The end of motorbike influence? Flanders Classics tests tech fix for cycling’s drafting problem

The debate around the influence of motorbikes during races remains an ever-contentious issue, and the recent Tour de Romandie demonstrated this in particular. Riders, including Valentin Paret-Peintre and Luke Plapp, weighed in on the matter, suggesting that the race motorbikes had too much of an influence during the stages.

Former professional, Jelle Wallays, who now works as a regulator for Flanders Classics has explained to Nieuwsblad how it is his role to ensure that motorbikes keep enough distance from riders, particularly during decisive moments of the race.

“When Pogacar attacks, every photographer on a motorbikes wants a photo,” Wallays told Nieuwsblad. “Then I have to direct them one by one, so everyone can continue doing their job while we avoid influencing the race.”

To reduce congestion around riders, Flanders Classics already uses “pool zones” in certain key areas of races. In these zones, only a limited number of photographer motorbikes are allowed access. Those photographers are then required to share their images with other media outlets covering the event.

However, television motorbikes being close to the riders in order to capture the live images for the race is a trickier problem to solve.

To address this, Flanders Classics are working on a sensor that is installed on television motorbikes that monitors the distance between the bike and the riders, with the system involving a traffic light-style warning. 

The system uses a simple traffic-light style warning setup. If the motorcycle maintains a safe distance, the driver sees a green light. If the motorbike gets too close and risks giving riders a drafting advantage, the light turns red.

The sensor is also speed-sensitive, meaning it factors in how slipstream effects increase at higher speeds. When the red light appears, it alerts the motorbike driver that they need to accelerate to create more distance from the riders. 

The key for Wallays is to find a way to minimise the impact of motorbikes, but not to limit their ability to capture the action.