A group of non-governmental organisations have called on the UCI to suspend the licence of UAE Team Emirates-XRG over the UAE's alleged role in the Sudan civil war.

In a letter to the UCI's president, David Lappartient, on Thursday, FairSquare, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, Sudan Unlimited, and Christian Solidarity Worldwide, write that Tadej Pogačar's team is used "to project a positive image of the UAE, which stands in marked contrast to the violence and repression that underpins its power".

They also call on the UCI to "conduct an immediate review of its licensing policies".

The UAE has been accused of providing support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, who, according to the UN, have carried out acts which show "hallmarks of genocide". Amnesty International published evidence last year that the UAE had provided arms to the RSF.

Last year, Salem Aljaberi, the UAE’s assistant minister for security and military affairs, said: "The UAE strongly rejects the suggestion that it is supplying weaponry to any party involved in the ongoing conflict in Sudan."

FairSquare, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, Sudan Unlimited, and Christian Solidarity Worldwide, argue that the "stern action" of suspension should happen until the UAE cuts support from the RSF.

In the letter to the UCI this week, the group of NGOs write: "UAE Team Emirates is under the financial and political control of the UAE state... It is financed and branded by state-owned companies in the United Arab Emirates. The team's principal sponsors are two state-controlled entities. Emirates airline is owned by the government of the emirate of Dubai, and XRG is the investment wing of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, which is owned by the government of the emirate of Abu Dhabi."

They continue: "The UAE’s actions in this regard [supporting the RSF] have prolonged and exacerbated the conflict in Sudan in which more than 150,000 people have been killed, with documented indiscriminate attacks on civilians, and more than 30 million people left in need of humanitarian aid."

"It is clear that the team and its participation in UCI events acts as a prominent vehicle for the international branding and promotion of the UAE," it continues. "The UAE has used its financial strength to create the best-resourced and most successful team in world cycling."

UAE Team Emirates-XRG are currently the number-one ranked team in men's cycling, which they have been since 2023. In Pogačar, they have the world's best cyclist, who has won four Tours de France since 2020, and is the favourite for next month's edition.

The letter continues: "Cycling’s most prominent and celebrated races have become a very public platform that the UAE state is using to project a positive image of the UAE, which stands in marked contrast to the violence and repression that underpins its power. The UCI has a responsibility to respect human rights throughout all its operations."

The NGOs write: "The UCI’s code of ethics acknowledges its responsibility to safeguard the integrity and reputation of cycling throughout the world and its 'duty of neutrality' in their dealings with governments. In this context, the participation of teams established, funded, or promoted by governments facing persistent allegations of serious human rights violations raises questions about the processes undertaken by the UCI in the granting of licenses."

UAE Team Emirates-XRG said: "As a sports team, we don’t engage in geopolitical commentary." The UCI was separately contacted for comment.

The UCI has approved a series of significant rule changes affecting equipment, rider safety and the professional calendar, including a ban on front jersey pockets, limits on cycling computer dimensions and a major reshuffling of the Vuelta dates for both the men's and women's pelotons.

Meeting in Desenzano del Garda, Italy, the governing body's Management Committee signed off on a series of reforms and measures that will begin taking effect as early as next month.

Noteworthy actions include:

Front jersey pockets outlawed

The most immediate change concerns jersey design.

After observing teams using internal front pockets filled with nutrition products to improve aerodynamics, the UCI has decided to prohibit front-mounted pockets altogether starting July 1, 2026.

The UCI claims the nutritional products were "generally not consumed because they were extremely difficult, or even impossible in race conditions, to access. These pockets result in significant alterations to the riders’ body shape."

The governing body said the practice was supported by aerodynamic studies and raised concerns about both sporting fairness and rider safety, arguing that speed gains can contribute to more severe crashes.

By limiting pockets to the rear of a cycling jersey only, the UCI hopes to put the kibosh on any more body shape-altering tactics. Only a dedicated pocket for race radio equipment will be permitted on the front of jerseys going forward.

Computer size restrictions

The UCI wants to limit the dimensions of bike computers, introducing a maximum size of 126mm by 71mm, starting January 1, 2028.

While the restriction should not affect any current market-leading devices, but ensures future products won't get even bigger.

Justifying their reasoning, the UCI cited concerns about rider distraction and cognitive load.

"Several studies have shown that the increasing volume of data available to riders during competition can contribute to an increased cognitive workload, a key factor in the occurrence of accidents," the UCI states.

"Limiting the size of bike computers is intended to prevent an excessive increase in the amount of data available during races, which could significantly compromise rider safety."

Calendar changes

The UCI also confirmed substantial calendar changes for 2027, some of which are likely to be for one year only to accommodate the 'Super Worlds' in late August.

Mimicking the men's calendar, the Vuelta España Femenina will move from its spring slot to the end of the Women's WorldTour season, taking place immediately after the men's Vuelta. The UCI did not explain the reason for the move.

Meanwhile, the men's Vuelta will be contested entirely in September (fourth - 26th) to accommodate the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships in Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc, France which run from August 24 to September fifth and feature 20 cycling disciplines.

Other calendar adjustments include moving the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women and Classic Lorient Agglomération earlier in the year, while the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will start one day earlier than usual.

Yellow cards and pictograms

The UCI continues to double down on the safety agenda spearheaded by SafeR, and will be extending its yellow card system.

The UCI states that feedback about the disciplinary mechanism at the WorldTour and ProSeries levels has been positive and so, it will introduced it at the Elite men's and women's Class 1 events as well at the start of the 2027 season.

Similar to systems used in sports like soccer/football, yellow cards are handed out by race commissaires for infractions that threaten peloton safety.

The system works through a staggered accumulation of penalties over set timeframes. For example, receiving two yellow cards in a one-day race or a single stage race results in immediate disqualification plus a seven-day suspension.

"This system aims to improve safety by increasing the accountability of the various individuals present in races," the UCI says. "Although the accumulation of yellow cards can result in short-term suspensions, the objective of the system is above all to prevent potentially dangerous behaviour."

As a further safety measure, race organisers will begin introducing hazard pictograms across the international calendar. These standardised warning symbols will indicate dangers such as road narrowings, sharp bends, speed bumps and railway crossings.

SD Worx-Protime have said that the UCI is not engaging in conversation with them over Lorena Wiebes' disqualification from the Giro d'Italia Women for having an underweight bike.

Speaking to Wielerflits this week, the team's manager Erwin Janssen said: "The UCI is simply not responding. No one is answering the phone. Only our lawyer has been able to reach someone higher up at the UCI."

After winning stage one of the Giro on Saturday, Wiebes was disqualified after her bike – a Specialized Tarmac SL8 equiped with Roval wheels and a SRAM Red groupset – was found by the UCI commissaires to weigh less than 6.8kg, the minimum weight requirement.

Later that evening, SD Worx-Protime released a statement raising “serious questions” of the UCI’s bike-weighing procedure.

Wiebes was disqualified under UCI article 2.12.007, rule 2.2, which refers to “use of a bicycle that does not comply with regulations”. UCI rule 1.3.019 stipulates the weight of a bicycle cannot be less than 6.8kg.

As a result of the ruling, the Giro d'Italia Women's organiser, RCS Sport, declared Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) the stage winner, and the Italian also pulled on the pink jersey.

Janssen reiterated this week that his team will take the UCI to court over the incident.

"We are going to hold the UCI liable and have hired a lawyer," he explained. "Besides seeking some form of vindication, this disqualification also has a huge financial impact.

"It is difficult to say how large the damage is in euros, but you have to think of the prize money from multiple missed stages, the missed UCI points, and agreements in sponsor contracts. We are currently in the process of calculating all of that... It is very likely that it will go to CAS (the Court for Arbitration in Sport)."

SD Worx-Protime raised questions over how the bike was weighed, claiming that there were issues in the process, and that they had weighed the bike separately, and that it passed the test. They alleged that it failed the test by just 20 grams.

"It is simply bizarre that we are being brushed off like this," Janssen said. "Cycling teams are expected to be professional through and through, while amateurs, semi-professionals, have to perform such bike measurements in a very unprofessional manner. I am simply astonished by everything that went wrong."

The UCI has not commented further on the disqualification when contacted, or released a statement. SD Worx-Protime have gone onto have a successful Giro, with Anna van der Breggen winning stage four's time trial, and holding the race lead ahead of stage five.

There are few things that shock me in cycling. I have seen it all, from the controversies to the triumphs, and yet Lorena Wiebes’ disqualification from the Giro d’Italia Women on Saturday did exactly that – it shocked me. Disqualification or relegation are nothing new in the sport, of course, but to be kicked out of a race for having an underweight bike is novel. My colleagues at Cyclingnews reckon it last happened in 2013, also at the women’s Giro, which would be why I don’t remember it, given I was 17.

Hence the general astonishment at Wiebes' being disqualified not just from stage one of the Giro, which she had won, but also the rest of the race. This is unusual. Her agent, André Boskamp, told Wielerflits that “she was a complete mess” when she returned home to the Netherlands, while SD Worx-Protime team manager Erwin Janssen told the Dutch press that legal action was being explored. This is unlikely to be the last we have heard about this.

There are two separate parts to the oddity of Wiebes being disqualified because her bike was a little bit lighter than it should be; her team said it was only 20 grams, although this has not been confirmed. The first is the concerns that the bike was not weighed properly, as alleged by SD Worx-Protime. Clearly, if there were discrepancies between measurements as much as the team say – 50g between different readings – then it feels ridiculous that something as big as disqualification was levied. Also, given that it is such a big punishment, it feels like it’s the kind of thing that one should be absolutely certain on, and this feels a bit muddy.

We haven’t heard from the UCI on how the decision was reached, but with it being the same – or very similar – to the bike that Wiebes has won on eight times this season, it does feel like it should leave the governing body embarrassed as much as the rider and her team. The frame and all the components are approved by the UCI, they’ve been checked and OKed before, so why was it different on Saturday?

Wiebes’ Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 is not just ridden by her, but by her whole team, plus FDJ-Suez United and AG Insurance-Soudal on the Women’s WorldTour, plus Soudal Quick-Step and Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe on the men’s WorldTour. The components might be different, and there has been a suggestion that it might have been through Wiebes using a SRAM Red AXS 1x drivetrain instead of 2x that extra weight was lost. However, we don’t regularly see riders being kicked out of races for having light bikes.

Of course, if the bike was truly under 6.8kg, then Wiebes and her team can have no qualms about her being kicked out of the race, those are the rules. It’s moot whether the weight gave her an advantage or not. But that doesn’t mean that those rules are right.

26 years after the rule was introduced, there has been no update; it is a fixed point in the sand. It is also the same weight for both male and female pro riders, there is no flexibility here for lighter athletes, which is what women tend to be. Everyone has to aim for the same weight limit, no matter their frame size. It’s something Ashleigh Moolman Pasio called out in an article for BikeRadar last year, but this situation has thrown it under the spotlight again.

Riders using smaller frames often have to weigh down their bike to make it past the UCI’s arbitrary threshold, which was introduced to create a level playing field between teams, but has ended up penalising smaller riders.

Once again, it feels like the UCI is slow to adapt and change, which creates odd situations like this, when the fastest woman in the world is kicked out of a race over a rule that most think is outdated. Having already had to U-turn over gearing limits by SRAM, might we see the bike industry push back again?

This piece is part of The Leadout, the offering of newsletters from Cycling Weekly and Cyclingnews. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here.

If you want to get in touch with Adam, email adam.becket@futurenet.com.

SRAM has welcomed the rejection of the UCI's appeal over the suspension of its gear restriction plans as "groundbreaking".

On Thursday, it was revealed that cycling's governing body had lost its appeal against a Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) ruling which stopped its plans to introduce gear restrictions in the peloton, after a legal challenge from American component brand SRAM. In October, the BCA sided with SRAM over its argument that the proposed gear-limit rule hurts innovation and unfairly tilts the playing field.

In a statement released to the media that afternoon, SRAM CEO Ken Lousberg said: "While the UCI framed its gearing restriction as a safety measure, the science showed it wasn't, and the process used to adopt the rule was deeply flawed."

