Just when you thought that cycling’s stakeholders may have finally learned their lesson when it comes to cryptocurrency, blockchains, and NFTs (non-fungible tokens), another “game-changing” online platform arrives – this time courtesy of Velon, the joint venture that represents ten of the sport’s biggest men’s teams.
An angry online response now appears almost inevitable anytime cycling and crypto are mentioned in the same sentence, whether by race organisers (such as the Giro d’Italia), bike manufacturers (Colnago and its £7,000 digital bike), pro cyclists themselves (with Wout van Aert and Geraint Thomas among those to dip their toes in the murky waters of NFTs), and even decentralised online cycling clubs (remember Bike Club NFT?).
So, it should be no surprise that the cycling world’s latest foray into the world of blockchains and cryptocurrency hasn’t gone down too well.
Yesterday, Velon – the company responsible for the on-bike footage and live data that dominates your social media feed during big races, along with the seemingly now-defunct Hammer Series – announced that it was launching Road Code, an online platform described as “cycling’s first fan universe”.
🚴🏻♂️ Welcome to Road Code 🚴🏻♂️
A groundbreaking new pro cycling experience featuring the best content, a revolutionary rankings system, gaming, collectibles and more.
Pre-register now: https://t.co/mArUlZGh0F
____________
Follow
