At the official pro athlete briefing for DATEV Challenge Roth 2025 on Friday evening before race day (Sunday, July 6, 2025), the participating elite athletes unanimously decided to make the data from the Race Ranger drafting detection system public after the race.
The team at Challenge Roth in Germany noted that… ‘This has never happened before in any race and is a clear step towards greater transparency and fairness in triathlon.’
The initiative came from IRONMAN world champion Sam Laidlow (who also secured victory in the DATEV Challenge Roth men’s race on Sunday, with Laura Philipp winning the women’s race).
In the pre-race briefing Laidlow asked why the system’s data was not actually made public. Race director Felix Walchshöfer picked up on the idea and asked the professional athletes present whether they wanted to vote on it together and whether there were any valid reasons against publication.
A moment of contemplative silence was followed by unanimous applause, with Challenge Roth team noting this was… ‘A strong signal for fair competition in racing.’
“We want to promote transparency and fairness in sport,” said DATEV Challenge Roth Race Director Felix Walchshöfer, who deliberately left the decision in the hands of the professionals.
“The fact that everyone is pulling in the same direction here is a strong signal and it’s groundbreaking for triathlon. Roth is once again leading the way.”
French athlete Laidlow was also satisfied with the decision, saying “The small decision you just made is going to make a huge change to fair racing. You are a genius. Watch the other events follow what you do.”
Race Ranger is a specialist electronic system for managing distance control on the bike leg in triathlons. It was developed to support rule-compliant behaviour on the bike course, in particular to prevent drafting (unauthorised slipstreaming).
The system consists of two compact devices that are attached to the front and rear wheels of the bike. Precise sensors continuously measure the distance between athletes. Feedback is provided in real-time via coloured LED signals, allowing athletes to immediately see whether they are maintaining the required minimum distance of 12 metres.
At DATEV Challenge Roth 2025, Race Ranger was used again in the professional athlete field after its premiere last year. By publishing the collected data after the race, Challenge Roth adds that fans, media and athletes can see how fair the race was, adding… ‘This is a real milestone for the integrity of the sport and a signal to the entire triathlon world.’
Details on the publication of the Range Ranger data will follow when made available.
www.challenge-roth.com
www.RaceRanger.com
