Rouvy will become the official digital sports platform for Ironman events
(Image credit: Rouvy)
Indoor cycling training platform Rouvy has announced its strategic acquisition of competitor app FulGaz from the Ironman group.
Rouvy, one of the best indoor cycling apps, will also become the official digital sports platform of the Ironman triathlon series after announcing a new multi-year partnership with the Ironman brand.
Founded in 2017 in Czechia, Rouvy is an indoor training platform that provides immersive real-world footage of famous routes and regions creating a lifelike riding and training experience for users.
FulGaz was founded in 2014 in Australia, but despite being around a few years longer than Rouvy it may not be a platform as many cyclists are familiar with.
The platform offers a similar product to Rouvy, currently offering over 2,000 real-world routes to ride, which are filmed in 4K video. FulGaz also served as the official cycling app of Ironman before the Rouvy takeover. FulGaz caters to triathletes, with over 100 Ironman and Ironman 70.3 bike courses available to ride, which no doubt makes it an attractive training tool for triathletes.
We don't have any specific details on the acquisition financials, but we do know that FulGaz isn't about to disappear immediately, which should please users of the app. The top 20 FulGaz routes will now be available to access on Rouvy, as well as various Ironman courses.
Rouvy claims further details on developments will be 'shared in due course' and that more courses will be added to the platform this year. It does sound like the new development will see FulGaz features integrated into Rouvy and in time the Australian app may be wound down, this was touched on by Rouvy CEO Petr Samek:
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"We will spend some time fully assessing the situation, listening to their views and making sure all FulGaz users can enjoy a smooth and satisfactory experience but we think it makes no sense to keep both platforms open and will eventually be transitioning FulGaz to Rouvy".
Ironman courses will be available to ride in Rouvy (Image credit: Rouvy)
Rouvy and Ironman team up
As well as acquiring FulGaz, Rouvy has partnered with Ironman and will become the brand's official digital sports platform in a 'multi-year partnership'. The Ironman Group is owned by Advance, a private business and Orkila Capital, a growth equity firm. The Ironman Group runs sporting events across 55+ countries.
Scott DeRue, CEO of the Ironman group said;
“We are on a mission to inspire our athletes and elevate their experience on race day and every day in between. In this pursuit, we are investing in innovation and partnering with leading brands that can help us enrich the athlete experience."
The partnership means riders will be able to train on Ironman courses using the Rouvy platform. The brand cites features such as workouts on specific Ironman courses, realistic corner braking, marked aid stations and real-time analytics which should boost competitors' preparation when using the app.
This move represents a branching out into the triathlon world for Rouvy, who will serve as the naming partner for Ironman event transition areas. The brand is also partnered with WorldTour teams like Lidl-Trek and Visma-Lease a bike.
Athletes entering an Ironman or Ironman 70.3 triathlon will also be able to sign up for an exclusive Rouvy package which will give them a free month-long trial on the platform.
Tom joined the Cyclingnews team in late 2022 as a tech writer. Despite having a degree in English Literature he has spent his entire working life in the cycling industry in one form or another. He has over 10 years of experience as a qualified mechanic, with the last five years before joining Cyclingnews being spent running an independent workshop. This means he is just as happy tinkering away in the garage as he is out on the road bike, and he isn’t afraid to pull a bike apart or get hands-on with it when testing to really see what it’s made of.
He has ridden and raced bikes from an early age up to a national level on the road and track, and has ridden and competed in most disciplines. He has a keen eye for pro-team tech and enjoys spotting new or interesting components in the wild. During his time at Cyclingnews, Tom has already interviewed some of the sport's biggest names including Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and Alberto Contador. He's also covered various launches from brands such as Pinarello, Ridley, Specialized and more, tackled the Roubaix Challenge sportive aboard his own rim-brake Cannondale SuperSix Evo, tested over 20 aero helmets in the wind tunnel, and has created helpful in-depth buying advice relating to countless categories from torque wrenches to winter clothing.
