's yellow jersey, during a press conference given by his Saxo Bank team.

Since the mid-1990s, team directors have used radios to keep in contact with their riders, providing them with a stream of tactical instructions and information concerning the state of the race. By banning the devices during a flat run from Limoges to Issoudun on 14 July and a much hillier affair including two first‑category climbs between Vittel and Colmar three days later, the organisers are clearly hoping to reintroduce an element of old-fashioned spontaneity and uncertainty.

It is a scheme that, by and large, divides the generations. Older fans, and riders of previous generations who are no longer involved in racing, see it as a positive move to break the almost robotic degree of control that some teams, including those led by Lance Armstrong, have exerted over the race in recent years. To today's riders, who have known nothing else, it seems an inexplicable folly that puts their security at risk.

The sporting directors will no longer find it as easy to warn the riders of hazards lying ahead, and to pass information they will have to spend more time manoeuvring their cars through the peloton, with a consequent increase in risk on narrow roads often thronged with spectators.

"In a race like the Tour de France," Voigt continued, "there can be a motorcycle crash, or a truck blocking the road, or oil on the road on a descent, and the radios can save our skin."

Bjarne Riis, his team director, whose 1996 Tour victory was annulled a decade later when he admitted having taken drugs, was equally adamant. "It puts a risk on the teams," he said. "It's pretty nervous out there in the race and for two days the sporting directors will be panicking. They'll all be wanting to drive up to the front of the peloton to talk to their riders. There will be a scandal out of it."

Stijn Devolder, the 29-year-old former Belgian champion who rides for the Quick-Step team, pointed out that few of this year's riders have experience of riding without radios. "It's something they did 10 or 20 years ago," he said. "With the radios, it's pretty easy to know everything that's happening, like how far ahead a breakaway is. It's only two stages, but they are difficult ones and those days will be a different kind of racing and there will be a different kind of result. I don't think it's a good idea. For safety, maybe it's better with the radio."

Voigt is 37, the same age as Lance Armstrong, but unlike the American – who rode in the mid-90s for the Motorola squad, pioneers of team-to-rider radio – he has never ridden the Tour without the benefit of an earpiece.

"Imagine if they asked the formula one drivers to do the grand prix here without the radio to the pits," he said. "They'd go, 'Excuse me, is anybody alive there?' So I don't think it's such a great idea."

Tour de France 2009
Tour de France

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Tour de france, alentours evénementiel et le tour de france, une grande histoire d’amour….

Alentours Evénementiel, prestataire sur le Tour de France depuis 1992, dispose de 27 ans d’expérience dans la communication événementielle et promotionnelle sur cette manifestation, qui n’est autre que le plus gros événement sportif mondial annuel. Pendant toutes ces années, nos équipes ont sillonné les routes de France et d’Europe sous les couleurs de grandes marques (Coca Cola, Cofidis, Eco Emballages, Bic …), chargées de transmettre leurs valeurs au grand public. Alentours Evénementiel prend en charge la gestion de votre dispositif promotionnel sur cette événement hors du commun. De la réalisation de la caravane à l’organisation d’opérations de relations publiques, notre agence met son expérience au service des marques pour leur garantir une prestation clés en mains et sur mesure selon votre budget et vos objectifs pour faire vivre une aventure unique à vos collaborateurs et partenaires ainsi qu’à votre cible.

Un événement hors norme

La course est organisée pour la première fois en 1903 par Henri Desgrange et Géo Lefèvre, pour augmenter les ventes du journal L’Auto. Le Tour est actuellement organisé par ASO (Groupe Amaury). La course a lieu chaque année depuis sa première édition en 1903, excepté lors des deux guerres mondiales. Le Tour gagne en importance et en popularité au fil des éditions, sa durée est allongée et sa portée s’étend dans le monde entier. La participation s’élargie, on passe d’un peloton principalement français lors des premières éditions, à des éditions comptant jusqu’à 40 nationalités.

Le Tour de France, le Tour d’Italie et le Tour d’Espagne constituent les trois grands tours, les épreuves les plus prisées du cyclisme sur route. Le Tour de France est la plus ancienne et la plus prestigieuse des trois. Traditionnellement, la course se déroule durant le mois de juillet. Bien que le parcours change chaque année, le format de celle-ci reste sensiblement le même avec au moins un contre-la-montre, le passage à travers les chaînes de montagnes des Pyrénées et des Alpes et l’arrivée sur les Champs-Élysées à Paris. Les éditions modernes du Tour de France se composent de 21 étapes réparties sur une période de 23 jours et couvrent près de 3 500 kilomètres. Le tracé du parcours alterne entre le sens horaire et antihoraire des aiguilles d’une montre.

Un public conquis, une cible ultra réceptive

Les français sont particulièrement attachés au Tour de France et en sont fiers. Le considérant comme un événement mythique et populaire, ils sont des millions chaque année sur le bord des routes à applaudir le passage des coureurs et leurs cyclistes favoris.