Last year, the UCI attempted to introduce the Maximum Gear Ratio Standard for the Tour of Guangxi, which would have limited bikes to a 54×11 top gear. The proposal limited the maximum gear ratio to 10.46 metres in a roll out test which will almost certainly cap the highest gear that riders can use during a race situation.

SRAM argued that the rule would effectively outlaw its 10-tooth sprocket system, which is used in its latest Red and Force AXS groupsets, and that, in turn, would disadvantage its sponsored teams. These include Visma-Lease a Bike, Lidl-Trek, Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.

Lousberg said: "This case began as a dispute about our 10-tooth cog. This ruling is much bigger than that.

"The Brussels Court of Appeal has issued a groundbreaking ruling on how sports federations across Europe must exercise regulatory power. The Court upheld the Belgian Competition Authority's previous findings that open, transparent, objective, and non-discriminatory governance is the legal standard for rule-making in sport. It endorsed that reasoning in full, applying well-established European Court of Justice case law in a way that will guide federation governance well beyond this case, and sharply rebuking the UCI's appeal.

"Safety matters deeply to us, and it always has. While the UCI framed its gearing restriction as a safety measure, the science showed it wasn't, and the process used to adopt the rule was deeply flawed. For SRAM, our legal action was always about how the stakeholders of this sport work together to improve every part of it, including rider safety, in a clear, transparent, and fair way. The Court rejected the UCI's arguments on every ground, including the claim that safety justified the closed process it followed."

Lousberg went on to argue that the UCI should work closely with the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI).

He said: "What comes next is the work this sport has needed for a long time: building that process together, with the common goal of improving our sport. The WFSGI, as the neutral voice of the cycling industry, is the natural partner in that work alongside the teams, athletes, race organisers, and the UCI.

"The door is now open, and there should be a seat for everyone willing to help build the future the sport deserves through collaboration, not exclusion. The first step is straightforward: the UCI should bring the WFSGI into rule-making as a full partner and start this reform now. SRAM is excited to get to work."

The UCI has been contacted for comment.

Would gear restrictions have worked?

The gear restriction proposals emerged out of the UCI's SafeR commission, a group set up by the UCI to make races safer after a series of high-profile incidents.

Speaking to Cycling Weekly on Thursday, Dr Xavier Disley, the owner of AeroCoach and a cycling performance analysis consultant, suggested that the proposed gear ratio rules would not work in slowing down cyclists, and would also be hard to implement.

"I think that my main concern with limiting gear ratio is that it then compresses the top end speed," he said. "So if you're worried about it on descents, I think that it doesn't help because people are coasting much faster than they'd be pedalling in a maximum restricted gear anyway, so that doesn't really do anything.

"In sprints all you're going to do is see [all you would see is] more bunching up of the top of the faster finishes because they'll be spinning out, not only bunching the riders up because their top end speed is going to be more similar, because everyone's max cadence is like effectively going to be the limiter, but you've also got riders who are going to be more unstable because their cadence is so high, potentially higher than what they want to be sprinting at."

"I think that the implementation of it, I think, would have been one of the trickiest things, which is why I think it's probably not a great idea," he added. "I don't think it'll make things safer in sprints, I think it'll actually make things less safe, and I don't think it'll affect things on descents."

The UCI has lost its appeal against a ruling which stopped its plans to introduce gear restrictions in the peloton, after a legal challenge from SRAM.

On Wednesday, the Belgian Market Court upheld the Belgian Competition Authority's (BCA) decision to suspend the UCI's maximum gear ration standard.

In October, the BCA sided with SRAM over its argument that the proposed gear-limit rule hurts innovation and unfairly tilts the playing field. The UCI appealed the decision, but that has now been rejected.

Last year, the UCI attempted to introduce the Maximum Gear Ratio Standard, which limits bikes to a 54×11 top gear. The BCA said last year that the standard "generates disproportionate negative effects on a sports equipment supplier, namely SRAM".

SRAM, one of the two dominant drivetrain suppliers in the WorldTour, argued that the rule would effectively outlaw its 10-tooth sprocket system, which is used in its latest Red and Force AXS groupsets, and that, in turn, would disadvantage its sponsored teams.

The BCA agreed that the measure was "likely to cause harm to SRAM that is serious and difficult to repair," extending that harm to "professional cycling teams equipped with SRAM transmission systems".

This week, a press release from the BCA read: "In its judgment, the Market Court confirms the validity of the provisional measures ordered by the BCA and finds, in particular, that: (i) the BCA had jurisdiction to intervene in this case because of possible effects of the technical standard on the Belgian territory; (ii) the BCA rightly concluded that there was a prima facie restriction of competition due to the UCI’s failures to apply transparent, objective, and non-discriminatory criteria when developing the standard."

It continues: "(iii) the UCI failed to justify why the maximum gear ratio standard was necessary and proportionate to achieve the objective of improving rider safety; and (iv) the BCA correctly assessed the existence of a risk of serious, imminent and irreparable harm to SRAM and the cycling teams equipped with its drivetrain systems.

"In general, the Court emphasises that norms adopted by sports federations must comply with competition law requirements when they produce economic effects and need, in such a case, to be based on transparent, objective, and non-discriminatory criteria. "

The UCI has therefore been forced back to the drawing board for its gear restriction plans. It has been contacted for comment, but last year it said that it was "surprised at the intervention of a competition authority on a subject desired by all stakeholders of cycling".

As a result of losing the appeal, the UCI was ordered to pay €1,883.72 ($2,182.10/$1,628.29) to the BCA and €400 ($463.36/£345.76) to Belgium's Federal Public Service Finance body, as well as making a contribution to the country's legal aid fund.

SRAM was contacted for comment.

Jan Willem van Schip fell foul of the UCI yet again this week, this time disqualified from the Tour of Hellas in Greece for the way he rested his forearms on his handlebars during stage two of the race.

The 31-year-old Dutchman, who rides for Continental outfit Azerion-Villa Valkenburg, was informed mid-stage on Thursday that he was out. According to his team, the UCI ruled that the way he held his bars amounted to using his forearms as a “point of support” - a breach of the UCI regulation 1.3.008, which states that “the only point[s] of support are the following: the feet on pedals, the hands on the handlebars and the seat on the saddle.”

Wielerflits reported van Schip said that he does not feel welcome in cycling and he does not understand why the UCI is unwilling to enter into a dialogue with him, despite multiple requests, in an Instagram video. In closing it reported he said "what a tragedy, what a fucking sport".

Schip's manager, Paul Tabak, told the Dutch outlet that there was no difference in the way his rider holds his handlebars compared to other riders who have not been disqualified. He went on to say: "We read in emails that they [the UCI] are keeping an eye on us. They don't tolerate anything from us, sock height and things like that. We have to deal with this."

It is van Schip's second disqualification in seven months. Last October he was pulled from stage two of the Tour of Holland over his seatpost. The UCI confirmed to Cycling Weekly at the time that the issue was that the seatpost had not been registered with the governing body, rather than a position infringement, though the team and manufacturer maintain it was registered.

In 2021, van Schip was thrown off the Baloise Belgium Tour for using the Speeco Aero Breakaway Bar, with the UCI’s innovation manager, Mick Rogers, telling Cycling Weekly the bars contravened the same rule, 1.3.008. He was disqualified again from the 2024 Heistse Pijl over a Toot Engineering aero bar setup.

Whilst those incidents were equipment violations, van Schip was also disqualified from the men’s Madison final at the 2024 Paris Olympics and fined, after Britain's Ollie Wood was sent crashing to the boards in which the Dutchman appeared to make heavy contact with Wood’s helmet.

Professional women's cycling is "built on fragile foundations", The Cyclists' Alliance has warned, in response to the UCI's consultation on improving the sport.

The Cyclists' Alliance (TCA), an independent body that represents the women’s peloton, sent a 16-page document to cycling's governing body, with a set of clear recommendations that it would like to see implemented. Seen by Cycling Weekly ahead of the closure of the consultation, it will be published on Monday 4 May.

The document, signed by TCA's president, Grace Brown, argues: "The UCI has stated that women’s cycling has experienced 'remarkable growth' in recent years. However, as noted above, we are gravely concerned that this momentum has not led to a 'stronger structure for women’s professional cycling.'

"Despite outward signs of progress, the sport remains built on fragile foundations. As Elisa Longo Borghini recently warned: 'I’m afraid that the [Women’s] WorldTour could implode at some point.'"

TCA writes that a "highly unstable professional pathway" has been created, with important development races disappearing, teams folding, instability for riders outside of the WorldTour, and a decline in Continental teams.

"A fair, stable and sustainable economic model is essential to the sport’s future," the body says. "At present, no such model exists. The current framework is structurally imbalanced, the development pathway is fragmented and under-resourced, and mounting regulatory burdens and operational costs have driven a significant reduction in the number of registered professionals.

"Women’s cycling is a compelling product with demonstrable appeal: broadcasting data consistently show that when audiences have access to the sport, they watch it. The fanbase exists, and it will grow as exposure and the quality of the viewing experience improve."

Crediting the Rapha Roadmap and Joe Laverick's article 'The Peloton Economy', TCA makes four recommendations: more spectator-friendly race formats, including ticketed events; a coherent strategy for fan engagement through TV and other platforms; a better link between value creation, profits, and the burden of costs; and an economic model which supports a development pathway.

Recent controversy over the lack of television coverage of women's races, including Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liège is referenced, as TCA argues for longer live broadcast requirements, which consider when the important parts of races occur, and also the possibility of racing being moved from behind paywalls.

The letter also makes it clear that TCA thinks that the women's cycling calendar is scheduled poorly, with a third of all Women's WorldTour race days concentrated in a block between 3 May and 7 June.

"In the second half of the 2026 season, from July to October, there are only 22 race days (31% of the total), and only 13 possible race days if a rider is not selected for the Tour de France Femmes," Brown writes.

"This concentration of races, particularly in May, places unnecessary pressure on riders and teams, increasing the risk of injury and burnout early in the season."

In response to this, the body suggests rescheduling the Vuelta Femenina to follow the men's Vuelta a España in September, as opposed to its current May date.

The section on safety feels the most critical, with Brown writing: "We respectfully urge the UCI to consider and implement our suggestions in this section as a matter of urgency."

On course design, TCA recommends that there should be mandatory, independently audited course safety standards; use foot-less sprint barriers in finishing straights and ski-style safety netting on high-speed descents; create a stand-alone independent event safety manager function; and eliminate "hazardous" sharp turns in the final 500m of races.

TCA also calls for more medical screening and training, in particular to help with REDs, better concussion protocols and management, and also for "a more robust framework enabling riders’ ethics and safeguarding concerns to be swiftly addressed and resolved".

The full letter will be published on Monday, on The Cyclists' Alliance website.

In February, the UCI asked for some advice on how to improve the way it runs professional cycling – and now they’re getting it, with no sugar coating

Two months ago, cycling's governing body, the UCI, opened up to the biking industry and asked for help, essentially admitting that the sport of professional cycling was not performing as it should in terms of securing mainstream media coverage and reliable revenues for its athletes, and launching a consultation period calling in ideas for how that sorry situation could be rectified.

The deadline for those consulted to put forward their suggestions was Thursday, and Rapha for one have not been shy in offering some very vociferous advice on exactly how the sport needs to evolve, and fast, if it is to survive in a fast-changing world.

The brand has reissued an updated version of the ‘Rapha Roadmap’, a lengthy treatise originally written back in 2019, laying out exactly how they think the organising body responsible for professional cycling needs to change dramatically from one that too often is seen to “prioritise self-preservation over growth”.

In a statement released on Thursday evening, Fran Millar, current Rapha boss and former CEO of the Ineos Grenadiers, made her feelings crystal clear right from the outset, describing professional cycling as: "a sport that is beautiful and historically rich but one that has been failed structurally and commercially."

"What struck me most coming back to cycling after four years is not how much has changed, but how much hasn’t," she continued. "When I left my role as CEO of the INEOS Grenadiers, the sport was debating reform. I returned to find the debate had gone backwards – and that is deeply depressing."

