What a great application for GoPro Hero Cameras. The kinds of up-close shots revealing the tight side-by-side athletes, crashes, and a few close calls, take the drama to a whole new level with this footage from the 2015 Tour de France bike racing event.
This video features highlights from stages 1-7 of the race, with more clips from later in the race featured in other videos, which I'll include further down in the article.
While ground and aerial cameras can capture points of view that show many of the riders moving together as a pack, and cameras recording from chase vehicles can get closeups, the GoPro's ability to follow the riders around every single turn and capture a perspective from the riders themselves just draws a viewer in like no other shot can.
More information on this media comes from a press release on GoPro's website:
By mounting cameras to the fastest cyclists in the world as they take on the 21-stage race, GoPro will be capturing immersive, never-before-seen content, bringing cycling fans inside the peloton. Throughout the Tour, GoPro will be publishing the exclusive content on its social channels and providing the ASO with the incredible moments captured across the 3,360-kilometer race. Stay tuned to the GoPro YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Vine channels to experience the Tour de France like never before.
Here are a few of the other videos, with more likely to be added in the next few days:
i love it... its like to be on the edge of fight
Sigh. I was a huge fan of Greg Lemond, back when I raced. Lance killed my interest in road cycling though. I couldn't even tell you who the contenders are today. I could watch the video and not recognize racers I have met in person at Interbike. Yet, as cool as this may seem, it's been going on in MTB racing for years.
Love love love love that GoPro is doing this for the Tour. I don't think people realize how cutthroat a cycling race can be. Lots of pushing, shoving, and yelling going on... all while balancing a 15lb bike at 35mph on 2 wheels. Can't wait to see the final recap of the whole Tour they do.
Cool video...no doubt, GoPro has changed the perspective of video and photography, and this great technology will find its way into regular photojournalism and wedding photography, also next will be 8K and 16K , and I am starting to believe that our big chunky DSLR will eventually be a thing of the past (IMO)