Giro d’Italia – Gravity Media

Interview with Alessandro Curti, Head of Graphics at EMG Italy

EMG Italy and RCS Sport have renewed their partnership for the production of the leading Italian cycling events, with a strong focus on technological innovation, editorial quality and integrated management. Giro d’Italia 2025 will feature advanced systems including live data-driven graphics, drones, artificial intelligence and pixel tracking.

More than 120 professionals are involved, along with a mobile production unit for the international feed and tailored streams for digital platforms. The aim is to deliver an increasingly immersive and technically refined television experience.

“Last year we implemented a number of new graphic solutions, and this year we’ve continued along the same path,” says Alessandro Curti, Head of Boost Graphics in Italy, the international broadcast graphics division of EMG / Gravity Media.

“This year’s project involved advanced technologies, new data collection systems, and a significant expansion of the features dedicated to the live television production of cycling’s flagship event, the Giro d’Italia.”

RCS Sport has entrusted EMG / Gravity Media Italy with the international production and distribution of its cycling events, while all graphics operations are managed by its subsidiary Boost Graphics.

This collaboration allows for early-season trials of new tools during events like the UAE Tour, Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milano-Sanremo, which are then fully developed and deployed at the Giro. Other RCS races follow: Milano-Torino, Gran Piemonte and Il Lombardia. Since last year, new additions include Sanremo Women, Giro Donne and Giro Next Gen, expanding the calendar of covered events.

The Giro represents the culmination of all graphic innovations tested throughout the season.

Among the key developments this year are new solutions that highlight athlete data: in addition to biometric parameters (speed, cadence, power output in watts) previously limited to a few riders, the 2025 edition features a greatly expanded dataset.

Additional information such as weather conditions, cultural content and historical notes on each stage location have also been integrated, some of which are provided directly by the organiser through dedicated tools developed to enhance their graphic representation.

“For biometric data collection,” Curti explains, “we’ve developed a new system in collaboration with VELON, an external partner of RCS. The data are captured by sensors mounted on the bikes, transmitted via mobile networks using transponders, and sent to a central data hub. From there, the information is transferred via API and internet connection to the Boost Graphics operations centre, where it is processed in real time and provided to the main production director.”

Boost Graphics has also developed a custom application for collecting and managing this statistical data.

Almost every bike (within technical limits) is equipped with a transponder, and the transmitted data is processed to create athlete-specific biometric graphics, enabling dynamic comparisons between riders in breakaways, in the peloton or among general classification contenders.

All of this is integrated into the live graphic flow for the international feed. The transponder signals are first received by the VELON hub and then sent via mobile network (which can present challenges in mountainous terrain) to Boost’s graphics hub, where the system processes the data with minimal latency. Graphic operators select the most relevant content in line with the narrative choices of the live director. The data feed is continuous, but only pertinent elements are broadcast, using templates created during the off-season.

Live images are accompanied by informative graphics, from weather and biometric data to group composition and breakaway formations. A single graphics coordinator maintains direct contact with the director to ensure editorial consistency. Three Boost Graphics OB vans are stationed at each stage finish, staffed by personnel managing timing (in partnership with Microplus), intermediate sprints, stage results, secretariat tasks and photo finish.

“One of the key innovations in 2025,” adds Curti, “is the introduction of the ‘Red Bull kilometre’, a new intermediate sprint that required the development of dedicated and branded graphics. We’ve also expanded our technical infrastructure: six OB graphic vehicles in total—three at the finish and three along the course to manage the intermediate sprints. Two additional graphic workstations have been installed on one of the OB vans to reinforce operations.”

The intermediate sprint vans are responsible for collecting and transmitting the sprint standings in real time, including graphics and official statistics.

Personnel are distributed across three intermediate sprint positions, two photo finish stations, one secretariat, one for race radio, one for GPS, one for pixel tracking, and three operators for central graphics—for a total of 13 specialised roles.

The Pixel Tracking system, used exclusively on helicopter footage, allows real-time tracking of rider positions within the race, with dynamic on-screen labels showing name, bib number, and jersey type. One operator is dedicated to this task, and the footage is also used in post-production.

Finally, to integrate with RAI’s graphics, EMG / Gravity Media Italy has assigned a dedicated operator and equipment within RAI’s OB van, ensuring unified and consistent graphic management throughout the race.