As Visma-Lease a Bike boss Richard Plugge did two months ago, Millar pointed to Formula 1 as an example of how sports could evolve without losing their soul or betraying their traditional audiences, but she broadened out the comparisons to include football too.

“The Premier League didn't stop being English football when it became a global product,” she observed. “The sports that have thrived in the modern era are the ones that understood their own value and adapted to grow and capitalise on it.”

Proper promotion and coverage of women’s sport was also highlighted as a way of expanding the whole offering, something that’s a very live debate in cycling right now, unfortunately for all the wrong reasons.

“The Women's Super League, the NWSL, the Hundred, the F1 academy and the Women’s Rugby World Cup are all examples of what can happen when the people running those sports stopped making excuses about audience size and started making the content that grows one,” said Millar. “These sports didn't wait for permission or for someone else to solve their issues. They built the case, proved the demand and now the money is following.

“We are living through times of extreme and rapid societal and technological change. Sports that understood this early and built a content strategy, data infrastructure and interactive communities have grown. Sports that didn't have watched their audiences age, fragment and their commercial value stagnate."

Millar did acknowledge the size of the challenge the UCI faces. "We don't claim to have all the answers," she admits. "What we have is an honest love for this sport and a genuine belief in its potential. And nearly two decades of experience watching it fail to realise that potential for entirely avoidable reasons.

“The time for endlessly debating and re-diagnosing the problem has passed," Millar cautioned. in conclusion. "This consultation is an opportunity for action and change. I sincerely hope the UCI use it this time.”

The Rapha Roadmap can be downloaded in full here.

Podcaster and content creator Benji Naesen has filed a complaint with the UCI's Ethics Commission after he was threatened with legal action by a member of the UCI's senior management over unspecified comments on social media.

The Belgian, one of the co-hosts of the Lanterne Rouge podcast, was sent the official letter at the start of the month, concerning "injurious statements made on social media". Naesen's complaint is over Articles 5 and 6 of the UCI's code of ethics, which say staff should "behave in a dignified manner and act with complete honesty, credibility, impartiality and integrity". He has over 87,000 followers on X, and 16,000 followers on Instagram.

Naesen shared the letter on social media on Saturday morning, with the name of the sender redacted.

The letter reads: "I would like to start by insisting that the UCI is open to objective and constructive criticism and accepts the increased scrutiny that comes with its role as governing body of the sport of cycling.

"Many of your comments vis-à-vis our organisation, though negative on most occasions, are accepted and go with our responsibility.

"I feel obliged, however, to outline that there are legal boundaries to the manner in which negative comments can be communicated and that personality rights must be respected. The UCI has indeed observed several occurrences of statements that have to be considered injurious towards our organisation and/or its elected officials.

"It shall also be noted that such injurious statements made on social media or other means of public communication can be pursued in the country of domicile of the person or entity against which the comments are directed. Several of the comments made against our organisation could therefore be subject of criminal proceedings in Switzerland, if we were to file a complaint."

The letter does not specify which social media posts are considered "injurious", and gives no evidence of Naesen breaking any defamation laws.

It continues: "The UCI would indeed much rather invite you to verify information before comments are made. Some of your comments with regard to the UCI Regulations or their application are incorrect, thus unnecessarily casting a negative image on our organisation.

"There are also situations where the UCI shares your opinion, but your comments are unnecessarily offensive. More specifically, the UCI recognises that some in-race decisions are incorrect or inconsistent, but they must nevertheless be commented in accordance with legal boundaries. In this regard, the UCI applies its best efforts to continuously assess the decision-making of commissaires and improve consistency, whilst respecting their area of authority within the race."

Speaking to Escape Collective, Naesen said: "I won't deny that I lost some sleep over this unexpected letter. I have always been easy to contact for anyone, including the UCI, for any constructive dialogue. I would have welcomed a different approach that did not involve threats of legal action.

"The letter does not include a single example of my comments that the UCI deems 'injurious'," he continued. "This makes it impossible for me to assess the legitimacy of their claims in the letter, or rectify past comments. This understandably makes me a little scared that I may be subject to legal proceedings if I publish a negative comment about the UCI in the future."

"Every post I make about safety measures or in-race decisions, in relation to the UCI, comes from a place of wanting the sport to be a safer environment for athletes, with fairness within its races, and as many people watching as possible," Naesen said. "I believe that intention comes across for people who consume my work."

Both the UCI and Naesen were contacted by Cycling Weekly for comment.

The UCI has slapped a five-week ban on a NSN development team cyclist who punched a fellow rider in the head during the Salverda Bouw Ster van Zwolle race last month.

New Zealander Kiaan Watts was caught on camera delivering a "closed-fist blow" to the helmet of Marijn Maas (BEAT CC p/b Saxo) during the race in the Netherlands.

The indecent, which was caught on camera, happened just over 33 kilometres out from the finish of the 1:2 race, when Watts, who was riding at the front of the peloton, took his right hand off the handlebars and angrily punched Maas. The Dutchman wobbled, but remained upright and both riders continued cycling, with Watts, clearly infuriated by something that had happened earlier, continuing to seethe and mutter expletives.

The Kiwi rider later said that he believed the Dutchman had earlier spat at him, but Mass denies this. Maas ultimately finished in 79^th place, in a race won by Belgian rider Mathis Avondts (Parkhotel Valkenburg), while Watts was disqualified by race officials, fined 200 Swiss francs and docked 25 UCI points.

Watts, who quickly apologised and said his actions were a moment of madness, was immediately reprimanded by his team for his violent action when the footage emerged, and the 24-year-old rider was swiftly banned by his bosses from taking part in the Dorpenomloop Rucphen the following day.

The UCI's announcement yesterday acknowledged NSN’s swift action and confirmed that the team’s self-imposed one-day ban will count towards the rider’s overall period of suspension, which will last to 2 May 2026.

“The UCI issues a reminder that, as holders of UCI licences and members of the cycling community, riders enjoy rights and assume responsibilities aimed at promoting the values of cycling and protecting the integrity of the sport," the statement added.

The New Zealander is an experienced athlete who has been on the development squad for NSN Cycling for the last three years, and has previously ridden for Israel Premier Tech, including in World Tour races.

Visma-Lease a Bike have angrily lashed out at the UCI, after the governing body suddenly banned the use of a game-changing gadget produced by GRAVAA and developed in conjunction with the Dutch team, which allowed riders to adjust the pressure in their tyres on the move.

The system provides a significant – potentially title-deciding – marginal gain during races with cobble sections… like the Paris-Roubaix, happening this Sunday. Visma's head of performance, Mathieu Heijboer, was incandescent about the communication of the ban, as much as the “vague story” used to justify it, let alone the impact it will have on his top riders’ performance in this weekend’s cobbled Monument.

“Does this reduce Wout van Aert's chances? Yes!” Heijboer fumed during a Flemish podcast, In de Waaier, with his comments later reported in the newspaper Nieuwsblad. “This is no coincidence,” he said. “We received no announcement that this was coming; there was simply that letter. In fact, we even rode the GP Denain with it.”

“The surprise is going to be that we won’t be applying an innovation [in this year’s Paris-Roubaix],” Heijboer said during the podcast. “As you know, we have worked with the GRAVAA system for the past two years,” he continued. “We further developed it and tested it extensively during the winter. However, two weeks ago we received a letter stating that it is banned by the UCI. Then it stops all at once.”

The ingenious system makes it possible for riders to soften their tyres just before contending with cobbled sections, and then repressurise them afterwards for maximum performance. However, the price of the tech (around €4,000 for a complete system) seemed to make it commercially unviable and GRAVAA, the company behind it, was declared bankrupt earlier this year, leading the UCI to ban it for the rest of the season.

Heijboer, however, questions this, arguing that the system is commercially available. “You can order one if you want,” he said. “Moreover, there is no rule stating that a tape must be available two weeks or two months in advance. The moment of recording is the competition, and if a tape is commercially available at that time, then you comply with the rules.”

Tour de France Femmes winner and Visma-Lease a Bike rider Pauline Ferrand-Prévot took victory in last year's Paris-Roubaix Femmes, and the Frenchwoman later said the innovative GRAVAA gadget “Made a huge difference and it is fantastic to have this system ahead of the competition.” Last year Wout van Aert finished fourth in the Hell of the North, but he won the final stage of the Tour de France in Paris in spectacular fashion, attacking solo on the wet cobbles during on the final climb of Montmartre to emerge victorious on the Champs-Élysées.

The timing of the ban, almost on the eve of this year's Paris-Roubaix, has really drawn Heijboer’s ire. “I can’t read the minds of the UCI, but it is just a little too coincidental. Especially since the GP Denain is the biggest cobblestone race after Roubaix. It is also our final competitive test, and at that time there was nothing going on. But now, suddenly, right before Roubaix... That is no coincidence. Is there nothing we can do about it? Yes, the penalty ranges from a warning to disqualification. You’re not going to take that risk.

“Moreover, it does take quite a bit of preparation time. Over the past two weeks, our mechanics have been preparing hundreds of sets of wheels. So you can’t postpone that until the Saturday before Roubaix. Quite soon after that letter, we decided to cut our losses; we are not going to ride with them. We are going to challenge this, but for now, it is too late.

“Does this reduce Wout van Aert's chances? Yes. We have a lot of faith in the system and have tested it extensively. It is a real shame that it is now suddenly no longer allowed for very unclear reasons...”

Just over 70 kilometres into Sunday’s Tour of Flanders, 54 riders jumped a red light at a railway crossing. Now the Belgian prosecutors office is investigating the incident, which violates one of the country's most severe traffic offences.

Amongst the riders involved were race-leaders Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel, who jumped the red light before the barriers came down. The peloton was divided on either side of the railway tracks, with Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert among the group caught behind the barriers.

"It was not nice," Pogačar said in the post-race press conference. "We were riding, and suddenly three guys jumped into the middle of the road and started waving to stop. How can you stop in one second?"

Nevertheless, jumping a red light comes under the most serious of Belgian traffic offences, and those found in breach of the rule could be summoned to appear in front of a police court, and could face a fine and driving ban.

“The risks to both riders and third parties are significant," the prosecutor’s office stated. “Such violations will therefore be dealt with strictly. This is unacceptable, even in a sporting context.”

The move also violates UCI rules, which state that ‘it shall be strictly forbidden to cross level crossings when the barrier is down or closing, the warning signal ringing or flashing.’ Riders who break this rule could face sanctions, a suspension of up to one month and a fine of between CHF 200 to 5,000. However, the race organisers chose not to disqualify the riders who crossed, instead slowing the following four kilometres to allow the second group to catch up.

In an interview with Wielerflits, Soudal Quick-Step's sports director, Sep Vanmarcke, emphasised Pogačar's frustration, saying: “Riders approach those crossings at around 55 kilometres per hour in a peloton. The first riders may see what’s happening, but those behind are looking at the wheel in front of them. Not everyone realises immediately that the light has turned red.

“Everyone involved, from the organisers to the authorities, knows exactly when a train is coming," he continued. "You cannot expect riders to know that. There is a shared responsibility to intervene in time and ensure safety.”

While no fines have yet been issued by the prosecutor's office, both Pogačar and Evenepoel were forced to pay up 500 and 200 Swiss Francs respectively, for littering and a 'sticky bottle' incident.

An out of court settlement may also be possible for the riders, as they await confirmation of penalties.

“It was supposed to be an amazing year. Now… well I think the next few weeks are going to be met with blind panic over the set-up of bikes.”

Tim Allen, founder of Avec Bikes and the bike-fit specialist consultancy Soigneur, looks and sounds utterly disconsolate. And little wonder. At Cycling Weekly we’ve been writing extensively about the furore over the UCI’s recent rule changes about handlebar width and wheel rim depth, and British Cycling’s rather muddled messaging about how the regulations would be enforced in domestic races, but meeting Allen really brings home the cost of these events.

The team at Avec have just spent over three years researching, designing and developing a narrow handlebar called the Aer, which – measuring 32cm between the hood clamps and 36cm centre-to-centre at the end of the drops – now falls foul of the UCI regulations.

