IRONMAN Announces Two New Parters To Bolster Virtual Racing Series
April 1, 2020
IRONMAN has today announced two partnerships, with ROUVY and Technogym, in order to bolster their new IRONMAN Virtual Racing Series.
As the Official Virtual Training Partner of IRONMAN, ROUVY will offer up to 35 IRONMAN® and IRONMAN® 70.3® bike courses on its platform, providing IRONMAN athletes from around the world a virtual riding experience based on existing event courses.
ROUVY’s technology mixes real-world footage with 3D virtual racing. Athletes will experience accurate elevation profiles, as well as real-time Augmented Reality integration through their avatar allowing them to ride real IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 courses anytime, anywhere.
“This partnership is a cornerstone of our virtual racing strategy. ROUVY is an exciting platform for athletes to use to compete in the IRONMAN® Virtual Racing™ Series. The platform will also be an integral part of the IRONMAN VR™ Pro Challenge,” said Matthieu Van Veen, Chief Revenue Officer of The IRONMAN Group. “Riding on ROUVY is as close as virtual cycling gets to being out on the course.”
The first route to be created will be of the IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder triathlon, known for its stunning yet challenging bike course in Colorado, United States.
“We are thrilled that ROUVY is teaming up with IRONMAN to launch the IRONMAN Virtual Racing Series. We have a long-term vision to become the leading global platform for Virtual Cycling and with the IRONMAN partnership that vision comes to reality,” noted Petr Samek, CEO of ROUVY. “Our 1:1 augmented/mixed-reality simulation of the outdoor courses provides highly realistic and entertaining routes for the athletes to explore and race on,” added Samek.
Technogym’s involvement will debut with the recently announced IRONMAN® Virtual Racing, and with the 2020 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i, as well as the 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Taupō, New Zealand, scheduled for October and November, respectively.
“Technogym has developed a wide range of state-of-the-art smart fitness equipment that provides exceptional indoor training solutions for our athletes. We are proud to welcome Technogym as part of the IRONMAN Virtual Racing Series as we provide a competitive series to our athletes during these unprecedented times,” said Andrew Messick, President & CEO of The IRONMAN Group.
“Over the years we have been working alongside the world’s best athletes and sport events. Today, we are delighted to announce our partnership with IRONMAN, one of the most vibrant and passionate communities in the world of sport,” said Nerio Alessandri, Technogym Founder and CEO. “Technogym will provide to IRONMAN athletes a complete training solution made of the best and most accurate equipment in order to enjoy a personalized training program anytime and anywhere: at home, at the gym or at hotels during race time,” Alessandri added.
