Cycling-Authorities investigate Vingegaard team's 'control room' on Tour de France

FILE PHOTO: A sticker of the Solidarity Programme of the International Cycling Union is pictured on the bike of an Afghan refugee at the World Cycling Center in Aigle, Switzerland, June 3, 2022. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

By Julien Pretot

FLORENCE, Italy (Reuters) - The International Cycling Union (UCI) is investigating the proposed use by Visma-Lease a Bike, the team of defending Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard, of a 'control room' from which live data would help their riders in this year's race.

"The UCI is informed of the recent announcement concerning the use of a 'control room' by ... Team Visma-Lease a Bike," the UCI said in a statement on Thursday.

"We are currently carrying out verifications to ensure that the set-up put in place is compliant with the regulatory framework ... notably regarding the capture and transmission of data as outlined in Article 1.3.006b is of the UCI regulations."

The UCI regulations state that "the authorised capturing and transmitting of data as provided under this article shall not enable a rider to view data of another rider.

"Likewise, teams shall only access data of their riders, where such transmission is authorised, unless information pertaining to riders of other teams is publicly available."

Earlier on Thursday, the Dutch outfit said they were setting up an "innovative Control Room, a van filled with state-of-the-art technology and equipment that will act as a central collection point of real-time data during the Tour de France.

"We are very happy that we were able to develop the Control Room ... which allows us to collect and analyse even more live data and get a better overview of the race," the team's head of performance Mathieu Heijboer said.

"This will enable us to support the coaches in the car and help them make the best possible tactical decisions faster."

The Tour starts from Florence on Saturday.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ken Ferris)