NASCAR has them in the drivers’ cockpits. MLB has them dug into the ground in front of home plate. The NFL has had them in players’ helmets.
In sport, cameras give us a view we’d otherwise never see (unless on the field of play or going 200+ mph in the race car).
Here’s where the next camera advancement needs to happen: In the head tubes of professional cyclists’ race bikes. Not the superstars, mind you. They would likely rail at any aerodynamic effects. During a bunch sprint, riders are going over 40 mph within centimeters of each other, not just inches. Flying elbows, crossed wheels and crashes at this speed while riders are protected only by a helmet, half gloves and lycra makes for spectacular viewing.
Why not give fans worldwide (especially in Europe) a close-up incredible view that would bring a whole new dimension to the sport and how it is covered and televised? I would allow such a move in a heartbeat if running the UCI. Now is a good time (with Lance Armstrong back racing) to re-ignite passions and recruit new fans. Mini cameras embedded in the head tubes of a few bikes in the peloton would give new meaning to performance enhancement.
Bike races are performance as much as they are sport. Let’s enhance them any way we can without betraying athletic accomplishment.
