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Video: On-bike footage from Giant-Shimano at Tour de France

Experiment of filming races from rider's point of view continues at Yorkshire Grand Depart...

If like us, you’re fans of the on-bike footage that has been emerging recently, it looks like you could be in for a treat over the next few weeks – the trial, authorised by the UCI, is continuing at the Tour de France.

Here’s some footage of Stage 1 of the race shot from the bikes of Koen de Kort and Albert Timmer, including a view of a crash, as well as their Giant-Shimano team mate Marcel Kittel celebrating as he crosses the line in Harrogate to take the stage win and the yellow jersey.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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23 comments

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jazzdude | 9 years ago
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I can't run the video. It says it's private!

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chrisc | 9 years ago
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Where's it gone?!

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TheSufferfest | 9 years ago
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Hi guys - David from The Sufferfest here. Fear not - Grunter von Agony has been hard at work. There will be some ammaaaaazzzzing on-bike footage coming in The Sufferfest videos soon. : )

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fukawitribe replied to TheSufferfest | 9 years ago
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thesufferfest wrote:

Hi guys - David from The Sufferfest here. Fear not - Grunter von Agony has been hard at work. There will be some ammaaaaazzzzing on-bike footage coming in The Sufferfest videos soon. : )

Excellent news.. and congratulations on the Lesotho National Champs ! Will be on the other side of the world from my bike on National Day, but may have to blag a ride from somewhere.

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midschool | 9 years ago
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Have really enjoyed watching these onboard videos. The music in this one is shocking however. Much preferred the earlier ones when you hear it from the riders perspective.

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ajmarshal1 | 9 years ago
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Like I'm ever able to look up during a 10/10 sprint during a Sufferfest video..........

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notfastenough replied to ajmarshal1 | 9 years ago
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ajmarshal1 wrote:

Like I'm ever able to look up during a 10/10 sprint during a Sufferfest video..........

Up?! Up?! The phone gets mounted on my stem!

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Airzound | 9 years ago
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F1 cars have on board cameras, why not TdF bikes/riders? All riders should have the front and rear facing cameras. Would make much better compelling viewing for the arm chair and key board spectators.

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Beatnik69 replied to Airzound | 9 years ago
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It'll also come in handy for those times when they get cut up by a bus.  21

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Gkam84 replied to Airzound | 9 years ago
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Airzound wrote:

F1 cars have on board cameras, why not TdF bikes/riders? All riders should have the front and rear facing cameras. Would make much better compelling viewing for the arm chair and key board spectators.

While F1 have on board cameras and every car has to carry one of a dummy of the same weight. They are not bothered about a few grams here and there, just means they can make their car lighter.

On a pro bike, it will make a difference, especially the camera's they are using, not very aero

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kevinmorice replied to Gkam84 | 9 years ago
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"Airzound wrote:
F1 cars have on board cameras, why not TdF bikes/riders? All riders should have the front and rear facing cameras. Would make much better compelling viewing for the arm chair and key board spectators.
While F1 have on board cameras and every car has to carry one of a dummy of the same weight. They are not bothered about a few grams here and there, just means they can make their car lighter.

On a pro bike, it will make a difference, especially the camera's they are using, not very aero"

They are all currently strapping ballast to their current bikes to be UCI compliant so weight is not going to be an issue. Andy Schleck's bike was pictured last week with a 300g lump of lead bolted in behind the bottle cage.

My on-bike camera is the size of a large usb stick or a small torch, it weighs 60g, takes 4 hours of HD video and cost £45. If they want to do it the technology is certainly no obstacle.

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arrieredupeleton | 9 years ago
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Bloody hell. It looks like they are being sucked along in some sort of vortex! I know the pros say the TDF is just that bit quicker than any other race and you can see what they mean.

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tom_w | 9 years ago
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Sufferfest videos are about to get a whole lot better!

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Gkam84 replied to tom_w | 9 years ago
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tom_w wrote:

Sufferfest videos are about to get a whole lot better!

Doubtful, because the camera's are operated by the riders, they switch them on and off at certain points that have been discussed before hand

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fukawitribe replied to Gkam84 | 9 years ago
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Gkam84 wrote:
tom_w wrote:

Sufferfest videos are about to get a whole lot better!

Doubtful, because the camera's are operated by the riders, they switch them on and off at certain points that have been discussed before hand

Can't see that precluding some fabulous shots personally - there's plenty of the footage i've seen so far that would be an absolute shoe-in for the Sufferfest (and others) IMO. Any particular reason you think it's doubtful we'd get much decent reel or just a gut feeling ?

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Gkam84 replied to fukawitribe | 9 years ago
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fukawitribe wrote:
Gkam84 wrote:
tom_w wrote:

Sufferfest videos are about to get a whole lot better!

