Radio Delay - 30 Second Delay to Slow Down Tour de France Riders? (GALLERY)

There has been a change to the rules for this year’s Tour de France that may have a huge impact on the race outcome. Riders commonly cycle with small helmet-mounted radio receivers of which the original purpose was, to be used, “as a safety device that would allow directors to caution riders regarding accidents, treacherous turns, or objects in the road,” according to Popular Science.

For the past 10 years the action in the race has been broadcast live via the official race communications channel, Radio Tour.  In recent years the team’s directors, who would be listening to this broadcast, communicated to their riders when another racer was about to overtake them and whether to go hard after them or to lay back.

Officials this year have implemented a 30 second time delay on these broadcasts, in hopes of diminishing the “strategic role it can play”, while still maintaining safety.

We’ll see what effect it has on the race tactics and final results.