BTS – Gravity Media

The internationa tv production of the race is one of the most complex live event to deliver

The Giro d’Italia, often dubbed “the toughest race in the world, in the most beautiful country in the world,” is one of cycling’s Grand Tours alongside the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. Just like the race itself, the operation of bringing the Giro d’Italia into the homes of television viewers worldwide is a complex and massive undertaking. An intricate network of personnel and equipment comes together to produce the international broadcast signal for the Giro, which spans 3,404.8 km across Italy in 21 stages. This year, EMG/Gravity Media orchestrated the entire operation,commencing on May 4th and culminating in Rome on May 26th.

Television Production: A Collaborative Effort

RCS Sport, the event organizer, entrusted EMG Italy with the entire television production for the third consecutive year.Beyond the international live feed of the race, the CLEAN signal for the national broadcaster (RAI) and the Clean Clean signal for Eurosport distribution, daily highlights, news feeds, a weekly magazine, and social media content were also produced, with a total of 60 embedded ISO video and audio signals distributed.

The production team faced numerous challenges, including managing a crew of over 120 people who traveled from one stage to the next each day and transporting the TV compound, which consisted of regia vehicles and support vehicles for graphics and connectivity. Maintaining signal transmission throughout the entire race route was one of the most demanding tasks, requiring 10 motorcycles, 2 helicopters, an aerial repeater system at 6,500 meters to receive and retransmit audio and video signals to intermediate signal reception/distribution points and satellites. Another challenge involved laying and protecting cables in historic city centers – approximately 45 km of fiber and copper cables that had to be protected and retrieved at the end of each stage – running from the regias to the cameras positioned at the starts and finishes.

The graphics package, entirely provided by EMG Italy’s specialized graphics department, Boost Graphics, incorporated real-time race statistics with precise timekeeping information to determine the riders’ standings.

Technical Details in Brief:

Over 15 OB regia mobile vehicles used, including those from the host broadcaster and rights holders.
Some cameras included high frame rate (HFR) options.
Drones were used more extensively this year in mountain stages to capture unique images.
A dedicated team remotely handled pre-production, logistics, and the daily movement of the entire crew

Continuous Refinement for an Enhanced Viewing Experience

Each year, considering the immense popularity of the Corsa Rosa in Italy and worldwide, the production is refined, also from a technical standpoint, to offer viewers and fans an increasingly content-rich experience.

Among the most notable innovations in this edition was the use of pixel tracking graphics, a system that leverages GPS data tracking technology and artificial intelligence. This system, already successfully employed in other international cycling races, was used for the first time in Italy. It allowed for real-time tracking of riders and the display of useful information such as their position in the standings, elapsed time, and distance to the finish line. Additionally, aerial footage enabled viewers to follow each rider visually along the route, providing an even more comprehensive and engaging view of the race.

A Complex Machine Behind the Spectacle

Behind the spectacular Giro images we enjoy from the comfort of our homes lies an incredibly complex organizational machine, the heart of which is the TV compound. Here, approximately 15 regia vehicles gather, dedicated to the host broadcaster feed of the race and an equal number for television broadcasters seeking to integrate international images with their own footage.

RAI plays a significant role in this operation, being the only broadcaster with a true mobile television studio on site,complete with five cameras and four motorcycles provided by EMG. These motorcycles carry journalists for live reporting from the race. Eurosport, on the other hand, has a camera at the finish line with a reporter for interviews and a journalist on board a motorcycle who provides live commentary along the route, coordinated by the Paris video center.

The EMG/Gravity Media group, responsible for bringing the Giro d’Italia to cycling enthusiasts worldwide, divided the roles within the group’s countries as follows:

EMG Italy:

Manages the entire production and all logistics, providing the main OB regia mobile vehicles and serving as the Executive Production for cycling.
Oversees television direction, ensuring impeccable coverage of each stage.
Coordinates and liaises with the MIMIT for radio frequency licenses.
Coordinates and executes satellite bookings for all contribution transmissions.

EMG Connectivity:

Coordinates on-stage moving image activities during the stages and provides the necessary personnel and technical support.
Ensures wireless transmission of images and data from the race to the HB’s OBVan.

EMG Belgium + EMG France:

Coordinate the operation of helicopters and airplanes during the stages.
Ensure the safety and perfect integration of the footage taken from motorcycles.

