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The Czech company Rouvy attracted a lot of attention at the beginning of the coronavirus crisis when it offered various online races in partnership with well-known professional events. More than 1,500 amateur athletes took part in the home trainer version of the Eschborn-Frankfurt cycling classic, and the virtual Tour de Suisse replacement "The Digital Swiss Five" was watched by tens of thousands of viewers on Swiss television. The Vuelta a España amateur race series also captivated hundreds of amateur athletes for three weeks (see also TOUR 1/21).
3D and 2D in one: this is what Rouvy looks like
The software itself combines filmed views of countless roads around the world with animated 3D avatars of the users. The visual appeal is manageable, but the variety of routes can be an argument for frequent travellers. Rouvy should make adjustments to the Bluetooth communication between the trainer and the software - in the test, changes in incline were passed on to the smart trainer with a delay and the resistance changed correspondingly abruptly.
Training and online racing with Rouvy
One argument in favour of the Rouvy software with its constantly growing range of routes is the subscription model: Three accounts can be created for 15 euros per month. This combination option has not yet been offered by other software products. The training area is also impressive. The in-house programmes are numerous and appear more balanced than the interval chaos of some Zwift workouts. In addition, well-known providers such as Trainingspeaks can be synchronised and their units imported quickly. The focus of the Rouvy software is nevertheless more on event series and online races.
About the Rouvy training software
- Costs: 15 euros per month (family account; one subscriber can add up to two family members)
- Languages: English, German
- Link: https://rouvy.com/de/
Test summary
- Graphic: 2/5 stars
- Fun factor: 3/5 stars
- Training effect: 3/5 stars