Doubtful, because the camera's are operated by the riders, they switch them on and off at certain points that have been discussed before hand

Can't see that precluding some fabulous shots personally - there's plenty of the footage i've seen so far that would be an absolute shoe-in for the Sufferfest (and others) IMO. Any particular reason you think it's doubtful we'd get much decent reel or just a gut feeling ?

The riders are switching the camera's on an off for around 2-3 minute segments. Normally two to three times a stage.

Lets just say they leave it on for 5 minutes. You get 15 minutes of footage. 5 minutes of them rolling through the start and maybe seeing a break get away.

5 minutes of them scrabbling up some nameless climb and IF they are at the front on a flat stage, you might get the last 3km of a sprint.

But all that with views backwards aswell, will not give a good enough reel to make anything on sufferfest.

In the future as things develop, then I can see something coming from it though.

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ajmarshal1 replied to Gkam84 | 9 years ago
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Gkam84 wrote:
fukawitribe wrote:
Gkam84 wrote:
tom_w wrote:

Sufferfest videos are about to get a whole lot better!

Doubtful, because the camera's are operated by the riders, they switch them on and off at certain points that have been discussed before hand

Can't see that precluding some fabulous shots personally - there's plenty of the footage i've seen so far that would be an absolute shoe-in for the Sufferfest (and others) IMO. Any particular reason you think it's doubtful we'd get much decent reel or just a gut feeling ?

The riders are switching the camera's on an off for around 2-3 minute segments. Normally two to three times a stage.

Lets just say they leave it on for 5 minutes. You get 15 minutes of footage. 5 minutes of them rolling through the start and maybe seeing a break get away.

5 minutes of them scrabbling up some nameless climb and IF they are at the front on a flat stage, you might get the last 3km of a sprint.

But all that with views backwards aswell, will not give a good enough reel to make anything on sufferfest.

In the future as things develop, then I can see something coming from it though.

It doesn't have to be an hour of solid on-bike footage though does it? That also wouldn't be in the style or theme of the videos. There are some very short pieces of film which can be interlinked with normal TV style scenes for good effect.

Take 'The Hunted' for instance. There are six short sprints at the end of that, the on-bike footage would be perfect.

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fukawitribe replied to Gkam84 | 9 years ago
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Gkam84 wrote:
fukawitribe wrote:
Gkam84 wrote:
tom_w wrote:

Sufferfest videos are about to get a whole lot better!

Doubtful, because the camera's are operated by the riders, they switch them on and off at certain points that have been discussed before hand

Can't see that precluding some fabulous shots personally - there's plenty of the footage i've seen so far that would be an absolute shoe-in for the Sufferfest (and others) IMO. Any particular reason you think it's doubtful we'd get much decent reel or just a gut feeling ?

The riders are switching the camera's on an off for around 2-3 minute segments. Normally two to three times a stage.

Lets just say they leave it on for 5 minutes. You get 15 minutes of footage. 5 minutes of them rolling through the start and maybe seeing a break get away.

5 minutes of them scrabbling up some nameless climb and IF they are at the front on a flat stage, you might get the last 3km of a sprint.

But all that with views backwards aswell, will not give a good enough reel to make anything on sufferfest.

In the future as things develop, then I can see something coming from it though.

Ah, wasn't aware it was so short - still be OK for shorter interval work but, if that's all that's going on currently, then yeah.. we'll have to wait a bit for more footage. At the Tour of California they were hinting at a lot more, both in duration and number of bikes carrying the cameras - maybe that'll come in due course.

That said, from the point of view of entertainment i'm really liking whats coming out so far.

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notfastenough replied to tom_w | 9 years ago
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tom_w wrote:

Sufferfest videos are about to get a whole lot better!

Whoa, I hadn't even thought of that! A set of on-bike sprint clips for something like downward spiral would be an awesome way to escape poor weather!

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Rich71 | 9 years ago
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Seems obligatory to soundtrack these type of videos with shitty distracting music in some fucking stupid attempt to embellish the action,well it doesnt embellish it,i just put it on mute
daft bastards

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Kapelmuur replied to Rich71 | 9 years ago
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Rich71 wrote:

Seems obligatory to soundtrack these type of videos with shitty distracting music in some fucking stupid attempt to embellish the action,well it doesnt embellish it,i just put it on mute
daft bastards

+1 - I like the sounds that bikes make.

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Gkam84 | 9 years ago
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Hang on, Marcel Kittel declared on twitter that he was a camera bike for Stage 1. I was waiting for the footage from behind him of the crash.

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enigmaman | 9 years ago
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Can we present these clips without the ridiculous and unnecessary music and wailing in the background? Hearing the shouts of the riders and the noise of the fans is as important as the video material. What is it with producers these days?

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