ROME – The upcoming Strade Bianche and Giro d’Italia cycling races are set to use innovative bracelets to guarantee the health of the public, athletes and journalists.

 The anti-covid “Labby Lights” bracelets, from Italian start-up MetaWellness, help manage social distancing and track social contacts. The Italian editorial group Rizzoli – Corriere della Sera decided to use the bracelets after the beginning of the first stage of Strade Bianche 2020, the Tuscan road race.

 The bracelets will also be used for Italy’s biggest cycling race, the Giro d’Italia, set to take place in October in order to help manage such an event in light of the Coronavirus pandemic. Antonio Barracane, a press officer for the start-up from Puglia, said that “The “new normal” is characterised by a greater attention on public health across all sectors, including sport and cycling. Now with the public fundraising campaign that we started a few days ago we want to develop other fitness technologies, like the Labby Plus, which, as well as health, will be used by athletes to monitor physical parameters and sporting performance.”

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