“It’s a complex but cohesive team effort,” concludes Curti, “and I would like to thank Antonello Grippo, Cycling Project Manager, in particular. The result is a graphic system that is richer, more precise and more dynamic—one we’re especially proud of, as it truly serves the television storytelling of the Giro d’Italia.”

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 penultimate day of the 2023 edition of the very famous Giro d’Italia saw the cyclists engaged in a special stage, the Tarvisio-Lussari, for an uphill time trial, unique in terms of type of route and importance in awarding the title .

Davide Furlan Outdoor Production Director of EMG Italy says: “The 2023 Giro turned out to be more demanding than expected for all the participants, for the athletes who still had to deal with Covid which forced them to withdraw (like the Belgian Evenepoel) and for the RCS organizer who had to come to terms with these withdrawals and with the numerous controversies exposed by the media for the choice of paths (too hard according to some).

Challenging also for the injured athletes due to the numerous falls, due to the slippery asphalt due to the constant rain and – consequently – also demanding for our television production which, due to the adverse weather, had to manage the daily set-ups of the stages in extreme conditions. It must be said that the experience gained by the technical team present has reacted to these difficulties in an impeccable manner and the preparation for the event in recent months allowed for perfect and punctual production”.

BETTIOL Alberto from Tarvisio to Monte Lussari (ITA/18.6km) of the 106th Giro d’Italia 2023 ©kramon

Specials of the 2023 edition

This year the Giro has decidedly unique specificities rarely encountered for TV production in World Tour races: for example, 9 stages which, due to their length, exceed the flight autonomy of the radio link plane. This forced the production to use a second twin aircraft, essential to maintain the continuity of the live transmission of all the radio signals of the 10 motorcycles and 2 helicopters.

Another unique feature of this year was the special stage on the penultimate day of the Giro, the Tarvisio-Lussari uphill time trial. This portion of the Giro required a truly unique organizational and productive effort for everyone, obviously combined with the sporting effort of the athletes engaged along the ascent to the Sanctuary.

In this stage, all of EMG’s experience was brought into play: it was a question of producing a time trial and uphill cycling race, the time trial thrives on specificities linked to the presence of intermediate points for recording the times, in these precise points the timing photocells and a video camera that records the moment of passage must be positioned. This workflow is quite simple to manage when positioning takes place in places where it is possible to park an SNG satellite unit and where a stable internet data connection is available. In the Lussari stage, on the other hand, this aspect was decidedly more complicated, due to an impervious 8km mountain path just 3m wide, in the middle of a dense forest totally devoid of 4G coverage, and where it was known that it would not have been possible to use of Ka-Sat technologies.

Added to this is the further complexity of the fact that all of EMG’s TV Compound for international production was positioned downstream of Mount Lussari at 700m above sea level, while the arrival of the stage was positioned at the top of 1700m above sea level, and all the techniques were connected in fiber at a distance of 6.5 km.

A unique set-up, in the woods

“The envisaged set-up”, resumes Furlan, was the result of a mix of experiences acquired over the years from numerous productions of the Ski World Cup, the Olympics and the Winter Universiade. These extreme situations allowed us to think of a very similar technical set-up, in terms of distances and environment, and a system of fixed cameras connected through the use of dark fibres. To these were added three stations with SNG for the intermediate timing points, and an internet network was generated nearby thanks to the installation of some repeater links on the adjacent mountain, with an up-down capacity of synchronous 60-70Mbit .

ULISSI Diego (ITA/UAE Emirates) from Tarvisio to Monte Lussari (ITA/18.6km) of the 106th Giro d’Italia 2023 ©kramon

The network was used to send back-up images, to connect the timing network with the server at the TV compound and, last but not least, to generate a technical coordination call on the cloud between the Master gallery and remote SNG stations.

The fundamental communications for the camera operators and for all the technicians in these remote positions in the woods were guaranteed by the aerial link which radiated the frequency of the “Ordini Regia” channel in the valley, and by a double circuit UHF bridge installed on the stand alone via fiber at an altitude of 1700mt. The technical system for communications, especially in these conditions, is a fundamental piece for the entire production, and also in this stage the work done by the EMG team was perfect and reliable as required”.

