Challenge Wanaka have pushed out an analysis
RaceRanger: Changing the Game – What the Data Reveals
which is teasingly short of detail.
https://www.challenge-wanaka.com/2025/03/20/raceranger-changing-the-game-what-the-data-reveals/
Edit: ‘An hour lateer’ . . ST Article here with far more detail and analysis:
Challenge Wanaka in February featured a mass experiment with RaceRanger (RR): over half the athletes (no Pro field) had RR fitted to their bikes. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive: main highlight being that RR offered visual indication of what a 12m gap looked like “removing stress and uncertainty”.
RaceRanger, Challenge Wanaka says, “contributed to a cleaner, fairer race and a better overall experience for all.” And what’s more they have published “anonymous drafting data from the race, offering athletes, officials, and event organizers unprecedented insight into drafting dynamics.”
Insights
The data provide an objective picture of drafting behaviour, including:
- Time spent “Yo-yoing” aka drafting/pulling out of an overtake
- Exceeding 25 seconds to overtake
- Exceeding 25 seconds to drop back after being overtaken
- Most drafted competitor (the ‘favorite wheel’)
- Longest single drafting instance
- Frequency of ‘yo-yo’ drafting behavior
RaceRanger produce an event summary spreadsheet (extract from example pasted) and a detailed file on each athlete with every passing / drafting interaction (edited extract from anonymised example ‘Sal Smith #34’ is a naughty, naughty girl).
Event Director said “We saw competitors actively using the units to stay within the rules, which contributed to a much cleaner race overall. Many [athletes] were surprised at just how far 12m actually is (sic) in a race environment.”
NB “These reports include randomly generated names and numbers as real names have been removed).” No ‘Sal Smith’ in the results list btw!
