Cyclingnews and Tour Tracker have announced three enhancements to their new Tour de France mobile app, the Cyclingnews Tour Tracker. In tandem with the app enhancements, Tour Tracker has new title sponsorship partnerships with BMC and Bike Bug in selected geographic markets.
All three additions to the app (iPhone, iPad and Android) are now available for download:
Tour Tracker Time Machine
The biggest addition is the preview release of Tour Tracker Time Machine, an exclusive new feature that provides users the ability to replay Tour Tracker’s live data feeds (commentary, GPS tracking, race situation) from any point in a stage. This gives the app’s users a new second-screen option: the ability to synchronize real-time data from the race with any delayed video broadcast of the day’s racing.
“Watching the Tour live is great, but the majority of fans I know watch their broadcaster’s prime-time TV replay or watch online after work,” says Allan Padgett, Tour Tracker CEO.
“Now, all the rich real-time data that put Tour Tracker and CyclingNews on the map can be part of the tape-delayed experience – no waiting for announcers to remind you who is the break, no guessing where they are, relative to the next big climb and of course, no spoilers. The next version of Time Machine will include some mind-blowing data not even available to live viewers today.”
With Time Machine, cycling fans in the US or UK, for example, can now combine NBC’s and ITV’s excellent video coverage with Tour Tracker’s user experience. According to Tour Tracker, no other mobile application has anything like this. ‘It puts the CyclingNews Tour Tracker in a class of its own as a second screen app for cycling.’
Rider Biometrics Analysis
Tour Tracker is the only app that has offered live rider biometric reports (heart rate and power output) during the Tour de France. Now, the CyclingNews Tour Tracker features exclusive post-race analysis of selected riders’ race data from leading online coaching and performance data analysis specialist, TrainingPeaks. This gives users an in-depth view into one of cycling’s most focused upon subjects and provides a look at each stage from an entirely new point of view.
Breakaway Explorer
Tour Tracker and CyclingNews know that Tour de France fans have many levels of interest in the race. The new Breakaway Explorer feature addresses one of those: the regions, towns and culture of the Tour. An exclusive partnership with Breakaway will provide app users detailed information about each start and finish city, providing quick links to travel information for those who want to experience the Tour in person.
Title sponsorships
Two title sponsorship partnerships are also now in place for this year’s edition. BMC, the Swiss bike maker with numerous Grand Tour victories to its credit, will be the title sponsor for the US and UK markets. Bike Bug, one of the world’s leading online cycling retailers, will be the title sponsor for the Australian market.
Both cycling-specific brands will have a strong presence on the apps. BMC is also running a bike give-away linked to the sponsorship.
Matt Heitmann, Head of Marketing for BMC, said “We are proud to be a part of the CyclingNews Tour Tracker. As cycling fans, we are users of both companies’ products and were excited to learn about the opportunity. As a cycling company, I couldn’t imagine a more natural and effective place to reach out to our target market.”
Mark Cantwell, Future Sport’s Digital Product Development Manager, added “The release of the CyclingNews Tour Tracker has been an unqualified success for us, but our vision includes much more than the basics of race tracking. This release clarifies our commitment to offering the perfect race companion to the cycling community.
“The data replay feature in particular is a game changer, making the app the perfect companion even in regions that have a strong Tour broadcaster. Our new sponsorships are equally exciting as they fit perfectly into the apps.”
The CyclingNews Tour Tracker is free and available for iPhone, iPad and Android mobile devices: thetourtracker.com/cyclingnews.
Since 2007, the Tour Tracker team has been a key force behind revolutionizing cycling coverage, having now covered many of the world’s biggest races with custom apps. The initial 2007 release offered fans the first-ever live video coverage, live GPS tracking, and live geo-tagged photo feeds from the road. The 2010 Tour de France mobile app offered fans the first and only live rider biometrics tracking.
Since its inception in 1995, Cyclingnews has grown to become world’s biggest news and results service for professional cycling, with bulletins from around the globe accessible online and on mobile. The site is the passionate cycling fan’s port of call for news, race results, tech, live race coverage, race photography, interviews, features, diaries, video content, fitness and forums.
Cyclingnews.com is part of Future Plc which also publishes cycling and triathlon titles – Bikeradar.com, TriRadar.com, Cycling Plus, Procycling, Mountain Biking UK, What Mountain Bike, Triathlon Plus and Cycling News HD. Future attracts over 4.2 million online global visitors every month in cycling alone.
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