Last kilometers

Along the last 2km of the route (normally in the stages of the Giro only the last km is covered), the following were positioned: a camera on Jimmi-jib at 1.7km, a camera on a drone to cover

a 300m piece of forest that couldn’t be scrutinized from the helicopter, due to the thick vegetation, numerous cameras, including ground and shoulder cameras, in an interview position and podium with all the necessary audio and intercom services. The stage had truly impressive television coverage, EMG supported the event with 29 cameras connected via RF, via satellite, via 4G and via fiber, 5 EVS Xt3 plus two Avids to complete the impressive production plant.

GEE Derek (CAN/Israel – Premier Tech) from Tarvisio to Monte Lussari (ITA/18.6km) of the 106th Giro d’Italia 2023 ©kramon

This setup put every element of the production to the hardest test with obvious technical stress due to the high number of connected “elements”, in a very difficult environment and with very tight set-up and test times. To this were added obvious editorial stresses to be able to tell a truly unique race of its kind, which was the epilogue of the entire Giro d’Italia 2023.

The “uphill” comment

“All of this” concludes Furlan, “was only possible thanks to the experience gained in many “extreme” productions made over the years by the EMG teams.

That’s why RCS has chosen to have us by its side as co-producers and not just as technical service for their important tenders.

Throughout the Giro, the EMG production unit was the Orion 209, while the Nova 126 unit was used for this special stage. This change made it possible to carry out the complicated set-up during the three days preceding the stage with a second dedicated crew. In these days the Orion 209 continued to flawlessly cover the other stages of the Giro along the roads of the Dolomites and then, together with its crew, was transferred from the three peaks of Lavaredo to Rome for the last stage and the grand finale with the finish line at the Imperial Forums, a worthy epilogue and a fair closing “walkway” for a truly prepared and professional team that was able to react even against the adverse weather conditions of this year. My many thanks go to each one of them for the result achieved, it was a great race, a great Giro”.

Logistics

Valentina D’Alia, who coordinates the Booking Department of EMG Italy for the Giro, also with Salvatore Amato and Nicolò Selvestrel, took care of all the logistics of the Giro caravan, i.e. all the reservations for the hotels, those of the 10 cars and 8 vans for travelling, the two mobile office campers located at the finish line, three vans for transporting goods. In addition, the department coordinated personnel transfers by train, administrative management of personnel, tracking of collaborator costs, packed lunches for motorcyclists, and much more.

There were four teams to manage and three workstations for all 29 days of the Giro, i.e. start, finish and intermediate positions. For the approximately 100 people involved (120 in some stages such as Tarvisio), it took care of the reservations of the transport vehicles of the Italian and foreign crews, for the Belgians and French, and of the overnight stays for a total of 173 hotels or accommodation facilities booked and 1,898 rooms.

“Some stages”, says Valentina, “like that of Tarvisio were particularly difficult not only for the uphill runners, but also for us given the scarcity of accommodation facilities – saturated or closed due to the off-season – which forced us to find accommodations in Slovenia”.

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.

Peloton rolling through town – 106th Giro d’Italia 2023 ©kramon

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.

106th Giro d’Italia 2023 – Stage 1 ©kramon

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.

EMG coordinator Bruno Coudyzer and TV Director Gunther Herregodts are part of the EMG TV production crew – ©kramon

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”.

EMG Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and France to tell the Giro for RCS Sport

The production of EMG Group has been chosen for the next three years by RCS Sport, the leading organizer of Italian sporting events, to follow all the cycling races on the calendar.

A great international cooperation allowed the opening of the cycling season with Strade Bianche and continued with the great show following the Giro d’Italia 2022.

About thirty days around Italy

In just one month of preparation, the entire organization of a sport like cycling was set in motion, which, due to its great experience in the field, has historically always been the sole prerogative of RAI, the Italian national broadcaster. From this year, however, everything is taken care of by Euro Media Group, which certainly does not have the role of a simple technical service for television filming, but also of editorial manager, logistics manager and much more.

EMG for all cycling sold by RCS in the world

Davide Furlan EMG Italy, Director of Major Events and Overall Project Manager for cycling, confirms: “Right after the great ski project, we took care of the Giro d’Italia with all that it entails: organizing, managing, interpreting the needs of RCS Sport, never improvising, and always optimizing. To give an idea of the optimization effort and the complexity of the organization, last year RAI had 405 employees involved in this great event, while this year we at EMG have fielded only 129 professionals.

