RaceRanger debuts age group at Challenge Wanaka
The anti-drafting technology known as RaceRanger, which supports judges in determining whether an athlete is stuck wheel to wheel, took an important step in the Challenge Wanaka.
This middle distance event, located on the South Island of New Zealand, brought together 270 age group triathletes who tested the system for the first time, which until now had been used mainly in the professional categories of major events such as the T100 Triathlon World Tour and tests HOMBRE DE HIERRO.
A system with international references
RaceRanger has not only been present in top-line tests, such as in Challenge Roth or the IRONMAN World Championships.
Last year, the technology was put to the test in elite competitions, where triathletes such as Alistair Brownlee, double Olympic gold medallists, experienced the consequences of drafting penalties.
270 bicycles and only four fines
There was no PRO race at this edition of Challenge Wanaka, so all the attention was focused on the amateur participants.
A total of 270 triathletes carried RaceRanger in their BikeThe front device emits light signals indicating the legal overtaking distance, making it easier for judges to monitor possible drafting.
It was notable that only four penalties were imposed throughout the event, and it was not clear whether they were imposed on athletes using RaceRanger or on competitors from teams not using the system.
Another point of interest was the strategy of automatically switching on the devices before the race, instead of manually switching them on with a mobile phone.
Although this was a small age group, Elvery believes it would be very useful to refine these details in view of events where several thousand athletes are registered.
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Next steps and vision for the future
Despite the success in Wanaka, RaceRanger is not planning an immediate massive jump into races with hundreds or thousands of age groups.
This year, the agenda will remain focused on professional competitions, with the idea of fine-tuning the technology.
In parallel, work is being done on a new, more scalable system that would reduce the number of parts per bike and also allow for a cloud connection for real-time tracking, which would open the door for family and friends to follow the performance of triathletes through the platform.
The ultimate goal is to simplify installation, allowing each athlete to set up their own unit before the event, with organizers checking it is working properly at check-in.