The actions of a commissaire at an event in London last weekend, and a statement issued by British Cycling yesterday (confirming that riders taking part in road, circuit and cyclo-cross sanctioned events will not have to use bars measuring 40cm end-to-end, but will need to adhere to the minimum distance between the brake lever hoods of 28cm) have quashed earlier hopes that the new rules would not be applied in the UK. This clarification of British Cycling’s stance removes the grey areas, but does Allen no favours whatsoever.

"What it has done is given me a funny idea of developing a handlebar with sensible hood position and extremely narrow drops," he says with a wry grin. "I'm not going to do that, because that would be wildly unsafe, but that would technically be allowed under British Cycling's regulations.

But really, there’s little to smile about. Allen has been left furiously trying to figure out where he goes from here, and what the wider implications are for the sport.

“We've invested everything into this,” he tells me. “Developing a carbon component isn't an overnight task, it's years of research. And we believe that we've done something truly great with these handlebars. The feedback is that people love them, but this has financially and mentally sunk us before we can even get going. At the moment it's just a battle for survival. It's heartbreaking. Where do I go with it? Do I make something else only for that to also be changed next year?”

I ask what drove the design of the Aer bar. “These handlebars were developed over three years, working and researching with real-world riders – not necessarily racers, also recreational weekend riders – to really understand the impact of narrower handlebars,” Allen explains.

“Our findings were very clear. A handlebar that's wider than the frame of a rider handles significantly worse than a handlebar that is neutral to the frame of the rider, or within. And there isn't much to differentiate a handlebar that's neutral from a narrower handlebar other than at very slow speeds.

“That’s because, on a road bike, you don't steer a bike with your handlebars. You steer with your body mass. And it's only once you drop below a certain speed where active handlebar input force really becomes a dominant factor in how you handle a bike.”

With hoods mounted into their neutral proper position on the Aer bars, they’re 23cm apart, which is 5cm short of that UCI regulation. They can be turned out to 28cm, but Allen points out that would present the possible risk of damage, because it creates a high pressure point between the lever and the carbon of the bar, which would be far more dangerous if there was a failure.

And does having the levers out to 28cm make a difference to safety? “Absolutely not!” Allen is emphatic. “Your primary contact point between the handlebar hood and your hands is the outermost point of the palm, which pivots around the bar. So that actually makes no difference whatsoever. Where they want it to make the difference really is riders gripping onto the tops of the levers and kind of getting themselves into an arrow tucked position.”

Allen accepts the need for regulation, but says it should be data backed. “We have to, as riders and racers, understand why this is being done, with evidence properly presented,” he says. “The way these regulations are being pumped out is not helping the industry develop. They are implemented in such a rash way where everybody is kept guessing.”

And the rational behind the handlebar ruling appears especially oblique. “I can't think of one race incident, not one race crash, that has been directly caused by narrow handlebars or deep wheels,” Allen says, echoing an opinion we’ve heard umpteen times from riders bewildered and annoyed by the new regulations.

By contrast, Allen believes the way the rules are currently being enforced is potentially putting riders at real risk. "I wasn't there, but it looks from the video like [the commissaire] was carrying an allen key around with him to change levers. Okay… well, what torque are you putting those levers to on a carbon bar? Is what you're doing, or forcing a rider to do, on the start line safe?

“It's kind of mind mind-blowing, because it's going to affect people's interaction with the bike. It's going to change how the bike handles in a crit race. The majority of people are spending most of their time in the drops anyway, but changing the biomechanics of a bike setup just before you hit the start line of a race is a very dangerous thing to do.”

The Aer handlebars were being launched on a pre-order basis, and the timing of the announcement was a 'bombshell' to Avec. "[The UCI rules] had already changed drastically in the previous season, to a 35cm outside-to-outside minimum, and we were quite conscious of that. That's why we developed to a 38cm outside-to-outside measurement. But they went well outside what we could predict."

"It fell at entirely the wrong moment for us," Allen explains. "We had broadly finished the surface designs, but it's an expensive process. Our timelines for production were for March/April last year. And then Trump got into power and changed global supply chains entirely. Ultimately that pushed [launch] back to July. We had massive pre-orders, riders at UCI continental level through to amateur racers, all freaking out that they've invested into this product that they don't know whether they're actually going to be able to use. It was a very, very stressful time.

“I reached out to British cycling to understand the implications on this, and I was kind of told that they weren't going to implement them, or the wheel depth regulations."

This is why the announcement this week has left him reeling. “It feels like a bit of a personal attack, you know, even though I'm far from the only first person impacted by this,” he says. “It's also interesting for British cycling to follow these regulations. I don't know what their overall thoughts on it are, or whether they're just trying to appease the UCI, but their own track bike that's taken years of development has also been banned. Where does that leave them for the LA Olympics?”

"It is kind of obscene," he continues. "I've got so many clients, so many friends affected by this. These are real people with day jobs. You know this is a fun activity to do on a Wednesday night or a Saturday morning. For 99% of people racing, it's a fun thing to do. Bikes are fun.

“Part of the fun of a bike is that you optimise it. That's the appeal of cycling to a lot of people. How do I make my bike faster? what do I like to ride? When there's baseless safety claims around regulation changes that are going to influence people's setups both biomechanically and financially, that is very unfair. I personally don't have like a race-legal bike anymore. My wheels, which I've been able to race for years, are too deep. My handlebar that I've developed, are too narrow. It just makes me want to stop racing.”

And Allen believes the ramifications of decisions like these will have a serious, and negative, impact on the whole culture of cycling.

“I don't I don't think the regulations suit recreational and amateur racing, which has been put in quite a dangerous place, in terms of survival. And I don't think [the regulatory bodies) are helping themselves by implementing kind of these regulations in the way they are.

“Nobody's making a living from doing these races anymore. I think it's just going to see another reduction in the number of people racing. It's going to turn more people away from the sport, and it's already struggling. It's gotten more expensive and is becoming more restrictive. Why are people going to be passionate about racing?

“If enough people are kind of turned off of racing, but still want that racing kind of feel... What's stopping a group of 40 riders getting together saying: 'We're going to ride from this point to this point. Whoever gets there first to the cafe gets bragging points'?. Essentially unsanctioned racing. Then what happens? People start taking risks on open roads with no safety."

The ever-lively debate about the UCI’s minimum handlebar widths, and how (and where and why) the new restrictions are going to be enforced, has been reignited after a video emerged of a British Cycling commissaire measuring bar widths and the gap between brake levers at a British road racing event at Lee Valley Velopark in London over the weekend.

The footage, taken by track cyclist and 2025 Master's Kilometre TT National Champion Atiba Quildan (who has posted detailed explainer videos about the subject in the past) showed several riders being forced to significantly adjust their shifters just before riding, in order to comply with the controversial new UCI minimum bar width specifications.

The video sparked a deluge of acerbic comments from other riders, bristling not just about the details and impact of the restrictions, but also the lack of clarity about whether British Cycling was really intending to enforce them to the letter, or not.

Quildan told Cycling Weekly that the problem was a lack of consistency, with anecdotal reports that the restrictions had not been applied at earlier events, and that there had been little coherent advice from the governing body, leaving riders unclear about the legality of their set up. The changes were brought in for safety reasons, and tragically a cyclist did die during a road event at Lee Valley last year, which Quildan believes may have led to the venue having a commissaire there to double down on the enforcement of the UCI rules.

But with confusion reigning, riders were arguably placed in more jeopardy by having to change the position of their shifters at the very last minute. “One guy told me he was struggling to stop,” said Quildan. The situation led to people such as former team pursuit world champion, Hour Record–holder and now head of engineering with Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe Dan Bigham bemoaning a lack of communication from British Cycling about the new regulations.

Amongst the ranks of pro racers there has been a tendency for bar widths to get shorter in recent years, with some notable exceptions, like Classics specialist and multiple cyclo-cross world champion Mathieu van der Poel.

However, midway through last year, as part of a raft of new rules ostensibly intended to improve safety, the UCI announced that a new minimum handlebar width for road bikes of 400mm would be introduced from the beginning of the 2026 season. That's a 50mm increase from 350mm, measured between the outer edges.

This came along with a new minimum gap between the inside of shifter/brake hoods of 280mm. (This latter measurement was a compromise, after the minimum space between levers was initially set at 320mm.) The UCI stated that this rule would apply to bikes taking part in mass-start events. Track bikes, which previously didn’t have a minimum bar width restriction, will see a new rule form January 2027, which specifiies bars must be 350mm outside to outside.

The decision to apply these rules immediately caused concern across the industry, with component manufacturers, team bosses, bike-fit pros and others expressing their disquiet about the impact it might have on production and performance, and critics pointing out that the minimum width stipulation would have an especially negative impact on smaller riders and women cyclists. Initially it seemed as though British Cycling were not going to apply the restrictions, but then out came the video of the commissaire brandishing a yellow measuring stick.

Contacted by Cycling Weekly, British Cycling acknowledged that there had been some confusion around the new UCI technical regulations, and said it was in process of clarifying how the rules would be applied in Britain with all license holders.

The forthcoming clarification stated that, according to British Cycling regulations (R2.1.1, page 109 of the 2026 Handbook): "Unless expressly authorised by the format of the competition, events held under these Technical Regulations are restricted to cycles that are compliant with the UCI Regulations, save for the UCI minimum overall width of handlebars."

British Cycling went on to explain that, in practice, this means the following:

"Riders competing in British Cycling road, circuit and cyclo-cross sanctioned events (including Nat A, Nat B, Reg A, Reg B and Reg C/C+ road and circuit events) do not need to adhere to the new UCI regulation prescribing a minimum overall width of handlebars of 400mm, but they will need to adhere to the minimum distance between the brake lever hoods of 280mm (and also the maximum wheel rim depth of 65mm).

"However, riders competing in UCI road, circuit and cyclo-cross sanctioned events will need to adhere to all UCI regulations. Such events include: Lloyds National Road Championships, The 20th Rutland International CiCLE Classic and the City of London Nocturne Elite Crits. And in cyclo-cross, this applies to any Elite and Junior race which is registered on the UCI calendar."

There is much scepticism amongst riders about whether the new rules actually make cycling safer. “Obviously it’s good that British Cycling have clarified their position, but I don’t think the new UCI rules should have been implemented at all,” says Quildan. “I don’t think anyone has actually crashed because their bars are too narrow”.

And others agree. "Personally I think that there are far more things the UCI and British Cycling should be worrying about for safety," One Life Cycle rider James Ambrose-Parish told Cycling Weekly. "We race on open roads with oncoming cars in the UK with potholes and other road users.

“The people that put in place these rules I’m sure have never ridden narrow handlebars on their road bike. For me [narrow handlebars] haven't affected the way I handle the bike; if anything, they makes it easier to defend your position in a tight bunch and prevent bars getting hooked on other people.

“I think the rule will only hurt those that have tried to optimise their position who maybe don’t have the raw power to win. Cycling is different to other sports where equipment and innovation can largely affect results. It has always encouraged people to find ways to go faster that don’t involve full-time training plans.”

Ambrose-Parish concedes that British Cycling's update today has at least got rid of the grey areas, but he's still faced with a predicament. "For the past two years I have been using the Toot Asha RR 33cm and 35cm, and prior to that was using 33cm alloy track bars as road bars – previously legal for the 35cm outside width that ran up until 2025," he said. "I'll have to rehose the whole bike as they won’t be long enough to accommodate bars… won’t be able to do this before the weekend!"

Cycling's governing body, the UCI, has launched a wide-ranging consultation with a view to improving the way the sport of professional road cycling is set out and organised, and mining more of its potential.

The aim, says the UCI, is to "develop the sector's organisational model in order to strengthen its long-term appeal".

It comes at a time when the sport is still finely balanced, with Visma-Lease a Bike searching for a new sponsor, the Lotto-Intermarché merger leaving riders adrift and other teams collapsing. The UCI clearly wants more stability for professional cycling, and to make it something sponsors can invest in for the longer term – future proof, essentially.

"Media coverage and revenues generated for stakeholders do not yet fully reflect its potential," the UCI said in a statement. "There is considerable room for improvement, provided that a concerted, balanced approach is developed that is adapted to future challenges, while preserving the historical strengths of the discipline."

