There are several and very important functions that motorcycles perform during cycling tours. The Civil Guard, in charge of traffic around the competition, deploys more than 100 BMW R 1300 RT motorcycles that, added to the cars, helicopters and local police, guarantee the safety of the entire complex.
The organization also uses Kawasaki Versys 1100 liaison motorcycles for different functions such as transporting judges, distributing water or carrying spare wheels in places where team cars are not allowed access, etc. But the ones that attract the most attention are the motorcycles on TV in the case of the Vuelta Ciclista a España, TVE. We explain what they are and how they work.
The motorcycles on TV
This year in the Vuelta Ciclista a España, Spanish Television uses four live image motorcycles, one for the journalist announcer in the race and another to cover all the starts and the recorded race until the live motorcycles begin, which do not always follow the complete stages. They are all BMW R 1300 GS in its two versions, three with automatic transmission and three completely manual.
Side cases are mounted to carry the technical equipment, which are compact rigid cases for transporting electronic material adapted to the motorcycle, a transmitter on the rear grill, a 1.5 meter high mast with the main antennas and a few others distributed across the front of the motorcycle for communications, GPS, etc.
Its original layout during the competition is: moto 1, moto 2 and moto 3 in front of the peloton, moto 4 always behind the peloton to capture falls, movements of riders between the team cars, etc. Bikes 2 and 3, when the race is grouped, free to overtake and take shots in special places or points of interest.
When a breakaway occurs, bike 1 always keeps the lead while bike 2 stays at the head of the pack. If there are more groups, moto 3 also begins to cover the race, placing itself at the point of interest ordered by the director. In this way, all the important positions in the competition are covered. Having the majority of the motorcycles in front avoids overtaking groups and, therefore, unnecessary risks.
Complicated signal transmission
In order for you to comfortably see everything that happens in a 200 km stage that takes place between mountains, the TV and audio signals from each of the motorcycles must travel a really long and complex journey. The images captured by each of the motorcycles’ TV cameras are transmitted directly to a helicopter, which “bounces” them to a plane that flies in circles around 9,000 m altitude.
Above the platoon, in fact, there are two helicopters also equipped with powerful cameras similar to those used by traffic helicopters, and two planes to ensure that the signals are never lost. From the aircraft, the signal is forwarded to the completion point located at the finish line. Here the director chooses one of the eight signals that he receives continuously, and which will be the one he will send to the spectators to tell the race.
When one of the signals “clicks”, it is transmitted to a truck with a satellite dish that is also at the finish line, so that it can be sent to a geostationary satellite from where the signal goes back down to earth to the distribution center, in this case “el Pirulí” in Torre España Madrid. And from here, through the terrestrial network of repeaters, it is distributed to all the television receivers in homes.
Automatically continuous and without editing, all captured signals are also sent in the same way to Torre España. They can be seen on the RTVE Play channel, where the viewer can choose which of the images they want to see at any given time. A long process for which important technical and human resources are necessary.
A very special job
In principle, following a cyclist with a motorcycle with more than 100 HP does not seem complicated at all. But it is not one, there are almost 200 cyclists and two people plus equipment travel on the motorcycle, which makes them gain up to 400 kilos in weight. And everything, furthermore, has to be done within strict rules, because things get complicated.
One of the situations that surprises everyone who has had the opportunity to ride a motorcycle in a cycling race is the speed at which the riders descend a mountain pass. The truth is that if you are alone on a motorcycle and without competition regulation restrictions, it is not that difficult for an expert rider who knows how to line well and smoothly at good speeds.
You have to take into account the most important factor: weight. A cyclist with his bicycle weighs around 70 to 80 kg, a large displacement motorcycle never goes below 200 kg, whatever the rider weighs. If you have a passenger, who is sometimes standing on the footpegs, and other times sitting with the body hanging off some side, and you also cannot use the entire road, only half due to regulation and technical mandates, well… Things change.
