NTT DATA Business Solutions
Markus Muller | juli 2, 2024

Tour de France 2024: What NTT DATA does as Official Technology Partner

You’ve seen the NTT DATA logo on the tv-broadcast. You may have seen that we are an Official Technology Partner. But what is NTT DATA doing at the Tour de France exactly? What’s behind the partnership? What technology are we employing to empower the event, the operation, and the fan and customer experience?

For 10 years, NTT DATA has worked closely with A.S.O as technology partner on Tour de France. Every year we are taking new steps to enhance technology and to develop and innovate the legendary cycling event.

Get the answers about the partnership that is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year, right here.

Photo: Photo: A.S.O. / Pauline Ballet

NTT is co-innovating Tour de France
Tour de France and NTT is making digital real

Photo: A.S.O. / Charly Lopez

NTT DATA is powering the biggest cycling event in the world

The Tour de France is back. And so is NTT DATA, empowering the biggest race cycling has to offer. For the men; 21 stages. 176 riders. More than 3.400 kilometers across France. For the women; 8 stages. 217 riders. More than 946 kilometers with a grand final on the legendary Alpe d’Huez.

Millions of fans will be watching the yellow, the green,  and the polka-dotted jerseys race through the picturesque cities and rural villages, across the toughest routes and steepest slopes the French mountains has to offer. It’s a showcase of peak athletic performance, of epic competition and dramatic duels. With immense sacrifice and risk for everyone involved.

What you don’t see in the race? The technological infrastructure and innovation that ties the race together – making Tour de France one of the most entertaining and dramatic sports events of the year.

Let’s dive into it here!

Photo: A.S.O. / Pauline Ballet

Tour de France riders are tracked by NTT DATA

Storytelling in motion: The technology behind the Tour de France

After 10 years of collaboration, the Tour de France has turned into a state-of-the-art example of co-innovation between experts in major sport events and experts in data and technology.

In fact, today it’s impossible to imagine professional cycling without the comprehensive data, insights, live tracking and the myriad of knowledge about every little detail in the race. From the individual riders, the teams, the routes, to the climbs and ascents. Every second, every curve and every kilogram is collected and crunched – and in a sport like cycling, everything counts.

The data platform for everything

How do you know how fast a rider is cycling? How do you know the latitude and longitude?

In Tour de France everything is connected in a data platform that is the foundation for the technology of Tour de France.

This platform is combining real-time data and further data sources from the race and environment surrounding the race using data analytics and AI technology.

The “cycle” of data: From the roads to the Race center

After collecting the raw data from tracking devices, the data is being processed.

This is happening in the analytics-based platform, and quickly, it will be sent back to broadcasters, commentators, race officials and the Race Center website.

Digital twin with millions of data points

Our favorite way to describe what happens is as follows: We create the world’s largest connected stadium – spanning more than 3,500km in rural France.

How? By setting up a digital twin of the race. A virtual, digital representation of the Tour de France – build on the millions of data collected during the race.

Using edge-computing and cloud technologies the digital twin can combine layers of real-time information, replicating every aspect and detail of the race. This includes everything from race vehicles, the publicity caravan, event assets, staff locations, the event village, weather conditions and more, this solution is a game changer for the race officials and organizers.

This means that millions of data points are being brought to life in insightful visualizations, making data into insights, accessible for fans, officials, and broadcasters – improving the experience of the race, enriching the stories and the drama that is the heart of the Tour de France.

A world class sport event powered by technology

The use of data is a game-changer for the race, the event, and the fans.

From the fans’ perspective, they can experience a more detailed understanding of what’s happening in the race – for example, with data-driven insights and AI predictions on the LeTourData channels on social media and television. For A.S.O. – the organizers of the Tour de France – data help their operations teams to communicate and plan more efficiently.

There is no race without the fans and spectators.

This is why the Tour de France uses technology to enhance the spectator experience with visualizations and stories every year. Data is used to deliver enhanced, data-driven storytelling to the global fan base through social media updates and broadcasts. The Tour de France is truly storytelling in motion.

NTT DATA's tech truck at Tour de France

The Race Center: The official live tracking platform

Where do you go when you want to get the juicy details about the stages? The answer is the Race Center.

This is not only where you can find all the knowledge to impress your friends and family, when the conversation of Tour de France comes up – from fun facts, geographical information to hardcore Tour de France history legacy. Everything you need to know about the stage is here, about the route, the climb of the slopes – even factors such as weather conditions.

The best thing? You can follow the race live as it’s unfolding. You’ll have all race information collected in a hub here. Track the progress and – as we expect – the dramatic turn of events that’s bound to happen when it’s the Tour de France we are talking about.

Visit the Race Center here: https://racecenter.letour.fr/en/

NTT DATA's digital human at Tour de France

Futuristic customer service at the Tour de France with NTT DATA's digital human

Also making a return this year is our digital human, Marianne – a lifelike human avatar presented in a kiosk equipped with a large, high-quality screen and a camera.

The digital human is a customized Tour de France edition. Other digital human-kiosks have also appeared at sport events such as The Open, The Basketball World Cup as well as in a variety of other situations,

Installed in the NTT DATA Tech Truck, Marianne can interact with guests through voice and visual prompts to share Tour de France information. Ask her everything about the race – from history and facts, to the current situation of the day’s race stage.

This is an exciting new category of technology with many applications in sport, retail and beyond: think of virtual shop assistants answering customers’ queries, or information booths in the tourism industry staffed by smart, interactive virtual guides.

The customized Tour de France avatar is named after Marianne Martin, the US cyclist who won the Tour de France Féminin, an early version of the women’s race, in 1984.

Read more about our digital human solution here

The fan experience at Tour de France is powered by NTT DATA

For the cycling community: Strava Clubs and Tour de France Fantasy League

The Tour de France fan community is a community of true passion – in fact, many are avid bike riders themselves.

We’ve all been there: At some point watching the race and asking yourself the question: Could I keep up with the peloton? How fast could I ascend the moutainside?

Well, now you have the chance to compare your performance to a professional Tour de France rider. To fuel this community NTT DATA have collaborated with the tracking app for psychical activity, Strava, by connecting insights from their platform with the data from the riders. This way it’s possible to highlight how the performances of the peloton compare to other professional and amateur riders.

Are you the next king of the mountain? There’s only one way to find out!

Visit Le Tour Club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/letour

Visit Le Tour Femmes Club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/letourfemmes

The synergy of NTT DATA and Tour de France

Photo: A.S.O. / Charly Lopez

The synergy of NTT DATA and Tour de France

In NTT DATA, there is no denying it: We love Tour de France. And we can’t wait to watch the race unfold this year in our 10-year anniversary as Official Technology Partner.

Over the years, we’ve seen the Tour de France embrace digital transformation and innovation to a degree that has made the race a digital pioneer.

This is why it’s a partnership that encapsulates everything we value at NTT DATA: The vision for innovation, the courage, skill and knowledge to transform, and the urge to be the best. That is what we strive for every day: For our employees, our partners and first and foremost, our clients. We work together as a team to surpass ourselves and create outstanding results, year after year.

References:

https://services.global.ntt/en-us/about-us/tour-de-france-technical-perspective 

https://services.global.ntt/en-US/insights/blog/tour-de-france-gears-up-for-success-with-smart-cycling-technology

https://services.global.ntt/en-US/insights/blog/how-data-driven-innovation-has-transformed-the-tour-de-france-in-10-years

Case study: https://services.global.ntt/en-US/about-us/case-studies/tour-de-france

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