RCS Sport, for the first time, has relied on a private group to self-produce not only the Giro but all the World Tour races it organizes, starting with Strade Bianche. EMG has been commissioned by RCS Sport to weave the threads of the entire production, in fact, as executive producer. The assignment for the next three years involves not only the role of technological service for HD TV filming, but to also hold the reins of the editorial part: in fact EMG provides Italian technical staff, such as the director Angelo Carosi and the two assistant directors, Franco Scotton and Antonello Grippo”.

Foto Gian Mattia D’Alberto / LaPresse – 04 Maggio 2022 Budapest, Ungheria – Team Presentation in Heroes Square

Two TV production standards

The production of the first Strade Bianche race was organized by us at EMG Italy in record time, 15 days, and then we spread that production model over the Giro, using two types of production in response to the requests of the RCS Sport technical specifications:

Standard A: 2 planes, 2 helicopters, 10 motorcycles, 14 fixed cameras on the ground at the finish line.

Standard B: for the “minor” races: 1 helicopter, 1 plane, 5 motorcycles and 12 cameras on the ground.

Standard A includes two Beechcraft B200 radio relay planes, equipped with 14 autotracking antennas in reception and two antennas in transmission: they are the hub of all the radio frequency flows that are managed for the live broadcast. The use of autotracking antennas allows for optimal gain and a stable signal both up and down: each receiving antenna moves and follows the antenna that transmits and/or receives on the ground, despite both the plane and the transmission point being in continuous movement.

The signals arrive in the TV compound to a special RF truck and, at the same time, are received at an intermediate point that acts as a reserve, given that some stages cover very long distances, even 350km. In these stages the coverage cone requires an intermediate reference point, where a 13.50-meter SNG ob-van from EMG France, equipped with complete reception and transmission systems, assisted by a generator, sends the signals back to an intermediate MUX (for example, in the case of the Reggio Emilia stage, the MUX was in Asiano Piacentino).

Moving images

The tour in standard A includes two helicopters, B355 and a twin-engine B355S, operating at altitudes ranging from 100 to 300 meters and equipped with Cineflex HD cameras. They are used to tell the story of the race but also to film the beauties of the country Italy. On the ground, for sportcasting, 5 motorcycles are used with operators equipped with Grass Valley LDX86N compact cameras and a Livetools RF transmitter, created on proprietary EMG engineering.

All signal transmission and reception systems are engineered within Livetools, a Dutch company of the EMG group.
One of the strengths of Livetools is the signal coding based on proprietary algorithms, managed with in-house hardware, not available on the market. The codecs, the ultra-low latency, the managed transmission volume are particularly high quality and the bandwidth is extremely full, because Livetools engineers have specifically designed the codecs for use in motion.

At the start, 5 motorcycle cameras to show the race

As great experts in sports filming, EMG provides highly specialized and passionate staff: all the motorcycle drivers and all the cameramen are competent, former cyclists, some even champions, and this added value is appreciated in the type of filming they are able to propose to the director.

In total, in the Giro, EMG provides 10 motorcycle cameras including those requested by the broadcasters taking over the rights for integration, with moving images or audio. For example, RAI hires 4 motorcycles, two for RAI Sport and two for RadioRai, to intervene live during its customization broadcasts. Eurosport also integrates its AV signal, thanks to another EMG Group motorcycle that allows audio commentary, but also in video, thanks to an onboard cam that frames the journalist while he intervenes live in the race. All these moving signals, including those of the two helicopters, go up to the plane and then down to the TV compound.

The TV compound

To manage the TV compound, EMG hired a 16.5 m OB-truck from Euro Media Group Italy, Orion 209, as the “main control”. Another truck from Euro Media Group France, RF truck Orion C42, takes care of all the reception and distribution of signals.
Inside, the coordinator of the moving images of EMG Belgium, Bruno Coudyzer, takes care of all the RF signals including the N-1 to and from the journalists on the move on the motorbikes. The number of signals that pass through is truly impressive, as you can imagine.

Even the telemetry of every single plane, helicopter and motorbike that moves along the route is constantly displayed and coordinated within a live cartography. This telemetry with real-time visual control, which allows you to know exactly where the vehicles are on the route, is used by those coordinating the filming to indicate the positions of the cyclists to the various motorbikes and therefore provides valuable information to the control.