EMG Netherlands:

Manages satellite transmission.
Distributes the Giro d’Italia video signal to television broadcasters around the world.

Boost Graphics:

Developed the race’s graphics package and provides timing and data processing services.
Enriches the television production with informative and engaging visual elements in real time.

Aerial Camera Systems (ACS):

Provides gyroscopic cameras positioned on helicopters for coverage of the action from above.

Long daily live broadcasts

The total duration of the live broadcast, which varies in length depending on the stage and weather conditions, averages six to seven hours each day. The international feed produced by EMG starts 30 minutes before the start of the race and continues for 45 minutes after the stage winner’s finish, including the daily jersey presentation ceremonies.

A major challenge is to ensure smooth coverage for areas not directly connected by cable or fiber. For this purpose, state-of-the-art and proprietary wireless transmission systems are used. Once the live broadcast is over, EMG Italy also plays an important role in the production of highlights, using two Avid editing stations connected to the EVS network to create daily clips and a weekly magazine.

Andrea Basso, Head of TV productions and media rights for RCS Sport events, says: “This year we have chosen a Dutch director and assistant director, Koen Van Mourik and Tjarko Stikkers, who we already know well because we have already worked with them on some editions of the Tour of the United Arab Emirates. They are used to working together, are very synchronized and have an even fresher and more dynamic vision of the race. In their coverage of the Giro, they used the new graphics package created by Boost Graphics much more than in the past.

With each edition, we have always tried to improve, so we have constantly worked on small and large details of the production and introduced improvements that guarantee a television product of ever higher quality. I can also say that the “core operating group” that EMG Italy has placed on the Giro project has grown a lot and today we can certainly boast a specific expertise that has been refined over the years of working together. RCS Sport has also invested a lot in the “storytelling of the territory”, selecting the points of interest that are regularly provided to the team of aerial cameramen and enhanced during each stage”.

The Director’s Perspective: Koen Van Mourik’s Insights

Koen Van Mourik, the director, expresses his enthusiasm for the project, stating, “It was a very exciting job!” He acknowledges the Giro’s reputation as a grand spectacle and the aptness of its title, “the toughest race in the world, in the most beautiful country in the world. It was a great opportunity to work again with Tjarko Stikkers and the international team that EMG has made available. The team is truly highly qualified in every segment of production and is multilingual, spanning English, French, Dutch and… a few words of Italian. Overall, the event was very well prepared from the beginning of the season and then a camera plan was used on each stage that we confirmed on site before the start. Obviously, there are always small operational aspects that we cannot foresee before each stage and we are forced to make changes at the last minute.For example, we are often not sure of having the space we would like for camera placement and sometimes we have to compromise and adapt to the actual conditions, solving with small changes compared to the original plan.

In general, we always have a large pre-production meeting where we explain to the operators what we want to achieve and what we expect from them. Then we discuss the small daily adjustments to the story and emphasize the focus we want to narrate before each stage and on that specific day.”

The technology involved

“From a technological point of view,” Koen Van Mourik continues, “we have extended the use of drones, following the trend in other cycling races where aerial shots certainly allow for greater spectacle, especially in some of the more difficult stages to follow.”

The use of drones had already been inaugurated by EMG Italy in the previous edition during the Tarvisio-Lussari stage,but in 2024 their use was significantly expanded due to the excellent perspective they allow, for example in mountain stages.

Koen Van Mourik confirms: “What we have tried to do is to bring together different elements that can better tell the story and entertain the viewer as much as possible. We are, in fact, aware that cycling can sometimes be monotonous; therefore,we have combined spectacular images of the beauty of the places, and have accompanied them as much as possible with sports data, statistics and graphics. In addition, we have reused a particular effect, a kind of zoom-in on some details of the image following a practice that was already used in the past. For a number of years this “effect” has not been used anymore but we have reintroduced it with great satisfaction: for example in the second stage there was a broken bike that we were able to document in detail,really managing to get into the details of the story.”

Cycling is definitely a sport where it is really possible to integrate many “collateral” elements into the narration of the competition itself. In the storytelling of this sport, the figure of the director is fundamental in determining the pace at which the spectator enjoys the show and experiences the event. This can certainly be done to a greater extent than in other sports, such as football, where the main camera must necessarily follow the ball. Here there is much more freedom.

