World-class security for the Tour de Suisse
Security at this year's Tour de Suisse (TdS) will be massively increased thanks to a new security centre set up by SwisscomSwisscom Broadcast . We are also responsible for bringing all external systems with the together Push to Talk over IP . A world first that will be launched at the TdS. During the eleven race days, comprehensive rider and race convoy tracking will be carried out, which will be merged and monitored with the safety radio in a mobile safety centre. The radio experts from Swisscom Broadcast will act as operators and provide technical support for the solution throughout the entire tour.
Security centre at the Tour de Suisse 3 Min.
Following the tragic accidents at the two international cycling events in Switzerland in 2024, the organising committee decided that the safety of the cyclists needed to be improved. Olivier Senn, Director of the TdS, has evaluated various measures together with safety experts and implemented them in recent months. Swisscom Broadcast, which already ensured a seamless radio connection across the entire race route last year with Push to Talk over Mobile, has built a new type of mobile safety centre for Cycling Unlimited.
Innovative safety measures
Each bike is equipped with a small GPS tracker to track the riders. This sounds an alarm when certain defined parameters are triggered - e.g. a rapid drop in speed or a 30-second standstill in one place. The events are monitored in the security centre and compared with the other information. The critical events are then transmitted by radio to the race management, the person responsible for track safety, the teams and the motorised safety escort so that immediate action can be taken and assistance provided if necessary.
In addition to the racers, the entire race convoy is also tracked and displayed as GPS points on the screens of the security centre. The safety centre also has access to all TV cameras and a weather radar - and thus an overview of the positions of all participants in the race. All important information is sent directly and immediately from the control centre to the race management, track safety and the teams via a radio link. In the run-up to the Tour, all routes and potential danger spots have already been recorded in the VeloViewer system. These are available to the professional teams before and during the race.
During the Tour de Suisse 2025, the security centre will be put through its paces: For the first time, all digital safety measures will interact and be brought together in the control centre. The expectation is that this will provide a complete picture of all movements on the race route and any impending difficulties. Thanks to the overview of the overall situation and the immediate dissemination of information to all stakeholders in the race, the safety of the drivers will hopefully increase.
Facts & Figures
- Mobile control centre: Installation in a mobile Swisscom shop trailer
- 3 wheelchair-accessible workstations
- Radio workstation with dispatcher functions and monitoring of all systems
- Tracking workstation for monitoring driver tracking
- Workplace coordinator
- Integration of seven live TV signals directly from the SRG OB van
- Five special kits in the race control and safety vehicles for the parallel use of up to four radio channels
- 400 end devices with a wide variety of listening parts - right up to complete motorbike intercom systems