The strength of Euro Media Group

“In general,” Furlan continues, “the coordination and management for RCS Sport of all the low frequency is by EMG Italy, while the entire setup for the “moving” radio frequency is handled by EMG France, EMG Holland and EMG Belgium.

This year the Giro started from Hungary and EMG Group sent the technical means of EMG Belgium to follow the first three stages and, at the same time, the group composed of EMG Italy and EMG France moved to Sicily because, otherwise, in just one day of travel between Hungary and Italy it would not have been possible to create such a complex setup.

Therefore, the use of international resources and means was truly huge in order to manage the double setup in Hungary and Sicily at the same time. EMG Italy had the burden of organizing all the logistics of all 129 people involved in the Giro and who moved all over Italy, with the related problems related to the weather and the very different locations. The staff hired was distributed in TV compound with 70 people, a dozen in the intermediate relay group, about thirty at the departures and about eight in the group between planes and helicopters”.

“Hot” backup in 4G

Furlan emphasizes: “We have integrated the technical specifications with a backup system for transmitting images from helicopters and motorcycles in the event of an extreme default of the planes, i.e. for conditions in which the planes cannot fly (as has already happened in past editions).
In fact, all the motorcycles and helicopters also have 4G backup transmission systems on board; therefore all the signals, in addition to the radio frequency from the plane, are simultaneously transmitted on the 4G bridges to be able to go on the air without interruptions, in any case, in any adversity.

Upon arrival in all the TV compounds there is an internet connection dedicated to this use. Other technical innovations have not been introduced – for the moment – and given the high complexity of the production, EMG is already thinking about some innovations to introduce for the next edition, after having demonstrated, in this one, the quality level of the entire organization”.

The role of EMG

The responsibility of EMG Group also included the total management of the TV compound, that is, the satisfaction of the requests of all the broadcasters who showed up for the integrations, including the supply of electricity, spaces, parking, etc.

For example, RAI was present with about 800 square meters of vehicles, three editorial offices, RAI Sport 1, RAI Sport 2 and a third that creates content for RAI 1, 2, 3, therefore three traveling studios; and then two mobile control rooms for RAI TV, two mobile control rooms for Radio RAI and the offices. The TV compound that the Giro needs to park all the vehicles at each stage is two thousand square meters.

Then Eurosport, with an ENG control room, which puts together a lineup at the finish line at each stage with two journalists and radio cameras, to which is added an SNG vehicle in the stages in which it also creates the video of the race with a motorcycle. The Swiss broadcaster RTSI also joined, after a few stages, for customization.

Another important point to underline is the complete management of the radio frequency, carried out entirely by EMG, which entailed an expense for this edition of over 123 thousand euros for the concession of the frequencies by the MISE Ministry of Economic Development. It should be noted that in France, for the similar service in the Tour de France, the cost sustained by EMG was 1200 euros.

First requirement: guarantee a quality service

All the logistics were managed by EMG Italy, led by Davide Furlan and, operationally, managed by Valentina D’Alìa, booking-logistics coordinator of the TV compound and known as “the one who slept the least of all!” following a team of 129 people on 24 stages and on 4 different situations.

Valentina D’Alia on numbers: “My job was to coordinate the booking crew for the logistics of the entire operational group made up of Italians, French and Belgians. All the logistics, finding hotels near the “hot spots”, organizing the catering, moving all the staff, was a colossal undertaking, for a product on air from noon to 6 pm for each stage, for a total of 106 hours of live.

To give you an idea, here are some of the numbers:

• 6764 km traveled in 27 days of travel

• 1958 rooms in total with relative overnight stays, excluding the air crews and helicopters with another 8-10 people

• 20 drivers with 20 minivans for the caravans that transport all the staff to the hotel

• 47 vehicles – of which 33 embarked on 6/05 on the Genoa/Palermo route (20 hours of crossing)

• 1,548 catering meals in total between arrivals and departures

• 60 hours of night surveillance

Fabio Guadagnini, EMG Italy CCO

The Giro Project Manager who held the reins in coordinating the French, Italian, Dutch and Belgian groups, comments:
“RCS Sport has made a strategic and also very courageous choice, and has relied on EMG Group for three years, becoming the organizer also for the production part. For us it is a great responsibility that also covers the entire package of the 9 races in Italy. To do this we have set up a France-Belgium-Italy partnership, also to do some experimentation.

