This is groundbreaking: professional athletes decide together: Race Ranger distance data will be published after the DATEV Challenge Roth
Unanimous decision / This has never happened before in any other race
A small decision with a big impact: at the official pro briefing for DATEV Challenge Roth 2025 on Friday evening before the race, the participating top athletes unanimously decided to make the data from the innovative Race Ranger system public after the race. This has never happened before in any race and is a clear step towards greater transparency and fairness in triathlon.
The initiative came from none other than Ironman world champion Sam Laidlow. He asked why the system's data was not actually made public. Race director Felix Walchshöfer picked up on the idea and asked the professional athletes whether they wanted to vote on it together and whether there were any valid reasons against publication. The answer: contemplative silence followed by unanimous applause. A strong signal for fair competition in racing.
Groundbreaking for triathlon
‘We want to promote transparency and fairness in sport,’ said race director Felix Walchshöfer, who deliberately left the decision in the hands of the professionals. "The fact that everyone is pulling in the same direction here is a strong signal and it’s groundbreaking for triathlon. Roth is once again leading the way."
Laidlow was also satisfied with the decision and looked ahead: ‘The small decision you just made is going to make a huge change to fair racing. You are a genius. Watch the other events follow what you do,’ said the Frenchman after the briefing.
What is Race Ranger?
The Race Ranger is a state-of-the-art electronic system for distance control in triathlons. It was developed to support rule-compliant behaviour on the bike course, in particular to prevent drafting (unauthorised slipstreaming).
The system consists of two compact devices that are attached to the front and rear wheels of the bike. Using precise sensors, they continuously measure the distance between athletes. Feedback is provided in real time via coloured LED signals, allowing athletes to immediately see whether they are maintaining the required minimum distance of 12 metres.
At DATEV Challenge Roth 2025, Race Ranger will be used again in the professional field after its premiere last year. By publishing the collected data after the race, fans, media and athletes can see how fair the race was. This is a real milestone for the integrity of the sport and a signal to the entire triathlon world.