ww

Filming Le Tour b Insight

stars of stage and screen As you watched the action of the Tour de from the comfort of your living room, it would have been hard to imagine the technical and logistical complexities that were overcome to get those images onto your TV set Words Felix Lowe Illustrations Rob Milton

118 cyclist cyclist 119 Insight b Filming Le Tour

eople only see what they are shown via the journalists ‘Sometimes the commentating on the race. But cyclists will tip off the behind all that there is a huge world. Yet you have no clue what it’s all for.’ cameramen, saying so- ‘PSince 1997 Ronan Pensec, the French former rider who once gamely defended the and-so will attack soon’ maillot jaune on Alpe d’Huez, has performed a unique role as consultant to the director of motorbike and helicopter shots ‘augments start and finish, and 35 vehicles including of the . He doesn't report the viewing ten-fold’, while Dan Lloyd, the trucks and lorries. This list is as much a gross to Christian Prudhomme, the official race former British rider and current TV reporter, simplification of a complicated process as director and figurehead, but to the other describes their work as ‘outstanding’. the chain of command is baffling – so hold director – a man who scripts and directs Today the Tour claims a global TV your breath as we delve a little deeper. every stage of the host broadcast feed that viewership of 3.5 billion (although with is beamed to 190 countries and 121 different only seven billion people on the planet we A tangled web TV channels worldwide: a little-known chap would be eager to see exactly how that figure ASO, the Tour organiser, enlists Euro Media with huge vision called Jean-Maurice Ooghe. is calculated), making it the third largest France (EMF) to produce the raw video ‘Ah, is that his name?’ says ITV’s Ned global telly event after the World Cup and feed of each stage. With a team of around Boulting, a reporter once so hapless he called Olympics. But the race’s early outings on 70 people, EMF then passes on its images the leader’s jersey a yellow jumper on his French national TV in the ’30s and ’40s were to its ‘customer’ France Télévisions, which first Tour 12 years ago. ‘I never knew that. filmed using 16mm cameras, a Jeep and a through Ooghe selects, mixes and creates But what he does is quite brilliant. The Tour motorbike, and had to be flown to for the single feed that is used by individual is as much about putting France in the shop editing before being aired the following day. broadcasters. These channels pad out the window and Og – is that really how you The first live broadcast came on the race coverage with their own original content pronounce it? – understands that perfectly.’ finale in Paris’s in 1948 and such as interviews, commentary, graphics ‘My job is to broadcast as exactly as then, a decade later, the first live roadside and advertising. ‘We don’t provide all the possible the scenario of the Tour – both the pictures came from the Col d’Aubisque. coverage – probably 99.9 per cent,’ says EMF sporting aspect and the touristic aspect, ‘Things have developed quite a lot even director Luc Geoffroy. ‘France Télévisions because many viewers are more concerned since we started broadcasting the Tour does the finish line – like they would for a with discovering the beauty of France,’ says for Channel 4 around 30 years ago,’ says football match. We do all the other pictures Ooghe. It’s a job he does extremely well. producer Brian Venner, who still calls the right up to around the last kilometre.’ ‘The man’s a genius,’ gushes Yorkshire’s shots for the British terrestrial coverage at Key to capturing the sporting drama of the Tour supremo Gary Verity, who welcomed age 80. ‘The French host broadcast used to race are the motorbike cameramen. ‘The moto Ooghe ahead of the recent Grand Départ in be fairly basic. The signal broke up under men build a very good relationship with the Leeds. ‘Simply by watching him go about his trees and bridges – the weather used to create riders – they’re like family,' says Geoffroy. job you can tell he’s at the top of his game.’ such havoc.’ Nowadays, the technology is 'Sometimes the cyclists will actually tip off The actual racing may divide opinion but phenomenally advanced. With a staff of 300, the cameramen, saying so-and-so will attack Ooghe’s coverage for TV company France France Télévisions uses four helicopters, two soon and giving them information right from Télévisions and beyond is unanimously seen planes, five camera motorcycles, two audio the heart of the race.' Their top-of-the-range as masterful. Boulting believes this harmony motorcycles, around 20 other cameras at the BMW R1200RT bikes have been modified P

