One of the common questions we hear on a regular basis these days is "Why don't British Cycling use transponders? You won't need photofinish then".

 

So I thought that this would be an ideal place to briefly describe how transponders are used elsewhere in the sport, particularly in the Tour de France. It is also a good opportunity to highlight the benefits and drawbacks of the system. Bear in mind that I am in no way an expert on this process!

 

A transponder is a microchip which is fixed to the bike (athletes sometimes wear them strapped to their ankles). To make the system work, wires are placed across the road. When the chip crosses these wires, a signal is sent to a computer which records the rider's time.

 

French company Matsport have been providing timing services on the Tour de France for nine years. In addition to using three FinishLynx photofinish cameras, they supply a transponder-based timing system manufactured by Dutch company AMB.

 

Each bike starting the tour carries a small, yellow, battery-powered transponder. Fixed to the frame exactly 1.2 metres behind the leading edge of the front tyre on the left chainstay, the transponder sends a unique code to a detection loop taped across the road surface. That code is cross referenced in the computer to an individual rider, so when the signal is received as the rider crosses the finish line an almost instaneous 'result' is displayed.

 

So what are the issues which might be problematic? More to the point, why has it not been thought worthwhile for British Cycling to adopt them?

• The wired loop across the road has to be secured in some way. Tape works on a dry surface but we can't rely on a fine day all the time. Some international races like Le Tour de Langkawi have the road surface cut and the wires buried - not a practical proposition for us! Another option would be to lay the wires in rubber mats but some of the race finishes we have on very busy roads would cause havoc.
  
  
• It is still necessary to use a traditional photofinish camera. Some of the close sprints are separated by millimetres and the only way to judge them is to look at the front wheel. Not by a transponder which may or may not be exactly in the right position on the bike. A listing of transponder positions would however be great in identifying riders whose numbers may not be clearly visible.
  
  
• The cost at the moment is prohibitive.
  
  
• We simply don't have enough people to operate another system. It is getting harder all the time to even keep up with photofinish and timing. If only the cycling world would support our efforts a bit more.
  
  
• My own personal view is that I would love to use a transponder based system to supplement the camera, but until some of the practical concerns can be addressed it is not really possible.

There are also two different types of 'transponder. The AMB units outlined above can be considered 'active' in that they contain a battery but they have a limited life span (typically 2 years). The cost of them can be as much as €80.

 

Some companies promote 'passive' transponders. These are simple chips and do not contain a battery, hence they are much cheaper. It's the same technology which enables supermarkets to keep track of their tins of beans and the like. They are not as reliable and have been known to have an 80% success rate in sporting events. To try to compensate for this, it is not unknown for two wired loops to be placed across the road. Not ideal when trying to get accurate placings!

 

Now, I have only seen transponders used once. This was on a charity bike ride some years ago, and I simply did not know enough about the technology to ask the right questions. However, judges and commissaires who have experienced them first hand seem to have mixed opinions. The most negative comment came from one of the country's top chief judges, who had spent many hours trying to come up with an accurate result in races where this equipment was used. I will not mention the event(s) here but perhaps they settled for the cheapest option.

 

Someone who has more experience of transponder use at road races is my old friend Séamus Shortall from Dublin. He has worked on international events all over the world, where his excellent RapidResults program is highly praised.

 

Séamus tells me that the transponders used there are provided by a chap from Spain who staples the wired loop across the road at the last possible minute. This is possibly the way we would have to work if we were ever to use them. Bit dodgy on a busy main road though! Even then, he still provides traditional photofinish cameras.