Koen Van Mourik nods: “Mine is a good job, because I have a lot of freedom of expression: in fact, even if the race itself is certainly and always the main focus of the narrative, as a director I can continually choose and decide what to propose and really add impactful visual elements. In practice, the direction must find the right mix of technical information and spectacular storytelling.

When asked about what could be interesting to improve, I think I can answer that, although the new graphics package that also includes the tracking implemented this year has been really very valid, I believe that it is precisely in this direction that we can raise the bar even further and involve the data even more, in future editions. In addition, for the first time we have used a second stabilized camera, connected in RF, at the start/finish line that works at high speed and describes mainly the start phases. I believe that, always to develop the level of authorial creativity, precisely thanks to these cameras we could increase, in the future, the clips that describe what happens before and after the race and propose more images taken from motorcycles in super slow motion. In addition, capturing as much as possible the excitement of the fans on the roads would add an extra dimension to the beauty of the race and the show”.

The director’s final comment: “It was great working with the truly international team put together by EMG Italy and RCS for this great event, which brought together so many specialists from so many parts of Europe. The excellent organization of everything allowed everyone to really give their best in every segment of the production, to create a performance at the highest level.”

The entire EMG Italy production of the Giro d’Italia is managed by Davide Furlan and Bruno Coudizer, both Overall Project Managers.

The first is directly involved in the relationship with the MISE for the use of radio frequencies, in the coordination and technical control of the workflow of the connections between the various media to the TV Compound, in the satellite booking for all the contribution feeds, in the management of all the suppliers and the related budget costs and in the coordination of the production and booking sector for the composition of the production plan and the technical team. Bruno Coudizer manages and coordinates all the “moving” parts, the crew specialized in cycling production, the motorcycle crews and the Cineflex operators on the helicopters. Furthermore, thanks to his great experience in production and knowledge of sports, Bruno this year covers the important role of Assistant Director.

EMG coordinator Bruno Coudyzer and TV Director Gunther Herregodts are part of the EMG TV production crew of the 106th Giro d’Italia 2023 ©kramon

The EMG Italy production team deployed for the Giro d’Italia is completed by collaborators Matteo Fragni, Unit Manager on site, Mario Lovallo, Producer on site, and Isabella Leoni who, with the fundamental work of booking, together with Valentina D’Alia in first person, with Nicolò Selvestrel and Salvatore Amato in support, they guaranteed everyone a bed and a roof every night in every stage.

“Also this year”, says Davide Furlan, “the television production of the Giro d’Italia created by EMG is international, with the general supervision of EMG Italy, with the fundamental collaboration of EMG Belgium and the French EMG Connectivity and with the important addition to the graphic and timing division of Boost Graphics and Microplus.

The Fiamminghi and the Transalpine provide the personnel specialized in filming on board the motorcycles and in the radio frequency connection sector, the aerial links for filming, a true technological jewel, as well as all service communications and connectivity.

In Italy, the entire budget and all service providers are managed, including helicopters which are an important workflow resource, frequency concessions and their coordination for all broadcasters, all the logistics of the 143 people involved with planes, cars, vans, buses, trains and above all hotel rooms, as well as ground shooting and general coordination during all the movements between stages”.

“My job is to help coordinate production,” Matteo Fragni intervenes. “We started with a pre-production in the months preceding the event, which concerned the organization of the teams of dedicated personnel, all the logistics and the composition of all the techniques involved”.

“In addition to the Giro d’Italia, says Mario Lovallo, “I am busy following the other cycling events in Italy that have been taking place since March, such as Strade Bianche, the Tirreno-Adriatico and the Giro di Sicilia, and our task, as Production Department, is to precede the events by organizing them in toto.

I mainly deal with the coordination of the television media present at the TV compound, including those of RAI and the integrated broadcasters: in fact, we arrive in the evening in each city hosting the stage and we set up the parking lot from scratch where all the television media operate: the Giro d’Italia requires an immediate reaction to the inevitable unforeseen events of all kinds in each stage, being present to always guarantee the best solution for everyone is fundamental, it is called “on-the-spot assistance”, EMG is also appreciated for this”.

