Pedaling Data: 'Amsterdam > Ventoux' by Luuk van der Meer

In May 2022 a small cycling peloton took-off in Amsterdam to cycle after 9 days, +1.500 km and 16.000hm elevation up Mont Ventoux in the South of France. This amazing challenge was organized by a couple of fanatic cyclists. Everyone within the group prepared themselves by focusing on training, nutrition and of course the right equipment. Modern cyclists have access to a range of different technical monitors and fitness trackers to provide real-time data so the cyclist can pace themselves, without the risk of “blowing up”. Data which afterwards also provides a wealth of information for a data-designer like me.

After the trip the data crunching began to see if for each finisher a very own data-driven visualization could be made. The visualization turned out to be a fine balance between form > function without losing the storytelling. Accentuating the route as average indicator for efforts like heart rate, power or speed of the cyclist provided a minimalistic portrait of the cyclist's achievement.