The UCI's new strategy follows comments by Visma-Lease a Bike boss Richard Plugge last month in which he said that cycling's business model required attention by teams, organisers and the UCI.

"It is up to the UCI to change the business model, maybe using examples like Formula 1. There are many examples that are better than what we have in cycling," said the Dutchman

Asked why reform could work now when it has failed before, he replied, "Cycling is in a downward spiral. Whether you like it or not, the urgency becomes bigger every day. Not only teams, but also organisers are getting in trouble. Even relatively big teams are getting in trouble. So you have to make sure cycling makes a big change."

The most recent attempt at wide-ranging reform was the Saudi Arabia-backed One Cycling project. Four years in the making, it was ultimately rejected last year by the UCI as being "incompatible with the governance and regulatory framework of the UCI as well as lacking sporting coherence".

Letters of consultation have been sent out to cycling's main stakeholders: organisers (the AIOCC), teams (the AIGCP) and riders (the CPA). Any other relevant parties have also been asked to contribute individually.

Views are being sought on issues ranging from pro cycling's economic model, the calendar, rules of participation, fan engagement, safety, and the credibility of results, with a deadline in place of 30 April.

Following the consultation period the UCI will discuss the results in detail with the stakeholders with a view to creating a sport that, it says, will be "more attractive and sustainable".

"Road cycling is an extraordinary sport that has thrilled crowds around the world for well over a century," said UCI president David Lappartient in the statement. "In a context where the role of cycling in society is increasingly recognised, our sport still has considerable potential for development.

"The consultation launched today aims to bring together stakeholders of road cycling to reflect jointly on its evolution. It is only together, under the auspices of the UCI, that we will take our sport to the next level: for greater stability, more growth and improved overall appeal."

Other sporting federations could give the thumbs-up to cyclo-cross and cross-country running for participation in the 2030 Games if their governing bodies don't seek remuneration for it, according to reports in Belgian media.

The multiple world governing bodies of the Winter Olympic Federations group, including those presiding over skating, skiing and biathlon, had already voiced objections to the inclusion of the new sports, on the grounds that they lacked the requisite 'snow and ice' ingredients.

However, those federations have now said they could agree to the involvement of cyclo-cross and cross-country in the 2030 Winter Olympics, which will be held in the French Alps, on the proviso that neither the UCI nor the IAAF (International Athletics Federation) sought to claim any money for it, reports Het Nieuwsblad.

Doing so would see the fees distributed by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to participating federations potentially diluted, suggesting that objections to the expansion of the Games are rooted more in money than in maintaining the 'snow and ice' tradition.

The previous statement from the Winter Olympic Federations in November labelled the attempt to include the news sports "piecemeal proposals" that would "dilute the [Winter Olympics] brand".

“The Winter Olympic Federations are firm in our belief that such an approach would dilute the brand, heritage, and identity that make the Olympic Winter Games unique — a celebration of sports practiced on snow and ice, with distinct culture, athletes, and fields of play,” said the group of sports, which include skiing, skating, biathlon, curling, luge, bobsled and skeleton.

A decision was originally set to be made on the new sports this month, but has since been pushed back until June.

IOC member Lord Coe, who is a supporter of introducing the two new sports along with UCI president David Lappartient, said back in October that "there’s a good chance it’ll happen. And I think it’s come at the right moment, because [IOC president] Kirsty Coventry is certainly prepared to think differently about the programme....”

Great Britain national cyclo-cross coach Matt Ellis told Cycling Weekly at the time: "From a GB perspective it's massively exciting – It would, I believe, dramatically change everything."

Top British rider Cameron Mason added: "I know what [Olympic inclusion] means. I know what money comes with it, I know what resources come with it and I know the hype that comes with. Even from the view of the public, I know what it brings," he said. "For a niche sport like cyclo-cross, there's [even] more to be gained from it, because it's just an unknown sport in the UK."

The UCI's decision to delegate anti-doping results management to an independent body, the International Testing Agency (ITA), has been labeled a "powerful signal of trust".

The move was announced on Monday afternoon, and means that the prosecution of anti-doping violations and whereabouts activities in cycling have joined operational anti-doping activities at the ITA.

It means the ITA assumes responsibility for legal proceedings pertaining to anti-doping matters in cycling, including the handling of potential anti-doping rule violations and whereabouts failures. The UCI's Management Committee passed the measure at a meeting in Belgium at the ened of January.

David Lappartient, UCI president, said: "The delegation of results management to the ITA represents another major step in a process initiated with the creation of the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation to ensure the independence of the fight against doping in cycling, in order to make it as effective and deterrent as possible.

"Since the delegation of the operational aspects of its anti-doping programme to the ITA in 2021, the UCI and the cycling community have been able to fully appreciate the professionalism of the independent international anti-doping organisation. It is therefore with full confidence that we are now entrusting results management to the ITA. In doing so, we continue to move towards even greater integrity in our sport."

"This decision is a powerful signal of trust from the UCI, and one that we take with great responsibility," the ITA's director general, Benjamin Cohen, added. "Cycling has the largest anti-doping programme delivered for an International Federation anywhere in the world, and the UCI’s choice to fully entrust its results management to the ITA reflects both the depth of expertise within our legal and operational teams and the maturity of our partnership.

"Beyond governance structures, what truly matters is what athletes experience on the ground: a system that is independent, consistent and able to act with authority and speed. Through this delegation, the UCI is demonstrating a clear and long-term commitment to providing its riders with the strongest possible anti-doping programme. We warmly congratulate the UCI for the clarity and consistency of its path towards independence and for its continued leadership in protecting clean sport."

Late last year, anti-doping group the Movement for a Credible Cycling (MPCC) appealed to cycling's governing body to take action against the "medicalisation" of the sport. The MPCC called on the UCI to work to stop the "expansion of the so-called grey area[s]".

No racing season retrospective would be complete without pausing to contemplate the doings and undoings of our overlords at the Union Cyclists Internationale. From their lofty perch in Switzerland they have issued edicts ranging from the ingenious to the hilarious.

Ruling over races big and small, from the Tour de France to your local crit, they have made decisions that explored the boundaries of ethics, logic and even physics. It’s time to cast an eye over a few highlights of the UCI’s year.

MISS: Wider bars to slow us down

On the assumption that one of the things making road racing progressively more dangerous is speed, the UCI has decided it’s time to make everyone a bit less quick. From January 2027, bars will need to be at least 40cm wide, with limits on the amount of flare between the tops and the drops and for the turn-in of the brake hoods.

The idea is that if they make everyone less aerodynamic with a wider arm position, they’ll be slower – which is not in itself a daft idea. In recent years, many pros have moved to narrower bars, typically 36-38cm. Shifting to 40cm, a pretty wide bar by modern standards, is a little difficult, especially if you’re a smaller female rider.

It’s also going to slow down small riders more than big riders (think about the body proportions), although maybe anything we can do to keep a lid on Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel is welcome. The other problem with it is that it’s not going to slow things down very much.

MISS: GPS trackers for rider safety

Another safety initiative is the introduction of GPS trackers on bikes so that officials are better able to keep track of where riders are, and above all, ensure there’s never a repeat of the fatal incident at the 2024 Worlds where Swiss rider Muriel Furrer crashed unnoticed and wasn’t found for more than 45 minutes.

Unfortunately an attempt to trial the technology at the Tour de Romandie Féminin turned to farce. Five of the teams said they hadn’t been consulted about the trackers, and pointed out that despite trackers being fitted by the UCI, any incidents or injuries they might cause would be deemed the fault of the team, and refused to nominate a rider for the trial.

The UCI retaliated by rather sulkily saying the teams were only reacting like that because they had commercial interests in a different GPS tracking solution.

The upshot? A standoff culminated in the five teams being thrown off the race, a solution that pleased no one. (Except weirdly obsessed UCI-watchers, obviously.)

MISS: Losing track of time in Spain

At the Spanish time trial championships, the timing went seriously awry. Forty minutes after the race finished, riders were still standing around at the line trying to find out the results. Eventually the commissaires issued some times, then changed some of them, then declared Caja Rural-Seguros’s Abel Balderstone the winner with a time that may, or may not, have been firmly rooted in reality.

On the upside, at least it gave Spain’s least Spanish-sounding pro rider the biggest win of his career to date.

MISS: Miscounted Madison points

If you’ve ever watched a Madison race and wondered how on Earth the commissaires keep track of the chaos, well, they don’t always. At the World Championships in October, the German pair of Roger Kluge and Moritz Augenstein let the Danish team escape to take 10 points at the final sprint, on the basis that, as the Germans could clearly see on the stadium scoreboard, they were comfortably ahead of the Danes for the bronze medal.

Except that the Danes had taken a lap mid race, collecting 20 points that somehow the commissaires didn’t get round to adding to the scoreboard until after the finish, putting the Danes on the podium and the Germans in a state of high dudgeon.

MISS: Gear restrictions to slow us down

Another safety initiative dreamed up in 2025 was a maximum gear size for road races. The idea being that if the biggest gear a rider could use was limited to 54x11, it would prevent some of the higher speeds seen in sprints and on descents.

There were a number of problems with this idea. The first was the possibility that the sneaky, sneaky bike riders would circumvent the restriction by pedalling a little faster. The second was the already very limited amount of time riders spend using their highest gear. The third was that the laws of physics mean that even if you ignore all of that, the reduction in speed is still very small.

The fourth problem was a predictable restraint-of-trade lawsuit from SRAM, whose top-tier groupset has been effectively outlawed by the proposed regulation. This saw the rule overturned by a Belgian court before we even got the chance to see it in action and say, “We told you so.”

MISS: Managing protests

The situation in Gaza produced numerous protests around bike races all season, mainly focussed on the presence of the Israel-Premier Tech team. The protests were most prominent at the Vuelta a España in August and September.

With officials unwilling or unable to change the race route or provide increased security, and equally unwilling to eject Israel-Premier Tech from the event as demanded by both the protesters and Spanish politicians, the result was a badly compromised race of abandoned stages, neutralised racing, and risks to riders of all teams from protesters on the course.

The race did at least culminate with a strangely wonderful podium ceremony. After the official finish of the final stage was abandoned, Tom Pidcock’s mum suggested building a podium in a hotel carpark using some team drinks-coolers and a hastily strung-up backdrop. It was probably the most memorable prize presentation in the race’s history.

MISS: Ambiguity over ketones

Ketone esters are made by the human liver when the body is starved of glycogen, and is used as an alternative fuel source. For some time now there’s been a debate about whether taking ketones in a drink would make you faster. The anecdotal reports from bike riders who’ve tried it range from “No difference at all” to “Even better than doping”. Scientific studies have tended very much towards the former.

The UCI took its time to weigh in. After several seasons of deliberation, it finally announced that it wasn’t planning to propose a ban on ketones on the basis that firstly they’re not dangerous, and secondly there’s no evidence they work anyway.

Strangely it then went on to say, “The UCI does not recommend the inclusion of such supplements in riders’ nutritional plans.” You might like to think of ketones as the first item on the “slightly looked down upon” list. You can use them if you want, but the UCI will judge you for it.

MISS: The DQ of Jan-Willem van Schip

The UCI has a history of taking innovations badly, and doubly so with matters of riding positions. When serial UCI penalty-magnet Jan-Willem van Schip of the Park Hotel Valkenberg team clipped off the front of the bunch on stage one of the Tour of Holland, his radical bike attracted a lot of attention. With a very long, upward sloping stem and minimum width bars, he was able to drop into almost a time-trial position with his head tucked behind his hands.

Van Schip had been using the bike and position for some time, and the commissaires at the race didn’t even blink. But word came from UCI officials in Switzerland who’d been watching the coverage, and they didn’t like it. Van Schip was disqualified from the race.

Strangely, it took nearly 24 hours for anyone to clearly explain why. When they did, it had nothing to do with the riding position, which was unconventional but it turned out didn’t actually break any rules. (We’re guessing they looked very, very closely.) It was because his bike’s seat post hadn’t been correctly registered with the UCI technical committee. Which, from the UCI’s point of view, was possibly a bit lucky.

