It’s a first for the world of triathlon: for the very first time, the complete distance data from the RaceRanger electronic drafting detection system has been made publicly available after a race. The analysis from DATEV Challenge Roth 2025 clearly shows: the race at the front of the field was conducted with exceptional fairness throughout the entire bike course. This is a strong signal for clean competition, welcomed by organizers, professionals, and triathlon fans alike.
Compared to other non-drafting races, RaceRanger highlights a remarkably positive trend in Roth’s professional field. The athletes' clear commitment to fair racing is not only evident on the course — it’s now backed up by hard data.
0 Seconds in the Draft Zone Over More Than 240 Minutes of Riding
With more than four hours of riding time, the published numbers clearly demonstrate how clean the race at the front was:
Men’s champion Sam Laidlow and women’s winner Laura Philipp both recorded exactly 0 seconds of illegal drafting time.
Among the top three men, Jonas Schomburg (0 seconds) and Jan Stratmann (4 seconds) were also virtually flawless.
On the women’s side, the top of the field was equally fair. Runner-up Grace Thek spent just 14 seconds and third-place Alanis Siffert only 5 seconds in the draft zone—numbers that are barely measurable. It truly doesn’t get fairer than that.
Compared to the previous year, the data shows a positive trend: On average, the time spent by male professionals in the prohibited zone was 5% lower than in 2024, and for female professionals it was an impressive 11% lower. A clear sign that awareness of fair racing is developing and RaceRanger is already having a measurable impact.
Higher Drafting Times Explained by “Yo-Yo” Manoeuvres
Larger values in some cases were due to so-called “yo-yo” manoeuvres - short moments where athletes entered the draft zone, for example, when a rider ahead suddenly slowed down, only to fall back again immediately afterward.
RaceRanger founder James Elvery comments on the meaning behind longer drafting times for some athletes:
“We clearly see that the athletes at the pointy end of the field are leading by example, racing as cleanly as possible. The data speaks for itself: it doesn’t get any fairer at the front,” says Elvery. “The openness with which Roth is handling this is absolutely exemplary and an exciting step forward for our sport.”
“Fairness Through Data Transparency”
“We don’t just want to talk about fairness—we want to make it visible,” says Race Director Felix Walchshöfer, who jointly decided with the pro field before the race to make the data public after the initiative from Sam Laidlow. “Making this data openly accessible is a major step forward, and Roth is once again leading the way. We're incredibly proud that the numbers confirm what we all experienced: a very fair race. I truly believe this level of fairness was also a direct result of the agreement to publish the data.
Of course, race referees on the ground still have the final say on any rule violations. RaceRanger is a technical tool that supports our officials in ensuring a fair competition—just like we saw at DATEV Challenge Roth 2025.”
The data has been adjusted to exclude certain spectator-heavy sections of the course, such as Solarer Berg, Kränzleinsberg, and Kalvarienberg, as well as the first and last 500 meters of the bike course and all aid stations. These areas were pre-approved by the race jury as exceptions to the drafting rule.
Full data is available at https://www.challenge-roth.com/en/news-area/it-doesn-t-get-fairer-than-this-at-the-front.html
A Pro-Athlete Decision Initiated by Sam Laidlow
The decision to publish the RaceRanger data was made unanimously by the participating pro athletes during the official Pro Briefing on the Friday evening before the race—an initiative led by Sam Laidlow. It’s a groundbreaking move towards greater transparency and fairness in the sport.
RaceRanger is an electronic distance measurement system for triathlon racing that detects illegal drafting and documents violations objectively.