The EMG Italy team follows the delicate mission of choosing the personnel who form the various technical teams. Among these, are all the personnel “on the ground” who take care of filming, the cameramen who are assigned the 4-5 cameras placed before the finish line and the other 7-8, placed after the finish, depending on the stages. In addition, the staff dedicated to camera controls on board the main gallery truck and those devoted to audio recordings. In general, the OB Orion 209 control room has a set-up of 14 cameras on the ground in the finish area, and it is the Belgian director, Gunther Herregodts, who at each stage, after the morning inspection, decides which supports to prepare and where, basing his decision on the barrier and to the route.

Most of the time the cameras are placed on typical mounts called hi-lo’s at the side of the track, identical to those used behind football goals; these mounts elevate the operator and camera above the heads of the audience. At some arrivals, shoulder camera shots are used to create impressive images and cameras are also set up on mini mobile cranes, called Magnum Duos where the operator, remaining seated together with the camera, can choose the shooting height by acting on a remote control that operates a hydraulic column.

These systems are necessary to comply with the UCI and RCS safety criteria which require not trespassing on the post-arrival barriers but possibly overcoming them in height. This allows for a higher shooting point with respect to the heads of the public crowding the arrivals and which – as happened in this edition – often also has to be above the umbrellas made mandatory by the very rainy weather that characterized this May.

Eight hours of live coverage a day

There are twenty-nine production days with 21 live race stages during which the whole team starts in the morning with a meeting around 08.30 to finish all the disassembly procedures around 19.30, producing about eight hours of live coverage every day, to then leave for a new stage. In fact, the work continues for at least an hour after the arrival of the cyclists, because the award ceremonies are long, with many jerseys to be awarded to the winners. In addition, EMG produces, also on-site, a newsfeed with three-minute highlights edited for distribution dedicated to international takers. The contents are distributed via satellite and also via streaming, through a dedicated portal.

The tv compound

There are about twenty trucks, including those EMG operational and support, parked every day in the TV compound that make the production of the Giro possible and are distributed in a 2000m2 dedicated area. Integrations from other broadcasters, such as Discovery, are also packaged here, and RAI also operates from here, following the event with a dozen of its own mobile vehicles, with full coverage of the race, insights and mobile studios, a huge commitment of men and means by the Italian national broadcaster.

It is essential to make sure that everything works perfectly, that the spaces are adequate, that everyone has electricity, that the vehicles in charge of distributing the SNG satellite signals can see the South and there are no blocks of flats nor impediments in the optical line between the ground station and satellite connection. Preliminary preparation also involves having the necessary information available for all to broadcast the signal to the various takers.

Also in this case, the distribution of the signals starts months before, given that it is really complex, since the main satellite truck vehicle, in addition to distributing them, receives 4 signals: one from the departure links, two from the intermediate relay stations which are equipped with two other SNG vans, and a last signal transmitted by an SNG mobile vehicle placed at the arrival.

Then there are also some special additions such as the one for Discovery which, from the stage in Viareggio to the stage in Rome, broadcasts the commentary of the commentator via satellite who goes live following the cyclists aboard a motorbike with his own video camera and microphone, interacting with the various studios of Eurosport France and England along the way. TSI, the Swiss TV, is also present at the Giro with a commentary station, flanked by another seven collected in a special two-story mobile vehicle, supplied by RCS, and placed near the finish line.

Ready for everything

“We must be ready for anything”, concludes Matteo Fragni, “sometimes even with drastic interventions. In fact, every morning we find ourselves working in new places and it often happens that we have to pick up a chainsaw to cut tree branches that block the view. It also happened several times that we had to temporarily move road signs installed after the inspections made months before, orienting them differently to prevent them from appearing in the camera-moving shots.

Another fascinating aspect that makes us proud of this incredible travelling production is the magic that happens every morning when we arrive in a dedicated and completely empty area of a new city. Here, in just two hours and out of nowhere, the TV compound arises, this incredible agglomeration isolated by barriers, which collects antenna cables, technical structures, crowded with mobile control units and cranes, radio links, SNG mobile vehicles, shooting studios, UPS power supplies, and the trucks of the broadcasters for the international integrations. The same magic happens in the evening where in just two hours everything disappears and the city returns to what it was, completely empty. After having left everything free and clean, we are already on our way to the next stage, where everything will start again”.