For the first year we did not have the technical times because it was too close to the start of the competitions with Strade Bianche, but we are already working on a strategy for the next few years where we will propose “new adventures” together with RCS Sport which is a very receptive interlocutor and for us this is important. We have therefore decided to put on the track the best of what the Group can offer at a European level for cycling: our great technological knowledge, starting from the RF Services & Connectivity and the management of the signals of EMG Belgium and France and our expertise in the territory, in addition to the management of the technical means and ob-van production which is managed largely by EMG Italy”.

The first time as intercompany

In practice, EMG has employed and combined the various international expertise that excels in specific and complementary sectors: this is essentially the first time that the Group has brought this intercompany joint venture to the field on such a complex project.

Cycling is undoubtedly the sport that implies the greatest complexity and, even if it sometimes has recurring circuits, in the case of the Giro everything changes every day, both from an environmental, technical sports, infrastructural, logistical, technological and connectivity point of view. This is because the very varied orography of the Italian territory requires very different procedures from stage to stage.

“A very important challenge”, sums up Fabio Guadagnini, “that we faced with great commitment and aware that we could never let our guard down: recounting a sports performance over 200/270 km in 5/6 hours of live coverage implies many risks and dangers”.

The RF section with Bruno Coudyzer

“It wasn’t “difficult”, but rather “quite a challenge”, says Bruno Coudyzer of EMG Belgium. “Each country and city where we stop has its own difficulties: just look at how large the TV compound is for international and national feeds, to understand that we have to deal with complexities and logistical, technical and practical solutions, very demanding and very different.

Maglia Rosa – Overall Leader Richard Carapaz (ECU/INEOS Grenadiers) coming up the Passo Pordoi – 105th Giro d’Italia 2022 (ITA/2.UWT) ©kramon

While in the “flat” stages, such as Reggio Emilia [which most of the photos refer to, ed.], management is simpler, in the mountain stages we have less space and room for maneuver to make everything work. Here the intermediate team is crucial since the mountains often block the optical propagation line for the RF signals to pass through.

The setup is very large and similar to that of the Tour de France with 10 motorcycles and 5 for the unilateral RAI, some for the audio commentary and one for Eurosport. In addition to the two in flight, we have a helicopter on standby and also a second plane – also on standby – which is used for the so-called “queen stages” and the “long stages”.
I really couldn’t calculate in my head how many RF channels we use, but in terms of frequencies in use there are about 80, not only for video but also for communications and data, since intercommunications here are crucial in such a mobile setup.
The bulk of the equipment is from Livetools, a proprietary brand of a company within the EMG group, which has its own research and development sector and which produced the Fusion platform.

Transmitters, receivers, software and additional hardware make this huge setup possible over long distances and allows the use of all the frequencies involved to be coordinated.
We transmit and receive all signals through different Fusion components that allow links, even of 120 KM, up to aircraft that operate between 6500 and 8000 meters above sea level, in addition to 12 sources to transport and a myriad of audio video and data channels.

Given the importance of radio frequency signals, there are two aircraft because one, in fact, is always ready as a backup to avoid any interruption; furthermore, in some particularly long stages where the flight autonomy is exceeded (about 6.5 hours), the second aircraft takes over in overlap”.

A passion for cycling

Angelo Carosi, the director of the Giro, says: “What we have put on display here in Italy is not only the best of the television technologies on the market, but also, from an operational point of view, it is the best team that anyone could ask for. Even the motorcyclists and cameramen are super passionate, often champions, and this can be seen in the result of the images on air.

With particular dynamics we went in search of aesthetic detail and the most important directorial novelty is the discovery of the Italian territory, thanks to the production of EMG for RCS Sport, where our commitment was to create the right “combination” between the sports and the territorial spectacle.

We are very lucky because, unlike other nations, we have a variety of territory that allows the enhancement of the country at a tourist and spectacular level. The direction of the Giro is a rather complex operation that, apart from the pure technological grandeur, involves a total effort of the people who have to assemble and dismantle everything in a few hours and this makes you think about how many resources and how many men are needed to manage a circus of the genre. Those who watch the race on TV don’t realize the physical effort of everyone: we have to cover a live broadcast of six hours for almost thirty days!

