Cecile Ravanel's Quarq Electronic Brake Monitor - Val di Sole DH World Cup 2017

Cecile Ravanel's Commencal was being fitted with a Quarq wireless braking torque sensor that appears to be a modified version of that company's Prime crank-mounted power meter. The wireless sensor is encased in an aluminum spider that screws directly to the six-bolt pattern of her American Classic rear wheel. Like Quarq's crank-mount device, the sensor telegraphs torque and rpm data to Quarq's "Qollector" onboard computer which combines the data with real-time GPS tracking. The Qollector device stores the data, but it can also be linked in real time via ant, Bluetooth or cell-signal communication technology to the SRAM pits while Ravanel is on course.

Interview with Evan Warner

Why are you concentrating on braking data?

Val di Sole is rough on braking. We’re going to try putting on one of the Quarq units with the Quarq Qollector on Ceciles’s bike. It's going to provide some data for us on brake forces, and we’ll see how our brakes in general, react to this track. There has been a lot of discussion around the pits, this weekend in particular, about how riders use their brakes – mainly, subconsciously dragging the brakes. That is something that teams are sort of focusing upon, with times getting really tight.

Isn't that something that nearly every rider does?

This season has been up and down, and overall points are tight. I think everybody is looking for points where they can make up the most time and this subconscious kind of brake drag is something we can measure, and try to equate this to losing X amount of seconds to something that riders do, maybe not on purpose.

Quarq just showed up with a data collection system for braking?

The partnership with Quarq is amazing. Those guys are brilliant, and definitely coming out with stuff that, ideally, will help us across all disciplines, but I think, for now, the downhill here, and the brake focus at Val di Sole is a good place to try it. So, we'll give it a shot.

So, that Qollector beams data directly to Colorado Springs?

(Laughs) We should. We are trying to focus real heavily on the brakes that we're using - even tire pressure and the tires were running - to try to get a as accurate and as specific as we can in order to compile all this data into usable stuff that, moving forward, we can learn from and keep trying to help our World Cup athletes go faster.