MISS: Tardy bike-checking

Commissaires carry out dimension checks on time trial bikes immediately before every race. At the Vuelta Femenina, when Movistar arrived a few minutes late at the pre-start check for the team time trial, the whole system descended into chaos.

As the sole official on duty tried to get seven Movistar bike through the check before their start time, other teams started to queue up. Movistar just about beat the start clock to get down the ramp on time, with a couple of riders starting late and chasing on.

All of Uno-X Mobility started seven seconds late after waiting to get their bikes returned. Visma-Lease a Bike only just made it to the start with five riders, with two late starters including Imogen Wolff, who joined the course from the barriers before time trialling through the race vehicles as she attempted (and failed) to catch her teammates.

The UCI acknowledged that “mistakes had been made”, fined Movistar €1,600, and declined to offer any respite to the affected teams and riders. Wolff lost over a minute, but maybe the commissaires felt she wasn’t going to win the Vuelta anyway.

Hits of the year

Sadly there isn’t space to cover the UCI’s (no doubt numerous) hits of the year, nor the various race motos that caused crashes, nor the non-race vehicles that blundered onto the course, nor the unpredictable delights of the new yellow-card system, nor time trial helmets in road races, nor indeed the stage of Itzula Basque where Romain Gregoire was awarded second place, then first, then second again.

But rest assured there’ll be plenty more of the same sort of thing in 2026. It’s perhaps the only thing about the coming season that we can be sure of.

This feature originally appeared in Cycling Weekly magazine on 18 December 2025. Subscribe now and never miss an issue.

Great Britain’s Olympic track cyclists dominated at the Tissot Track Cycling Challenge in Switzerland over the weekend, where they earned 18 medals, of which 11 gold.

The squad ruled in particular over the women’s events, winning every elite final on both the endurance and sprint sides.

Among the standout riders was Anna Morris, the current world, European and national individual pursuit champion, who claimed four victories inside the velodrome in Grenchen over the two-day event: the scratch race, points race, omnium and Madison alongside Katie Archibald.

The 30-year-old wrote on Instagram afterwards that it was a “pretty exciting life moment” to race and win alongside Archibald, and hailed the “clean sweep” she helped the Brits achieve across all the women’s races.

In the sprint events, it was Sophie Capewell who led the supremacy. The Olympic team sprint champion, who decided to sit out of racing for much of the year to recover after last summer’s Games, won both the individual sprint and keirin competitions, guiding a British 1-2-3 in the latter, ahead of Lowri Thomas and Lauren Bell.

“First international in a while after a long break from racing,” Capewell wrote on Instagram. “A couple of wins, good learnings, and back building race rhythm.”

There were also braces of victories for Ollie Wood in the men’s points race and omnium, and Ethan Vernon in the elimination race and Madison.

Vernon rode in the Madison alongside his NSN Cycling road teammate Lewis Askey, a former junior national champion in the event, who returned to the track for the first time in six years.

The Tissot Track Cycling Challenge is an official UCI event that carries a Class 1 licence, making it higher-ranked than National Championships, but less so than World or Continental Championships, or the various UCI Nations Cups.

GB’s medal haul of 18 vastly overshadowed the rest of the competition; the next best nation was France, with four medals and only one gold.

The full list of GB’s medal winners from the 2025 Tissot Track Cycling Challenge is below. The squad did not take any male sprinters to the competition in Switzerland; some recently spent time on a training camp in Lanzarote, while others, including Matthew Richardson, competed at the recent Six Days of Rotterdam.

GB medal winners

GOLD

Men’s elimination race – Ethan Vernon
Men’s Madison – Lewis Askey and Ethan Vernon
Men’s omnium – Ollie Wood
Men’s points race – Ollie Wood
Women’s elimination race – Katie Archibald
Women’s keirin – Sophie Capewell
Women’s Madison – Katie Archibald and Anna Morris
Women’s omnium – Anna Morris
Women’s points race – Anna Morris
Women’s scratch race – Anna Morris
Women’s sprint – Sophie Capewell

SILVER

Men’s Madison – Matthew Bostock and Ollie Wood
Women’s keirin – Lowri Thomas
Women’s points race – Katie Archibald
Women’s sprint – Lowri Thomas

BRONZE

Men’s elimination race – Lewis Askey
Men’s scratch race – Lewis Askey
Women’s keirin – Lauren Bell

Pete Mitchell also won silver in the men’s keirin representing Scotland.

The popular London Nocturne criterium event will return in 2026 with UCI registration, after eight years off the British racing calendar.

Formerly known as the Smithfield Nocturne, with a list of winners that includes Geraint Thomas, Ed Clancy, Katie Archibald and Hannah Barnes, the event will return as the City of London Nocturne, and will be held over two days on 12-13 June 2026.

Its organiser, James Pope, who also managed the event when it ran from 2007 to 2018, hopes to bring a world-class field to the English capital, with television broadcasting to help “boost” the UK scene.

Speaking to Cycling Weekly, Pope explained the idea to revive the Nocturne initially came from the City of London, who approached him last year. “They had good memories of the Nocturne, and were very keen to bring a marquee cycling event back to the city,” Pope said.

“This new event, I wanted to be bigger and better, so I proposed two things to the City of London. I said, ‘Can we have a new race circuit, higher profile, that goes through Bank junction?’ So that’s what we’ve been working on, with a really iconic, city-skyline backdrop. You’ve got St Paul’s Cathedral at one end of the course, and the Bank of England and Royal Exchange at the other end. The other key development is to go to two days, so Friday and Saturday.”

Over the two days, the closed road circuit will host a festival of events, including: a corporate challenge to engage those working locally, family-friendly races, fun races – “penny farthings, folding bikes” – before Saturday evening’s finale of the men’s and women’s elite races, both of which already appear on the UCI calendar.

The two elite races will carry ‘CRTP - Pro Criterium’ classification – the same as the Tour de France Saitama and Singapore Criteriums – and, as such, do not award UCI ranking points. The reason for registering with the UCI, Pope explained, is that it allows him to invite WorldTour and ProTour teams to compete.

“I want the field to be an international field, albeit predominantly domestic riders,” Pope said.

“We’ll have to cover travel expenses, maybe pay a few people appearance fees, but we’re not going to have a massive budget to do that. I’m hoping to get a handful of international WorldTour riders on the men’s and women’s side. Obviously, we don’t know who those riders are yet, because people won’t know their calendars until they’ve been at the training camps in December. We’ll aim to get some good WorldTour riders represented, for sure.”

Pope also plans to televise the elite criteriums through a “traditional broadcaster”, something he hopes will help provide visibility for teams’ and riders’ sponsors.

“I think there is an opportunity to bring in a new level of televised, major-city racing,” he said. “My aim is that it just gives another boost to the UK racing scene and plays a part in this kind of renaissance.

“If you look at it as a pyramid, in that middle-bottom, there is a thriving race scene, then you’ve got the Tours of Britain at the top, and I’m hoping to try and create something in between the two that helps elevate the whole scene.”

Pope’s previous credentials count co-founding the track cycling Revolution Series, and working as the race director of the now defunct UCI Track Champions League. He said he holds “very, very fond memories” of organising the former Nocturne series.

“We really didn’t know what to expect,” he said of the first edition in 2007 around Smithfield Market. “Rapha and Condor came up with the idea to do a race, approached me and Fran [Millar, Pope’s business partner at the time], and said, ‘Hey, do you think you can organise it?’ And we just went for it. I think about 4,000-5,000 people showed up, we won an award, and it grew from there.”

The event closed down in 2018 after the sports management company that organised it, Face Partnership, went into administration. “There was nothing wrong with the Nocturne, per se,” Pope said. “It was more just collateral damage from what went wrong with the parent business. As an event itself, it was profitable, it was a great event.”

The plan now is to make the City of London Nocturne an annual fixture, “like it used to be,” Pope continued.

“If we can make the London event a success, then potentially we can look to try and replicate it in one or two other major cities in the UK. That’s my goal. I’m going to take it one step at a time.”

Professional cycling teams refused to sign up to a budget cap, the UCI's president has revealed, adding that he feels they were "wrong" to do so.

In an interview with French newspaper Ouest-France, published on Wednesday, David Lappartient said he "remained convinced" that a financial restriction would help the sport.

The concept of a budget cap is not new to cycling, and the UCI revealed last year that it planned to implement one in coming years. At the time, a press released stated: "This aims to preserve sporting fairness by avoiding excessive disparities between teams in terms of budget."

However, those attempts appear to have failed, with the new WorldTour and Women's WorldTour licences expected to be awarded for 2026 onwards without any restrictions on spending.

"The big teams have very large budgets, and as a result, where before a relatively small sum could be enough to achieve a decent result, today you're just a bystander," Lappartient told Ouest-France. "We considered implementing a 'budget cap' for all the teams, and paradoxically, the teams didn't accept it. I was surprised that it was mostly the smaller teams that refused. I think they were wrong because it seems necessary to level the playing field."

He was speaking after the closure of Arkéa-B&B Hotels, a longstanding French pro team, which he called "sad".

The Breton squad are not the only ones disappearing this season, while the proposed merger between Intermarché-Wanty and Lotto drags on; meanwhile, the team at the top, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, won 95 races this season, the most ever. At the men's Tour de France, as many as 15 teams were searching for a new sponsor.

"Why vote against it when a budget cap is proposed?" Lappartient asked. "They say yes, but first the cycling model needs to change. With a budget cap, if you exceeded the limit, you had to pay a tax that went to other teams. There was a mitigating mechanism in place. When you look back at cycling history, consider La Vie Claire. They finished 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, and 12th in the 1986 Tour de France. And the team's budget at the time, relative to the others, was probably even higher than UAE Team Emirates'.

"I'm not saying it was right. But there have always been teams with more resources than others. The goal is to regulate things a little. And I remain convinced that a budget cap is one of the elements to achieve that."

Asked if he thought cycling's sponsorship model was outdated, the Frenchman responded: "Can't we say that cycling was undervalued compared to its true worth, and that today, it's a sport that has taken on a global dimension? And, as a result, we have sponsors of a more global scale, with more international teams.

"Perhaps this is the price of success, with cycling enjoying very high viewership. The real winners are the riders, who are earning a much better living."

The UCI has announced that it "does not recommend" the use of ketones in cycling, but will not restrict their use, it was revealed on Monday.

In a statement, a spokesperson for cycling's governing body said that the UCI's position was there is "no reason for them to be used".

Cycling Weekly reported earlier this year that the UCI was set to approve the use of ketone supplements in the peloton, after a multi-year study into the product has concluded that they are safe and do not offer a significant performance enhancement to users.

Monday's statement does not suggest a full-throated endorsement, but there is no move towards banning them, as some have urged. The recommendation against them comes because the UCI says they do not have an effect, rather than because they are performance-enhancing. This recommendation is not legally-binding, and riders and teams are allowed to continue to employ them.

Ketones are naturally produced by the liver when the body burns fat instead of glucose for energy, and synthetic ketones are widely available; it is argued that they aid recovery, and are used by multiple WorldTour teams. Some squads have official ketone sponsors.

The Movement for Credible Cycling (MPPC) – a voluntary body that fights against doping and aims to improve the crediblity of the sport – recommends that its members do not use the supplement.

The UCI spokesperson said: "The use of dietary supplements containing ketone bodies (ketones) has become popular in endurance sports, particularly road cycling, since the publication of scientific findings of a study carried out in 2016. Results of the study suggested that ketones taken before or during exercise could improve cycling performance. However, these results were not confirmed by subsequent studies, and there is now a consensus that such supplements have no effect on performance during endurance exercise.

"However, several ensuing studies then drew attention to the potential benefits of ketones when it comes to the rapidity and quality of post-exercise recovery. Ketones were found to have added value in terms of the speed of muscle glycogen resynthesis and endogenous EPO production.

"More recently, research has now contradicted these earlier findings. The results of a very comprehensive, high-quality study show that taking ketones after competition or high-intensity training sessions has no effect on the quality of recovery."

"As there is no compelling evidence that ketone supplements enhance performance or recovery, the UCI sees no reason for them to be used. Therefore, the UCI does not recommend the inclusion of such supplements in riders' nutritional plans."