120 cyclist Filming Le Tour b Insight

truck; the first point receives the live signal from above and sends it to a satellite and the second point forwards the signal via microwave link to the finish town, where it's picked up by four receivers mounted on a crane 50m high. The eight signals (two Tour TV by helicopter cameras, five motorbike cameras ‘Once a cameraman ran and one mounted on Prudhomme’s car – a numbers new addition in 2013) are decoded at EMF’s All this at the press of outside broadcast truck which processes over a spectator’s bike. a button… and colour corrects before sending it on to 1948 first live broadcast of the Tour Ooghe’s France Télévisions production suite They kidnapped him and on TV, from Parc des Princes next door in the zone technique. This whole 1958 first live coverage from the side process takes around half a second. demanded a ransom’ of the road, on Col d’Aubisque All part of the plan 3.5 billion estimated total annual worldwide audience of Tour P with special generators for the heavy VHF (an ‘exceptional tool’ that captures ‘wholly EMF and France Télévisions need eight former yellow jersey and prologue specialist untangle: ASO has two major deals in place wireless cameras and a more favourable gear stabilised images whatever the conditions’, months to prepare for the Tour. As soon as – describes Pensec’s role – one with France Télévisions (thought to be 190 countries broadcasting the Tour box ratio to enable speeds as slow as 8kmh according to aerial cameraman Vincent the route is revealed, technicians are busy as ‘so important’. ‘Unless you’ve ridden in a worth around €24m a year until 2020) and 121 channels showing the Tour in third gear without touching the clutch. Houeix). Like the motorbikes on the ground, figuring out locations for the intermediate bunch then you’re totally unaware of all the another with the European Broadcasting around the world ‘Chapeau to the men on the motorbikes,’ pilots and cameramen work in pairs on trucks, scouting out potential pitfalls (such scenarios playing out. Former Tour riders Union (EBU) on behalf if its members in 56 60 channels showing live coverage says Boulting. ‘They’re extremely brave, races throughout the year, with the longest as high buildings and trees) and organising see things that are invisible to the naked countries in and around Europe (until at 86 hours of live footage during strong and proficient at their jobs – and serving couple stretching back for almost helicopter refuelling points. Meanwhile, untrained eye.’ Not only is there a fair bit of least 2019). In separate recent agreements, the Tour they read a bike race really well despite the two decades. One of the helicopters boasts Ooghe makes his own roadbook, scouting juggling the sporting side of the race with both NBC and SBS committed to 10-year 5,000 hours of programming around abuse they often get from the riders and a special wide-angle lens for the sweeping out the geographic and cultural places of what Geoffroy describes as the ‘geography deals until 2023, with Mike Tomalaris – the world commissaires in the heat of the moment.’ landscape shots. ‘My personal favourite is interest within a 15km radius of the route lesson’ that attracts viewers year after year, ’s answer to Gary Imlach – claiming 260 TV cameramen on motorbikes, Besides the additional gaggle of when the riders are descending into a valley so that he can ‘script’ each stage. Those but Ooghe has a difficult balancing act on his the ‘extraordinary’ deal (thought to be worth in helicopters and at the finish photographers, a handful of private and the helicopter draws alongside the elaborate displays in fields by farmers that hands satisfying both the domestic and the AUS$2m a year) is proof that ‘we’re in bed 12 length in kilometres of all the customers (such as ASO and the American road at the same altitude. It makes fantastic we see each year? They come from tip-offs ever-increasing global audience. with ASO big time’. In total, ASO sealed cables laid out each day in the channel NBC) run motorbikes during viewing,’ says Boulting. from the French farmers’ union complete ‘There was a time,’ explains Boulting, agreements with 121 channels covering 190 finish zone the race. Channel 4 once paid £15,000 Now for the technical bit. Transmitting with GPS co-ordinates so Ooghe can ensure ‘when, for example, the sight of Christophe countries in 2013. 