Personally, among the many challenges faced in my career, this is a new one and it is the first time that the Giro d’Italia is produced by an external company and not by RAI with a co-production agreement in which RCS Sport relies on EMG. The guys who work with me are all very motivated and passionate and it couldn’t be otherwise, otherwise we wouldn’t have achieved such an effective formula in such a short time, also confirmed by the praise of the international takers who take the signals.

The staff hired by EMG is of the highest level, to the point of not missing the excellent professionals that RAI fielded in the past. The winning choice was to rely on an international dimension, involving enthusiastic internal enthusiasts from EMG Belgium, France and Italy and to support people who have a high level of know-how.

We experienced 30 days of great enthusiasm with a strong search for technical sports detail, details that had lost in the past, despite the absolute competence of RAI, and that the cycling enthusiast loves to see, all with great quality of 1080i images, therefore with an excellent signal.

What stands out in the style of how we told the Giro is our specificity of having prepared two parallel schedules, one that tells the story of the road race and one for the helicopters and motorcycles. To enhance the territory and the most important technical points of the race we created two different run-downs where some motorcycles and helicopters take turns temporarily detaching from the race and go to film the points of interest near the track, to then reconverge at a well-identified point and resume the live broadcast.

This is equivalent to the construction of two production plans that are followed live thanks to a live graphics map in the RF Truck and decided on the basis of the initial morning coordination, a production meeting, which daily orchestrates the day like in a score for a large orchestra”.

RCS Sport contracteert EMG als facilitaire partij voor al haar Italiaanse wielerwedstrijden

Boedapest – 5 mei 2022 – Broadcast service provider EMG kondigde vandaag, tijdens de ‘Grande Partenza’ van de 105e Giro d’Italia in de Hongaarse hoofdstad Boedapest, een driejarig partnership aan voor de technische productie van negen wielerwedstrijden georganiseerd door RCS Sport in Italië, waaronder de Giro d’Italia, Tirreno-Adriatico, Strade Bianche en de ‘wielermonumenten’ Milaan-San Remo en De Ronde van Lombardije.

EMG is sinds vele jaren dé specialist voor het in beeld brengen en uitzenden van internationale wielerevenementen zoals de Ronde van Frankrijk, de Ronde van Vlaanderen, de Amstel Gold Race en talloze andere koersen over de hele wereld. Voor de samenwerking met RCS Sport heeft EMG met een internationaal team van specialisten uit België, Frankrijk, Italië én Nederland een werkwijze ontwikkeld die in hoge kwaliteit live tv-verslaggeving garandeert voor tientallen zenders van de mooiste en meest uitdagende Italiaanse koersen.

Voor de wedstrijden die RCS Sport in Italië organiseert, worden door EMG gemiddeld drie reportagewagens, 10 motoren, 10 camera’s langs het wielerparcours (inclusief superslomo en RF) en twee helikopters met gyro-gestabiliseerde Cineflex-camera’s ingezet. De livebeelden worden, ongeacht de weersomstandigheden, gegarandeerd door twee verbindingsvliegtuigen. EMG zal aanwezig zijn met een internationale crew van 120 professionals in de hele productieketen – van bekabeling tot helicoptershots en van live regie tot highlights editing.

Paolo Bellino, CEO van RCS Sport: “Dit is echt een keerpunt voor ons aangezien we voor het eerst in de geschiedenis van de Giro d’Italia hebben besloten om zelf de TV-productie in handen te nemen. Maar wel met een grote internationale partner als EMG Group waar we tijdens de voorjaarsklassiekers uitgebreid mee getest hebben. Het is nu het moment om deze belangrijke stap te zetten, een natuurlijke ontwikkeling bij de organisatie van grote sportevenementen zoals de Giro d’Italia. We zullen elke etappe volledig live aanbieden aan de zenders, zodat wielerfans over de hele wereld elk moment van de zwaarste wedstrijd op de mooiste plek ter wereld zullen kunnen volgen”.

“Deze internationale samenwerking binnen EMG is echt geweldig”, zegt René Delwel, CEO van EMG Nederland: “Maar ik denk graag dat dit nog maar het begin is. We werken als EMG binnen Europa steeds meer samen, zowel bij de grote internationale sportproducties als Roland Garros komende maand als bij reality programma’s als Love Island die we over de hele wereld opnemen. De specifieke knowhow van onze Nederlandse televisiemakers gaat zo de hele wereld over.”