This week, Dutch rider Jan-Willem van Schip was disqualified from the Tour of Holland for riding a seatpost with a bend in it. The UCI commissaires deemed it 'illegal' and he was unceremoniously booted out of the race. It’s not the first time van Schip - a regular on the six-day scene and a rider prone to pushing the UCI rules around a rider's position - has been pinged by the tech police, and he’s not alone.

If there’s one thing the Union Cycliste Internationale loves as much as acronyms, it’s an article and regulation. For every watt a rider saves, there seems to be a clause somewhere ready to take it away. From saddle angles to bar widths, how you hold the bars to gear ratios, the UCI’s Technical Regulations are a labyrinth of geometry, millimetres and, occasionally, common sense.

Here are the seven most memorable moments when riders found themselves on the wrong side of the regulations, sometimes by accident, sometimes by design, and occasionally by result of sheer curiosity.

Jan-Willem van Schip's backwards seatpost - 2025 Tour of Holland

Few current day riders push the UCI rules with innovation as van Schip does. At this year’s Tour of Holland, UCI officials disqualified him for riding with a seatpost turned the “wrong” way round. The issue? The UCI said it hadn't been ''registered" with them, although the team and manufacturer said it was. Essentially meaning the seatpost was not registered as part of the frame homologation, technically making it UCI illegal on a technicality.

There were also reports that the 'lay-forward' angle meant it breached article 1.3.013, which states that “the saddle shall be positioned such that its foremost point is at least 5 cm behind a vertical line passing through the bottom bracket axle.”

By reversing the seatpost, van Schip had potentially moved the saddle forward of that limit. His team, Parkhotel Valkenburg, said the bike had previously passed inspection.

Indeed looking into those regulations further, there is scope for the saddle to be less than 5 cm behind the BB, as long as it does not cross the vertical line. Morphological reasons allow this adjustment, or specific track events don't feature this rule, but must be permitted by the UCI. It does not appear that van Schip moved beyond this limit in pictures that we have seen. And as the team has stated, this is not a new position that he adopted for the Tour of Holland.

Richard Carapaz and the super-tuck - 2021 Liège-Bastogne-Liège

The Ecuadorian climber became the first high-profile victim of the super-tuck ban, during Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2021. He was filmed descending in the outlawed position whereby a rider sits on the top tube to reduce their frontal area. This position was first used in a high profile event by Matej Mohoric on his way to winning the U23 road race at the 2013 world champs.

The relevant regulation is 2.2.025 that clearly states; "sitting on the bicycle's top tube is prohibited'". Carapaz crossed the line smiling, only to discover he’d been disqualified for his trouble.

Carapaz's punishment - handed down just three weeks after the regulation came into force - sent a clear message: the UCI was serious about rider posture, safety and, apparently, aerodynamics.

Graeme Obree's Old Faithful - Hour record and World Championships, 1993–1996

Few riders have forced the UCI’s hand and therefore altered the future of bicycle design quite like amateur Scottish time trialist Graeme Obree. His homemade bike “Old Faithful” was equipped with a set of narrow, straight handlebars and a very short wheelbase that allowed him to adopt the position of a downhill skier, hunched down over the front wheel. He used bearings from a washing-machine bearings and built it with ultra-narrow-Q-factor cranks.

The bike - voted by the readers of Cycling Weekly as the greatest of all time - helped him smash the hour record in 1993. It was a ride that shocked the world as an unknown amateur beat the record set by the great Francesco Moser. But this tuck position (arms folded under the chest) that upset the rulemakers.

When he turned up to the 1994 Track World Championships with the same setup to qualify third fastest, he was then disqualified. YouTube videos of footage from the time quote commentator Paul Sherwen saying the UCI banned him for his position as a rider is not allowed to touch the handlebars with their chest.

Instead of fighting the decision, Obree then invented the “Superman” position (arms stretched forward) only for that to be banned too.

Chris Boardman, the Superman position and monocoque bikes - 1996 Hour Record

While Obree innovated in his garage, his great British TTing rival Chris Boardman had the might of Lotus Engineering behind him. His Lotus 110 superbike and Obree-invented-Superman position were so efficient that the UCI, spooked by speeds edging into the unimaginable, rewrote the hour record regulations entirely and came up with the Lugano charter aimed to prevent an aero arms race and put the rider rather than machine at the centre of the sport. This provided the ethos behind technical regulations.

The governing body later introduced article 3.6.001, stipulating that attempts must use “traditional” frames modelled on Eddy Merckx’s 1972 record, effectively banning monocoque carbon frames, integrated bars and extreme aero positions.

Boardman’s 1996 record stood in the “Best Human Effort” category all the way up until 2022 when Filippo Ganna bested it with 56.792km to take the unified Hour Record, but this new rule initially forced everyone else back to steel tubing and drop bars. If imitation is flattery, rewriting the law must be the sincerest form of compliment.

Jan-Willem van Schip (again) - 2021 Baloise Belgium Tour

Back in 2021, the 6’4” tall Dutchman was booted out of the Baloise Belgium Tour for using a pair of custom Speeco Aero Breakaway handlebars that let him rest his forearms on the tops. The commissaires cited article 2.2.025: riders must “keep at least one hand on the handlebars at all times and may not adopt a position resting the forearms on the handlebar unless competing in a time trial.”

It was part of a wider UCI crackdown that also outlawed the so-called super-tuck – the downhill position where riders perch on the top tube for better aerodynamics. Van Schip defended his setup as a safety measure and an ergonomic innovation, but the commissaires were unmoved. He was told to pack his bags.

Floating little-fingers – 2021 position purge

In early 2021 the UCI launched what became known as the “position purge”, updating article 1.3.008 to cover every imaginable riding posture. Alongside the super-tuck ban came new clauses stating that riders must have “hands and at least one finger wrapped around the handlebars at all times”.

That meant no more showboating down descents with fingertips hooked over the hoods or resting palms on the tops. Commissaires were told to penalise anyone failing to comply. Several WorldTour riders, including some in the UAE Tour and Paris–Nice that spring, received warnings or fines for the offence.

The same update also reinforced the saddle-use clause, stating that “riders must maintain contact with the saddle at all times except during obvious efforts such as climbing or sprinting.” In other words, no sitting on the top tube.

Most riders shrugged and adjusted, but it gave the internet a month of memes featuring commissaires with protractors and laser levels.

The great saddle-angle clampdown - 2011 Tour de France

A special mention goes to the commissaires at the 2011 Tour de France, who embarked on an early-morning crusade to check saddle angles. Under article 1.3.014, saddles must be “essentially horizontal, with a maximum deviation of 9deg.” Officials armed with spirit levels swarmed team buses, ordering mechanics to tilt seats up (or down) before the start.

No-one was disqualified, but the sight of world-class riders getting their saddles measured like schoolboys at a uniform inspection was a reminder that in cycling, nothing escapes scrutiny, not even a few degrees of tilt.

Femke Van den Driessche's hidden motor - 2016 Cyclo-cross Worlds

Some infractions are minor; others make history. In January 2016, Belgian under-23 rider Femke Van den Driessche became the first and only rider to be caught for technological fraud. Officials at the Cyclo-cross World Championships discovered a concealed motor and battery inside her spare bike’s seat tube.

Under article 1.3.010, any “propulsion assistance other than solely by the rider’s legs is prohibited.” The UCI imposed a six-year ban backdated to 2015 and stripped her of results. Van den Driessche claimed the bike wasn’t hers, but the damage was done. It was cycling’s first confirmed case of so-called “mechanical doping” and changed how equipment was checked forever.

Honourable mention, Dan Bigham and the KGF track squad

Although not actually banned for any of the team’s innovations, the UCI introduced specific regulations to standardise aerodynamic equipment in response to creations from Wattshop, Dan Bigham's aero kit company.

The UCI's new rules meant armrests were limited to a maximum length of 125mm, a maximum inclination of 15 degrees, and each armrest must be separate. Additionally, extensions must not exceed 40x40mm in cross-sectional area. My personal favourite though, measuring the arm rest pads from the centre to the tip of the extension, and use of compressing foam.

KGF used longer arm rests and stacked low density foam to initially get around the height restriction and measurement rules while complying to the rules, the UCI swiftly intervened.

These changes aimed to prevent excessive hand elevation and ensure fair competition. Subsequent updates to the UCI regulations addressed these concerns, leading to the current standards in place now.

The rules also resulted in the hilarious sight of a Commissaire telling Dan Bigham he couldn't ride with a product because it wasn't 'commercially available' . Bigham went off to get a tablet, opened the Wattshop website and showed the commissaire exactly how much it could be bought for.

The team went on to win a Team Pursuit at a World Cup, only for the UCI to change the rules so that only national teams could compete.

A tradition of innovation

From hidden motors to reversed seatposts, each of these cases tells a story about cycling’s uneasy relationship with innovation. The UCI’s rules are designed to keep competition fair and safe, but they also set boundaries that inventive riders will always test.

Jan-Willem van Schip might feel unlucky to have been singled out, but he’s merely the latest in a long line of riders who discovered that, when it comes to tech, the commissaires always have the final say.

The sport needs its mavericks, they make the rest of us look twice at what’s possible. But as van Schip now knows, creativity in cycling is only legal until the rulebook catches up.

SRAM has welcomed the Belgian Competition Authority’s decision to suspend the UCI’s proposed maximum gear ratio standard, while calling for fairer, more transparent rule-making in professional cycling.

Earlier today, the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) announced it is imposing interim measures against the UCI, ordering the governing body to suspend its proposed gearing rule immediately. The authority sided with SRAM’s argument that the standard hurts innovation and unfairly tilts the playing field.

The UCI aimed to set a gearing limit of 54×11 maximum, effectively outlawing SRAM's 10-tooth cassettes, which are used in its latest Red and Force AXS groupsets. A trial of the new limit was due to debut at next week’s Tour of Guangxi, serving as a study to determine whether higher gearing contributes to unsafe speeds in sprints and descents.

SRAM lodged a complaint against the proposed rule in September, arguing that it placed its equipment and the teams that use it at a competitive disadvantage. SRAM, along with nine WorldTour teams, participated in an emergency hearing before the Competition College of the BCA in Brussels to argue their case.

The BCA ruled that the gear-ratio standard indeed “generates disproportionate negative effects on a sports equipment supplier, namely SRAM,” and “is likely to cause harm … that is serious and difficult to repair.”

The authority ordered the UCI to suspend the rule and barred it from imposing any similar restrictions until a transparent, non-discriminatory process is in place.

For its part, the UCI said it was “surprised by the intervention” and confirmed it would appeal the decision.

“The UCI deeply regrets that riders’ safety does not appear to be a shared objective with those who challenged the implementation of the Maximum Gearing Test Protocol before the said Authority,” the federation said in a statement, adding that it will continue to act "in the interests of the safety of riders."

SRAM CEO Ken Lousberg responded by calling for a reset in how the sport’s rules are made.

“Innovation and safety are not opposing forces — in fact quite the opposite. They go hand in hand,” he said. “It’s time to reshape how the sport’s key stakeholders engage. The UCI, teams and riders, sponsors, race organisers, and the cycling industry must collaborate to build a better future for the sport and its fans.

“Our goal is simple: an open, transparent, and participative process that delivers meaningful safety improvements in racing, protects rider choice, and encourages innovation for the future of cycling.”

The UCI has released more details about which helmets will be outlawed in road races, specifying new guidelines related to dimensions, ventilation, ear coverage and visors.

From 1 January 2026, cycling’s governing body will enforce stricter rules regarding helmets in mass start events, in response to a growing trend of riders competing with time trial helmets.

The UCI published a raft of safety updates two weeks ago, saying, for helmets, it would enforce “minimum ventilation requirements, a ban on helmet shells or accessories covering or obstructing the riders’ ears, and a ban on integrated detachable visors”.

These new specifications look to “contain aerodynamics” and provide “a basis for distinctions between helmets used in different disciplines”.

The UCI did not, however, go into specifics on the new helmet rules. These were released without public announcement this week, and spotted by Cycling Weekly on Wednesday.

