It is critical that route accuracy is as good as we can possibly make it. The safety of the riders and race convoy is massively improved when the riders have the exact routes on their head units and in the Live app in the cars/motos. The teams will be looking for hazards through built up areas to relay to their riders and the riders will be looking at the maps on their head units on descents and other stages of the race to gauge their speeds and road position. Any mapping errors/deficiencies may have major safety implications for riders and race vehicles. OSM-based mapping using a tool like RideWithGPS provides the best quality. Here are some more considerations when you are providing route files.
- Type
- A route file can be GPX, KMZ or KML format
- One route = One file
- If there is a neutralised route then it should be contained within a single file.
- All parts of a route should be contained in a single file and properly connected up, e.g. where a route is made up of perhaps a neutral and a number of large and small laps.
- Laps
- If there are laps it is okay to only map it once round but the number of laps must be specified in the accompanying email. The laps will then be added within VeloViewer, automatically repeating sections as needed.
- Data points
- Always download the route file with the maximum number of datapoints else a reduced number can result in very ‘straight-line’ routes that do not follow the road accuratelyenough, often making it unclear on the exact route through towns and hiding the complexity of corners.
- Example of a route file with limited datapoints (green) compared to without(purple):
- Which side of the road?
- Be aware of round-a-bouts and dual carriageways. The default routing of most tools (like RWGPS) plots the routes to the legal side of the road when using the “Driving” mode for plotting a section. This may not be the direction you want the riders to take as it may be preferred to route the riders on the most direct route. You can use the “Walk” mode to force the route to the opposite side of a junction when needed and then switch back to “Drive” mode to continue plotting.
- Example shows a route where driving is on the right, the round-a-bout is taken to the right but the quickest route is to the left.
VeloViewer Role in Processing Files
VV role is to process the route received (source can be from a Race Organiser, the race website, from a Team et al) and upload it to the official UCI race in the Race Hub. VV will not usually change a route but will raise any issues with a Race Organiser for clarification and, if necessary, request the supply of a new route file. The Race Organiser should always own the most up-to-date version of a route therefore any changes should originate from them. In the event that VV does not hear back from a RO then an obvious error may be re-mapped and notes provided to explain the intervention.
Our role includes :
- Checking for any possible errors. Examples of the type of issues we might raise:
- out and back on the same road
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- over 360′ on a round-a-bout.
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- route drops onto a cycle path for a short distance then returns to the main road.
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- junctions where the route looks messy or unusual
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- route that differs on one of several laps
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- route goes onto a minor slip road and back onto the major route
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- overshoot on a junction/turning
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- multiple mapped laps looking ragged
2. A Notes Log will be updated to provide an audit trail of changes to the route and if there are any outstanding queries so that Teams using VV are aware. VV will email any user who has requested to Receive Updates from VV for the race with a copy of the latest log entry:
28th July 2025 – Race Organiser confirmed new road that is not on satellite or StreetView.
24th July 2025 – Official GPX file. Comparison to 2024 (new route in purple). Query sent to Race Organiser regarding difference in the 2025 route which appears to cut across a field.
For any questions or further information on how your organisation can use the VeloViewer WorldTour package then please contact us by email.