300 total on-site staff at France for this privilege – and is responsible for the images directly to satellites from his pilots are primed. Moreau [4th in the 2000 Tour] cracking on Viewers all over the world see the same Télévisions during the Tour capturing the magical moment Greg LeMond constantly moving sources is fraught with For his 18th Tour inside the France a climb was a key moment for French TV pictures and basic graphics for the time gaps, 75 size of NBC’s on-site production discovered he had won the 1989 Tour on the difficulty, so a complex system of aerial Télévisions trailer in July, Ooghe, who is an viewers but not so much for the rest of the which are measured by GPS transponders team for the Tour (+15 in USA) relays is needed to gather images and beam aesthetics man by trade, had at his disposal world, yet the coverage would linger on him. mounted on the TV motorbikes. ‘The only Champs-Élysées. Despite this, Channel 4 70 size of EMF’s production team never sent another bike on the race because them down to stationary intermediate an immediate team of 20 people who help Thankfully those frustrating days are long changes are when the respective nations to provide images for France of apparent opposition from the close-knit points along the route. For this there are him understand the nuances of the race as gone. The coverage is far less parochial now.’ that take the coverage localise it and cater Télévisions they pick from up to 20 incoming feeds that French motorcyclists. two helicopter relays flying at around 600m for their own specific audience,’ explains 35 size of Eurosport’s team (+10 back ‘They tried to run us off the road,’ altitude and two aeroplanes circling at cover one wall of the studio. In the zone Tomalaris, a veteran of 19 Tours. ‘That’s in Paris headquarters) claims Venner, whose production 3,000-8,000m (depending on weather). ‘If you’re filming football or tennis you According to Venner, the chaotic zone where I come in for Australia, where Gary 18 size of ITV’s team (+20 in UK) company, Vsquared TV, now produces While the helicopters have to come down can just follow the ball,’ says Pensec. ‘But technique is essentially a ‘fantastic Imlach comes in for the UK [ITV] and Bob 5 motorbike cameras ITV’s Tour coverage. ‘Once, our bike took to refuel every few hours, the planes, in cycling it’s not necessarily the rider car park, very often filled with mud. Roll for North America [NBC].’ a shortcut across a corner and mangled often unpressurised, circle very slowly for leading the race who’s important. It’s There’s tremendous camaraderie.’ One thing unifies these three channels: 2 audio motorbikes a bike belonging to a spectator. The fans anything up to eight hours to maintain the more tactical, and that’s where I help The 12km of cables is the same length the voices of and . 2 helicopter cameras surrounded the rider and cameraman right aerial position throughout the stage. Jean-Mo [Ooghe].’ Pensec is rarely as the convoy of 180 vehicles in the The chalk-and-cheese commentary duo 2 relay helicopters flying at 600m and demanded money for the repairs. As ‘The wind and turbulence can be bad so watching what the commentators daily publicity caravan that precedes (now more cheese-and-cheese) were first 2 relay aircraft circling at neither had any money they kidnapped the you need a special constitution to work on are talking the public through; each stage. Alongside EMF and nurtured by Channel 4, whose pioneering 3,000m-8,000m cameraman and forced the rider to return the planes,’ says Geoffroy. Equipped with an instead he’s anticipating what France Télévisions, production coverage of the Tour is best remembered by 2/3 stationary intermediate points with the ransom.’ auto-tracking GPS system developed by EMF, is going to happen in order to teams from some of the 60 global Pete Shelley’s fabled theme music. Once the to relay to satellites the aircraft keep in sync with the motorbikes co-ordinate motorbike strategy. TV stations covering the event Americans started taking a serious interest 8 months of preparation before the Motorbikes, helicopters, satellites… on the ground even when hampered by cloud Instructions from Ooghe travel live set up camp – including in cycling (around the time a swashbuckling Tour by EMF and France Télévisions ITV, American big-hitters NBC, Capturing the action from above – not and the elements. in the opposite direction via the Texan began monopolising the maillot jaune) 1 number of motorbike crashes to mention the iconic landscape shots Two EMF trucks are stationed at exposed same satellite and relay links to Australia’s SBS and Eurosport. Liggett and Sherwen became hot property per five years (‘Perhaps less,’ says so synonymous with the Tour – are two intermediate points during each stage – his puppets in the field. Broadcast rights are and a system of sharing was established (‘We Geoffroy) helicopters equipped with mounted three if the route is particularly long or Boulting – who watches about as knotty as those could hardly stop Phil and Paul becoming €24m cost of broadcast rights for Cineflex gyro-stabilised camera systems complicated. Six technicians man each the Tour in the company of cables. Here’s an attempt to millionaires now, could we?’ Venner says). P France Télévisions per year

