A European satellite positioning system is helping Tour de France trainers and fans track their favorite riders throughout the race.

The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, developed by the European Space Agency, equips riders with receivers that use satellite signals to continually calculate their position and speed throughout the length of the race, providing team directors and spectators with constant updates on the riders' performances.

Although the technology is only in the experimental phase of use, it was first demonstrated Wednesday for a time trial between riders Bourg d'Oisans and Alpe d'Huez, then later it was used to track 10 riders during a portion of the race.

The system could, in the future, also provide viewers and broadcasters with a specific television channel to monitor the progress of certain riders without the need of a camera on each cyclist.