The cornering speed of a Moto3 is, in many cases, higher than that of a MotoGP. Another thing is that large motorcycles can brake harder before the apex and accelerate much more at the exit. Well, the same thing, but even more exaggerated, happens with the curves between a bicycle and a motorcycle with two people.
The pilot must be gentle when braking and accelerating (he has a passenger who is filming), but preventing the cyclist from getting so close to the motorcycle that he may be harmed in his line, or benefited by the slipstream at the start. Well, that is not so easy, and gentleness in driving under extreme situations is essential.
Someone defined this type of TV motorcycle work with cyclists as “the noble art of bullfighting, with a motorcycle instead of a horse, a cyclist instead of a bull, but without getting hurt.” Completely the opposite happens when climbing slopes, in many cases greater than 15%, where the speed is minimal and the spectators barely leave a narrow path for the runners.
The motorcycles are much wider and heavier, and we must avoid hitting the public who, in many cases, do not have eyes for the rest of the vehicles that climb the steep slopes at speeds where maintaining balance is quite a juggle. So: the TV producer wants to place each motorcycle as close as possible to the riders; the judges and organizers as far away as possible; the camera operator the sweetest and softest.
They all command the pilot who receives them through the speakers integrated into his helmet, and he is the only one who has it in his power to please them all while piloting a motorcycle weighing more than 400 kilos in very special conditions. Without a doubt, a very specific job, of great responsibility, that allows spectators to see a high-level competition on public roads and fantastic environments.
Road cycling is the only sports competition, with the triathlon, the marathon and little else, that not only allows, but also requires, motorcycles on the playing field so that spectators can see the efforts of the athletes at home.
Interview with Francisco Marín Doblas, Director of Motodeportv
Francisco Marin Doblas He is currently the most expert motorcycle pilot of all those working in the Vuelta. He has been covering sporting events and all types of broadcasts in which motorcycles are used in Spain for almost three decades. We asked him about some unique issues regarding the monitoring of cyclists in the Vuelta a España.
- How many years have you been working with motorcycles for Spanish TV stations?
I started in 1997 with Escudería Los Hierros, who had been doing it since 1983 and were the ones who taught me.
- Paco, what is more difficult: going down a narrow pass of linked curves in front of the cyclists or going up a 17% slope packed with people at less than 5 km per hour?
Both things are very difficult, but the descents are more dangerous.
- This year you have used six BMW R 1300 GS, three of them with automatic clutch and another 3 normal ones. Which one is better for this job, and why?
BMWs have always been the best bikes for this type of work. The center of gravity, poise, space for two people, loading capacity… This latest BMW R 1300 GS model is lighter and offers more power, improving its torque for slow climbs and gaining security for steep descents. The automatic allows us to climb even more slowly, helping to keep up with the cyclists.
- How many hours a day do you ride a motorcycle during each stage?
Normally we start around 2:15 p.m. until the finish line is reached at 5:30 p.m. This year we do eight complete stages, live from start to finish, which are between 5 and 6 hours.
- This year has been especially hot: How about the behavior of the GS at more than 40º climbing a climb very slowly?
The behavior is perfect, it maintains the correct engine temperature at all times.
- Approximately how many kilometers are covered transmitting the Cycling Tour of Spain in total?
About 3,300 km are traveled on the motorcycle and another 3,500 km of transfers.
- Are there many regulations from the Organization and the International Cycling Union for the movement of TV motorcycles in the race?
There are very strict regulations for riding in the race. It is based on safety, and also rules so that cyclists are not harmed or benefited by slipstreams and feel safe at all times. All the bikes are transmitting continuously and the International Federation (UCI) has a vehicle where the judges are, continuously monitoring each of the signals from each bike. It’s like VAR. Thus the paradox arises that we ourselves are the ones who record our possible errors.
- Are motorcycle transmission equipment at a good level compared to other countries, France, Italy, etc.?
The equipment is being renewed and updated, which allows both TV and audio signals to become better and better, but it is true that in France they are a bit ahead. They were the inventors of almost everything with the Tour de France!