122 cyclist cyclist 123 Insight b Filming Le Tour

Boulting is often asked to interview Marcel Kittel and Andre Greipel – which kept him busy once Cav crashed out in July. ‘Last year, cameras on By this time, Ooghe and Pensec are winding down from a hard day’s work. drones were introduced France Télévisions will have a post-stage programmes of reaction, interviews and analysis, but the EMF studio and intermediate and this year the big fad points are packed up 15 minutes after the last rider crosses the line. A debriefing follows was bike cameras’ before the team leaves for the next finish town at around 8pm, stopping – if possible P As well as 15 people working in a studio forced Wiggins to call one an ‘a**wipe’ and – for dinner en route. ‘It takes some getting back in the US, NBC boasts a lavish staff of 75 ‘stupid c***’, and famously used to but it’s a rhythm that’s ingrained in at the Tour, ‘from top notch producers and head-butted one in 2008). us, just as it is for the riders,’ says Pensec. editors right down to those people ironing As host broadcaster, France Télévisions ‘It’s amazing how everyone just does their Phil and Paul’s shirts,’ says Tomalaris, whose has priority with interviews before riders job and doesn’t worry about anyone else,’ relatively paltry team of nine makes SBS ‘the pass through to a ‘rights holders’ zone adds Venner. ‘Every day, everything is in the paupers of Tour broadcasting’. where a system of pooling often takes right place. The wires may look chaotic but Eurosport’s on-site team is 35-strong, place. For instance, if wins it’s a very efficient set-up, year after year. God including commentators in four different then Boulting – as the English free-to-air knows what we’d do if we had to cover this languages and now triple Tour winner broadcaster – will step forward. event blind. All the people involved wouldn’t Greg LeMond as guest consultant. Boasting ‘That's why you often hear me ask the miss it for the world. There may be shouting, similar numbers is ITV, which took over questions even on Eurosport,’ says Boulting, stress and friction. But I know people who from Channel 4 in 2002 in an initial deal who describes his job as ‘a scavenger who couldn’t care about anything else as long as worth £5m. Venner’s Vsquared produces goes in after the battle in search of jewels they don’t lose their place on the Tour.’ ] ITV’s coverage with a team of 18 in France and trophies from the bodies of corpses’. Felix Lowe is a freelance journalist (including the likes of Imlach, Boardman In the absence of German terrestrial TV on and blogger for Eurosport who will never and Boulting, as well as three cameramen, the Tour (they pulled out after a spate of again complain about fuzzy images from four engineers, technicians, truck drivers, doping revelations involving German riders), the top of Alpine cols a producer and an assistant producer) and 20 back at Ealing Film Studios, from where the images are relayed to ITV’s transmission centre in Chiswick, west London. Boulting appreciates the need to innovate and embrace new technology in coverage of the Tour. Last year, cameras mounted on drones were introduced and this year the big fad was bike cameras, which take spectators right into the heart of the action. Yet while these cameras can really enhance racing, Boulting reckons they should be restricted to highlights until fully mastered. ‘As incredible as they are, these images offer insight and not overview,’ he says. Lloyd agrees that bike cams ‘need to be used sparingly and at the right time or viewers will get bored’. There’s also the small matter of broadcast rights. ASO has image rights for everything that goes on in the Tour but it’s the teams who usually co-ordinate on-bike footage. What’s more, you sense that Ooghe, the Tour’s all-seeing eye, would not be best pleased about relinquishing control.

Finishing straight Once the winner crosses the line the focus shifts to post-race interviews. It may look like a disorganised media scrum, but there is a system of hierarchy, despite the swarming presence of over 200 additional cameramen in the finish zone (in 2012 a near collision

124 cyclist