Tour 2004 bike question

[alembical]

Just got done watching today's stage and I noticed on the Left chain stay of lots of the bikes, a yellow thing attached. Looks kind of like a yellow version of my wireless cateye monitor, but it is on the rear. I highly doubt that it was a cadence monitor, because I am sure they know their cadence, plus it was yellow, and lots of riders had it. Anyone know what I am talking about?

Thanks in advance, Alembical

Check out:

[Kevan]

Lance is now offering chainstay versions of his yellow LAF bracelets. :D


No "dis-ing" was intended. :cool:

[gt6267a]

don't know for sure, but my guess is that it is a transponder. if i am right, the race organizers are able to track where a rider is without looking. somewhere there will be a receiver that tracks when the transponder goes past it. each transponder has a different code which translates to a rider. kind of like ezpass.

for example, when all 18x riders cross the finish line together in a flat stage, instead of watching the film and guessing when and in which position each rider finishes, they just use the data from when the transponder crosses the line.

i suspect that for close finishes, they still check the video because the front wheel is what determines victory and NOT the chainstay.

[Russ]

...is a GPS system. It is used mostly to track the riders' finishing position rather than where he is in the race. I have been told that this device is very helpful and compliments the modern photo finish equipment.

Note that this device is now used at most Category 1 UCI races and Sometimes it is mounted in the front (as in the Tour of Murcia, yellow devices).

By the way, spare bikes do not normally have this equipment installed (because of its price -?-); therefore the team always tries to put the rider back on his primary bike, if possible, as it happened in the Giro this year with Cunego...

[shinomaster]

I still want a new Cannondale six 13..
:banana: :banana: :banana:

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . you could probably get a pretty good deal on that used red one in the picture there . . . they might even include the transponder . . . ;)

BBDave