SPORSA: Pioneering Technological Advancements for Safer Cycling

Race cycling safety is a hot topic in the news today. A surge in crashes during recent seasons, some with severe consequences, has emphasized the limitations of traditional safety measures. Rules and subjective judgments—long relied upon by federations—have failed to significantly reduce injury rates, as evidenced by data from ProCyclingStats.

Recognizing the need for a transformative approach, the SPORSA project (SPORts SAfety) was launched by the Sports Data Science team at IDLab (UGent-imec). Under the leadership of Professor Steven Verstockt, SPORSA aims to enhance cycling safety through innovative technology, offering real-time insights and efficient communication tools tailored to the sport’s unique demands.

The Mission of SPORSA

The core objective of SPORSA is to leverage technology to mitigate risks, improve race dynamics monitoring, and facilitate timely communication during cycling events. By addressing specific safety-related needs identified through extensive stakeholder engagement, SPORSA is poised to redefine how safety is managed in the cycling domain.

Key priorities identified for the project include:

  1. Continuous safety insights: Real-time monitoring of group dynamics within the peloton for teams, race doctors, and officials.
  2. Accurate live data dissemination: Sharing precise rider location information with fans, family members, teams, and media at all levels of competition.
  3. Objective decision-making tools: Supporting race officials with data-driven methodologies to ensure fair and consistent judgments.
  4. Detailed race analytics: Providing in-depth reports for riders, teams, and media to enhance post-race analysis.

Technological Foundations of SPORSA

The SPORSA platform integrates cutting-edge hardware and software solutions to meet these ambitious goals. Its design is centered around three core components:

  1. Advanced Hardware
    • GPS modules track rider locations with precision.
    • Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) detect crashes and near-incidents.
    • Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) enables the identification of nearby devices, facilitating the analysis of group interactions and context.
  2. Embedded Software
    • Intelligent algorithms analyze crash data, manage temporary connectivity disruptions, and identify outliers for objective decision-making.
    • Events are communicated seamlessly to cloud services for further processing and visualization.
  3. Interactive Dashboard
    • A cloud-based platform visualizes the processed data on an interactive map.
    • This dashboard is designed to cater to diverse stakeholder needs, offering tailored insights to race officials, team managers, fans, and media personnel.

This integrated system emphasizes safety and communication without collecting rider performance data, ensuring full compliance with UCI regulations on onboard technology. Furthermore, the initiative has received the endorsement of the rider union, highlighting its commitment to ethical and practical safety enhancements.

Implementation and Future Plans

SPORSA received grant approval from the Industrial Research Fund of Ghent University. The initial phase involves developing a prototype system, which will be rigorously tested in collaboration with Cycling Vlaanderen during U23 competitions in Flanders. The testing phase includes deploying 150 devices to evaluate functionality, accuracy, and overall system reliability in real-world conditions.

Simultaneously, SPORSA is preparing for its commercial rollout. With commitments from stakeholders and external partners, the project aims to establish a spin-off company to oversee widespread implementation. Revenue generation will focus on two streams:

  • Hardware Sales: Devices will be purchased by riders and teams.
  • Data Services: Subscription-based access for fans, federations, media outlets, and race organizers.

The subsequent goal is to formalize agreements, such as for the use of SPORSA sensors in race cycling events within Flanders, ensuring the long-term impact and scalability of the technology.

The initial phase will start on January 15th 2025 and the first large-scale tests will begin in the summer of 2025. At the start of 2026 the prototype will be further refined so the device will be fully operational by the summer of 2026.

Transforming the Future of Cycling

SPORSA represents a groundbreaking step in the evolution of cycling safety. By combining real-time data collection, advanced analytics, and effective stakeholder communication, the project offers a comprehensive solution to persistent safety challenges in the sport.

As the project moves toward full-scale deployment, its implications will extend beyond immediate safety improvements. SPORSA is set to make cycling not only safer but also fairer, more transparent, and more engaging for all participants—from riders to fans.

With its commitment to innovation and collaboration, SPORSA exemplifies the potential of technology to reshape the landscape of competitive cycling.

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