Et pour la moitié d’entre eux, le passage de la caravane publicitaire est leur plus grande motivation. Car au delà du spectacle sportif, les spectateurs viennent assister à l’impressionnant défilé. Un spectacle publicitaire vivant, géant et interactif. Un cortège de 12km pendant environ 40min, mélange festif de véhicules aux superbes décors colorés, de distribution de goodies, de musique, d’animation et de sourires.

Les français se retrouvent aussi derrière leur écrans, sur France Television, pour assister chaque jour au spectacle visuel de l’épreuve sportive ainsi que du paysage et du patrimoine français remarquablement mis en scène par la chaîne publique. Une étude Eurodata prouve notamment que 82% des français sont touchés par une image du Tour de France pendant le mois de juillet.

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Communication in the Tour de France: How Does It Work?
When you have 22 teams of eight riders each, as in this year's Tour de France, as well as team vehicles, support vehicles from the Tour de France organizers, the ASO, as well as press motorcycles on the road, and the riders are riding kilometers apart, especially on mountain stages, a perfectly functioning communication system is essential to the success of the race.
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Communication among everyone is critical during each stage. A system of radios makes everything go: Race radio: A one-way feed run by Tour de France organizers. Team cars are stuck behind cyclists ...
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Tour de France teams are beautiful, complex enterprises in hope. Just as eight riders help one man win the Maillot Jaune, it takes a near-batallion of support to make a Tour de France team ...
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The communication between team members and their directors must be kept private. This is because radio will often be used to communicate each rider's role in the current team strategy. No matter how well you plan for each stage of the Tour de France, the ability to communicate updated strategies to your teammates is essential to the modern ...
How the Tour de France is Broadcast To the World
The first Tour de France that was broadcast to television was 56 years ago and it was done by using a motion picture camera and a mobile processing laboratory. Five minutes of coverage would be produced for each stage and it would be broadcast to the rest of France. France Televisions and Euro Media France are the two companies at the centre of ...
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Tour de France organisers ASO have proposed to this year's participating teams that their race radio conversations be made public, according to Ouest-France. The French newspaper reports that ...
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Communication in the Tour de France Archives
Communication in the Tour de France: How Does It Work? July 27, 2018 at 7:00 am 4 min reading. Road cycling. When you have 22 teams of eight riders each, as in this year's Tour de France, as well as team vehicles, support vehicles from the Tour de France organizers, the ASO, as well as press motorcycles on the road, and the riders are riding ...
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With proper communication, Tour de France teams can be successful in executing their race strategy and ultimately, winning the race. The Tour de France, in essence, depends on effective communication between teams. Each team's onboard radio system is equipped with a unique radio frequency assigned to that team. Most riders have a radio that ...
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Five teams won't share their radio communications during Tour de France
The Tour de France has its own series on Netflix, but now also goes a step further live in the race. After Ouest France already reported in June that the conversations between team car and riders will be broadcast live on television, L'Equipe confirms the news one day before the Tour.
The Tour de France's Tech Transformation
The 102nd running of the longest sporting event in the world, the Tour de France, begins Saturday. The race first took place in 1903, and it has continued every year since, except during WWI and ...
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In mid-2012, Team Sky had been on the verge of breaking point. Lance Armstrong, the American, a 7 time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor had been stripped of all his results due to a doping scandal. The fallout from this was huge and almost everyone in cycling was impacted. ... Tony Blair's former director of communications. Campbell ...
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The high pressure in a Tour de France bike tire is 115 psi in the front and 125 psi in the back for a normal stage. It is 10 to 15 psi higher for time trials and 10 to 15 lower when the road is slippery, says one Tour de France bike mechanic. ... tech-savvy teams are adding data gathering/transmitting gear and communication equipment that lets ...
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partner for the Tour de France, a guiding principle of our technical solution is to deliver the business outcomes of increased engagement across ... Communications and observability10. Tour de France 2021 - The technology used to create the world's largest connected stadium 3 ...
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As the teams gathered here for Saturday's start of the 2009 Tour de France, two prominent riders and one team director today expressed disapproval of the organiser's intention to ban the use of ...
Tour de France
Alentours Evénementiel et le Tour de France, une grande histoire d'amour…. Alentours Evénementiel, prestataire sur le Tour de France depuis 1992, dispose de 27 ans d'expérience dans la communication événementielle et promotionnelle sur cette manifestation, qui n'est autre que le plus gros événement sportif mondial annuel.
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Before the Tour started, the team presentations were so hard to watch (an English translator quietly talking over the French speaker made it hard to understand and follow along). The subtitles were on and off, and at least 20 seconds behind the French speaker. All about culture but the performances were embarrassing in my opinion.
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