One of the highlights of the VeloViewer 2024 season is our new partnership with WayfloW which generates realistic videos of race segments via AI, and is now a feature in our WorldTour Package for pro teams.
By using Google Street View (GSV) images and AI to create videos of segments of the race, WayfloW is a time saving tool which enhances team planning, strategy and safety. The collaboration enables DS’s and riders to view a hyperlapse video of key sections of race routes so they can visualise a realistic cyclists view of the route. This new functionality was launched within the VeloViewer interface to teams for this year’s Tour de France, and since has allowed teams to create videos from all of their season’s races.
Founder of WayfloW Alex Aranburu is the brains behind the technology and talked us through the development and plans for the 2025 season.
When was WayfloW developed?
The idea was born in June 2023 – I assessed the tools on the market focused on race and segment analysis, and noticed there was a lack of technology when it came to real-view footage of race segments. As a solution, I believed I could create WayfloW using Google Street View (GSV) images. I knew there could be limitations because you have to download and become the owner of images as it does not come for free. Despite this I saw an opportunity and started experimentally developing WayfloW. It was great to see VeloViewer saw value in the technology, complementing their software by offering pro teams realistic smooth videos of road segments, that provide a real-world view for race and Strava segments.
How is WayfloW being used alongside VeloViewer?
Feedback from users at the Tour has been very positive with WayfloW being used for all aspects of racing. It is designed to work for different scenarios such as time trials, sprints and descents so it can provide a granular video view of real-time racing alongside turn angles, wind models and road width. The majority of the segments generated this season were for sprint finishes, less so for climbs as DS’s already have good analysis tools such as VeloViewer for this. It is also used a lot for the descents as they can be tricky with many hazards, and WayfloW does not just give GSV but also gives metrics such as corner angles, so all this data combined is very powerful.
When they need to prepare for a Time Trial (TT) WayfloW presents a solution to viewing the course well in advance. For example, for La Vuelta three or four weeks out, teams were already generating the video of that first stage in Lisbon so they could get a sense of how the TT would be on the day, with DS’s and riders coming to the race well prepared.
Another WayfloW feature which sits alongside the videos is the weather forecast, as the weather is such an important factor in cycling, especially the wind, feedback has shown what a useful tool this was in the TDF and La Vuelta. With the videos, DS’s can see wind speeds and which direction the wind is coming from – this particularly useful for sprints and cross wind sections.
The WayfloW integration to VeloViewer has been very positive for DS’s, it is an intuitive system and they do not need to be techie to get the most out of our software. It is also a time saving solution as without WayfloW they normally would have to spend hours looking at individual images on Street View to match to VeloViewer route detail, and now once the segment is selected the video generates automatically, saving a lot of time.
What developments are in place for next season?
Development work on maps and elevation profile interaction is underway so that once someone clicks on the map/elevation profile the video will then automatically go to that section. At the moment when the WayfloW video generates the weather forecast for that date and time is fixed and it is a manual process to regenerate the weather – it is planned that for next season just by loading and refreshing the latest and most accurate weather will then appear.
In addition, I am working on new functionality that will allow teams to download generated videos from WayfloW so they can later play them offline, without any internet connection, even in locations with poor network coverage.
To find out more about WayfloW visit the website.