Global technology services company, NTT Ltd. (the official technology partner to A.S.O) has announced it will create the worlds largest connected stadium, creating a digital twin of the Tour de France. 

Millions of data points will be collected and brought to life through stunning, insightful visualisations and digital experiences for fans, no matter where they are in the world.

The three-week long race takes place from 26 June- 18 July 2021 and is watched by approximately 3.5bn people across 190 countries, making it the third largest sporting event globally. 

Creating a digital twin of the event will enable operations staff to gain real time visibility and ultimately streamline operations to ensure the continuity and resilience of the race. 

NTT will use a broad range of IoT sensors, edge compute, and networks, integrated into NTT’s smart platforms and mapped against a geo-location model of each stage of the Tour. This will enable real-time visibility of key locations and assets, COVID-19 contact tracing and in-the-moment updates of caravan and race arrival times.

The platform, together with A.S.O, will also deliver a host of digital experiences, including the 3D Tracker – an immersive, augmented reality app that provides 3D views of the stages, and Tour de France Fantasy by Tissot – a fantasy sports game integrating data insights and machine learning.

Creating a digital twin of the race also means greater connectivity of devices and vehicles, as well as more applications and platforms accessing services hosted in the cloud – whether public, private or hybrid. Whatever the host, for A.S.O, data will be at the core. This not only includes understanding where different data lies, but how to gather it and use it effectively to create better experiences, whether it be the fans, the media, or the cycling teams.

“The digitization of the Tour de France began in 2015 by capturing data from the cyclists to provide real-time updates. Every year we have been able to take the technology to the next level, this year we are creating what is essentially a digital twin of the event. It’s a highly dynamic and changing environment that requires immediate access to information to ensure continuous and smooth operations, resulting in more informed and engaged fans” said Senior Vice President, Advanced Technology Group, Sport at NTT Ltd., Peter Gray.