From next season, both ‘traditional’ and time trial helmets will have maximum dimensions of 450mm length, 300mm width and 210mm height.

With regards to ventilation, traditional helmets – those used in mass start events – must have “at least three distinct air inlet openings on the shell structure”. Time trial helmets will have no restrictions.

Traditional helmets will not be allowed to have a shape that “cover[s], obstruct[s] or enclose[s] the rider’s ears.” Again, time trial helmets will have no restrictions in this regard.

Visors, both integrated and detachable, will also not be allowed on traditional helmets. “Helmets must be used without any visor attachments or shield-like accessories,” the UCI states. These will be permitted in time trials.

A full table of the new regulations is published below.

In line with these new guidelines, Cycling Weekly expects a number of helmets used this season by WorldTour teams to no longer be allowed to be used in road races.

These include EF Education's POC Procen Air, Picnic PostNL's Lazer Volante and Ineos Grenadiers' Kask Nirvana, all of which cover the rider's ears. The first two also incorporate visors, which will not be allowed from 2026.

In comments shared with Cycling Weekly last month, helmet brands said they would review their models in light of the new regulations.

"We will look to clarify and discuss those details with the UCI to help ensure that any new regulations support their objective to improve safety," a spokesperson from POC said.

A spokesperson from Kask said: "We acknowledge the UCI's new regulations and fully support any efforts which enhance the safety of cyclists. We are always willing to cooperate with the UCI on all safety matters, and our commitment to performance and protection remains the very highest priority.

"Starting January 1, 2026, our Nirvana helmet will still be available for use in individual team trial, team time trial, track, triathlon, gravel, and non-UCI road racing events across the globe - delivering minimal drag and optimal comfort for athletes seeking a competitive edge."

Time trial helmets will also not be permitted in cyclo-cross events. From 2027, track riders will only be able to use them in the following events: individual pursuit, team pursuit, kilometre time trial and team sprint.

Bike helmet brands have been thrown into a hunt for more information after the UCI ruled to ban the use of certain lids in bunch road race events.

On Thursday, cycling’s governing body announced a raft of updates in a bid to improve rider safety. Among the measures were new specifications on helmets, which will come into place from 1 January 2026, and include: “minimum ventilation requirements, a ban on helmet shells or accessories covering or obstructing the riders’ ears, and a ban on integrated or detachable visors”.

The use of time trial helmets has become more widespread in road racing in recent years as riders look for aerodynamic gains. The UCI’s new specifications look to “contain aerodynamics” and provide “a basis for distinctions between helmets used in different disciplines”.

Cycling Weekly contacted a number of helmet brands who supply to WorldTour teams for their response to the regulations updates.

A spokesperson from POC, who supply to EF Education-EasyPost and EF Education-Oatly, said they understand their Procen Air helmet will be affected by the new rules, “primarily due to its partial ear covers and integrated visor, both of which were designed for safety as well as performance”.

Worn by Ben Healy when he won a stage of the Tour de France this summer, the helmet is said to “provid[e] riders with a wider field of view and reduc[e] wind noise around the ear improv[ing] awareness and communication.”

“The UCI press release from today does not go into specifics, e.g. the definition of minimum ventilation, and we will look to clarify and discuss those details with the UCI to help ensure that any new regulations support their objective to improve safety,” a POC spokesperson said.

KASK’s Nirvana helmet, released last year and worn by Ineos Grenadiers, is another model that could be outlawed under the UCI’s ban on helmets that cover or obstruct riders’ ears.

A spokesperson from KASK provided a short statement, saying the brand is “aware of the recent updates to UCI regulations” and “actively reviewing the implications for our product line”.

Cycling Weekly also received a reply from Giro, Visma-Lease a Bike’s helmet sponsor, whose time-trial-intended Aerohead lid has been worn in road races by riders such as Marianne Vos, Victor Campenaerts and Matthew Brennan.

As the model contains no air vents in the helmet shell, Cycling Weekly understands it will likely be outlawed.

“Giro cannot comment on how Team Visma-Lease a Bike may adapt should UCI guidelines change regarding the Aerohead or other shielded time trial helmets,” a brand spokesperson said.

“What we can affirm is our ongoing commitment to innovation and to providing the team with helmets that deliver aerodynamic advantages while remaining fully compliant with UCI regulations,.”

The Giro spokesperson went on to add that Visma-Lease a Bike riders will rely “heavily” next season on the newly released Eclipse Pro model, which is compliant with the new UCI rules.

The governing body also announced new regulations on handlebar width, UCI points tallying across disciplines, and price caps for track cycling equipment. Read the rest of the key updates from the list on our website here.

If you thought that Zürich’s UCI Road World Championships road race was hilly, think again. As Africa hosts the event for the first time, Kigali brings an incredibly climb-heavy course to the table. With 5,475m of elevation over 267.5km in the elite men’s, it is the hilliest road race since Sallanches in 1980, and the only time over 5,000m of climbing has been tackled in the 21st century. Think less typical road race, and more Giro d’Italia epic mountain day.

Similarly, the elite women’s race officially has 3,350m of elevation, the most of any Worlds road race in the professional era.

All of this will be done at altitude, too, with Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, 1,567 metres above sea level, higher than the capital of Andorra, where many pro cyclists live. It is a World Championships made for climbers.

The road races do not leave the capital, which is likely to do with the logistics of taking the world’s best riders to a developing country; while the Tour du Rwanda makes a habit of travelling around, the best roads, relaid for such an occasion, are in Kigali.

This is not a race to show off a country, but instead to show off one city, a reasonably young one at that, founded in 1907 when Rwanda was part of the German Empire.

The men’s road race takes on two circuits, the local one, starting and finishing at Kigali’s Convention Centre, which is around 15km long, and an extension circuit of 42.5km which takes in both Mount Kigali and the Mur de Kigali. Both are used at the Tour du Rwanda, with Mount Kigali being 5.9km at 5.9%, and the cobbled Mur de Kigali being 400m at 11%. Neither should decide the race, but should soften the legs.

The local circuit is tackled nine times before the extension loop, and then six more times after. On the course are two climbs, the Côte de Kigali Golf, 800m at 8.1%, and the Côte de Kimihurura, 1.3km at 6.1%, the latter following a cobbled sector. It is not the length or gradient which should be a worry, but their repetition, as the kilometres tick on.

In the women’s race, the local circuit is the only part raced, but 11 times. The Kimihurura represents the final punch up to the line in both the women’s and men’s races, a final kick to split the race up, not that it will need it by then.

Women's elite road race route

Distance: 164.6km
Elevation: 3,350m

Men's elite road race route

Distance: 267.5km
Elevation: 5,475m

Chloé Dygert is facing heavy criticism after riding her competition bike at the UCI World Championships with stickers on the fork blades declaring: “I stand for the truth. I stand with Charlie Kirk.”

Admittedly, we played a role in amplifying both her support and criticism, as we were among the first to report on it. Why did we cover it? Would we have written the same piece if those stickers had said something else?

That’s the kind of gut check we wrestle with daily in today’s volatile political climate, where the boundaries between sport, politics and expression are increasingly fraught. Walking that line of neutrality is never simple. I won’t deny that a story like this is good for our numbers, and numbers keep the lights on. But that’s not why we ran it.

Why Dygert’s act is newsworthy

Dygert’s act was newsworthy for several reasons. Firstly, it challenges the UCI Code of Ethics, which states:

“In dealings with government institutions, national and international organisations, associations and groupings, persons bound by the Code shall remain politically neutral, in accordance with the principles and objectives of the UCI, whenever expressing themselves on behalf of the organisation they represent.”

And:

“Persons bound by the Code shall not undertake any action, use any denigratory words, or any other means, that offend the human dignity of a person or group of persons, on any grounds including but not limited to skin colour, race, religion, ethnic or social origin, political opinion, sexual orientation, disability or any other reason contrary to human dignity.”

Charlie Kirk was a highly polarising political commentator whose views were divisive and offensive to many. Therefore, Dygert’s visible support for him is divisive by design.

Second, her act came just weeks after the UCI condemned pro-Palestine protests at the Vuelta a España as “exploitation of sport for political purposes.” Dygert’s act could very well fall into the same category.

As a decorated and celebrated athlete, Dygert knew the significance of her platform. This wasn’t the subtle act of wearing a cross around her neck as a personal expression of faith. It was a deliberate choice: stickers on the fork blades of her competition bike, placed where cameras and spectators couldn’t miss them. It was a statement designed to be seen.

Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinions. But broadcasting them while racing under the banner of Team USA, on a sponsor-branded bike, at a UCI World Championship is going to have repercussions. The issue isn’t that she has views, it’s that she used one of cycling’s biggest stages to amplify them. Athletes do this all the time, but there are usually consequences like fines, sanctions or reprimands meant to enforce the sport’s concept (or illusion) of neutrality.

Yet, at the time of writing, we’re still awaiting comment from the UCI, USA Cycling, or any organisation or brand affiliated with the rider. And we’re eager to see how the UCI will interpret and enforce its own regulations.

And finally, this is not the first time the 28-year-old American has found herself in hot water. In 2020, Dygert was disciplined and forced by her team to apologise after it came to light that she had liked a series of racist and transphobic posts on Twitter.

All of these reasons make her gesture at Worlds a newsworthy story.

Our role as media

I think it’s totally fair for readers to question our content and intentions. Would we have written the same story if Dygert’s stickers had carried a different message? Say, one of support for immigrants, a comment on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, or even a rainbow flag? I’d like to think yes, yes, and maybe.

I’ll admit that a rainbow flag might not have drawn the same notice, and that’s worth unpacking.

Yes, the rainbow flag is also a political symbol. Originally used in a 1961 peace march against nuclear weapons in Italy, it now represents a movement, a set of values, and advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. In modern sport, it’s often used as a gesture of inclusivity, unity and human dignity. Teams paint rainbows on helmets, wear rainbow captain’s bands or light up arenas in rainbow colours. Rarely do those acts draw the same criticism Dygert is facing.

The difference lies in perception. A rainbow flag is widely seen as a symbol of unity; an invitation welcoming people into the sport, or a stand against discrimination. Conversely, anything related to Charlie Kirk quickly becomes divisive and exclusive.

By the strict letter of the UCI’s neutrality rule, both could be disallowed. But in practice, one raises questions while the other is considered an acceptable value.

This isn’t a call to ban symbols – rainbow flags, crosses, peace signs and all. It’s to highlight the flaw in the concept of sports neutrality.

As journalists, our responsibility is not to decide which gestures or actions are acceptable, but to report on them when they intersect with the rules and/or draw the interest of fans.

This is a moment where cycling’s values and its governance are being tested. Whether people agree with Dygert’s views or not, her act directly challenges the standards the UCI has set for the sport. Ignoring it would be a dereliction of duty.

The internet’s reaction to Dygert’s gesture has been loud and furious. But what exactly are we so outraged about? Are you angry at us for spotlighting a message Dygert so clearly wanted noticed? Angry at the athlete herself for revealing political allegiances that perhaps clash with your own? Or do you see her as courageous, and you’re frustrated at a world or sport that doesn’t seem to tolerate her freedom of expression?

Outrage often says more about us than it does about the recipient. But in today’s sporting ecosystem, outrage isn’t just an emotion; it’s fuel. It sparks debate, builds and divides communities, drives clicks and feeds algorithms. That is why these types of actions don’t go unreported. And why governing bodies cling to the notion of neutrality. But sports are mere microcosms of the world around them. And when tensions run this high, it inevitably becomes a stage for the bigger cultural battles raging outside of it.

Bans on certain helmets for road racing, concessions on limits for handlebar widths and points meaning more across disciplines are among updates on UCI rules that were announced on Thursday morning.

Meeting at the UCI Road World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda, this week, the Management Committee of cycling's governing body approved various measures.

UCI president, David Lappartient, said: "The UCI Management Committee had three extremely productive days of discussions which will help ensure that our sport continues to flourish. Rider safety and health continues to be a major priority for the UCI, and our Management Committee members took important decisions to further protect athletes.

"I am also delighted by the strengthening of our UCI Nations’ Cups for Juniors, which will provide a solid international racing structure for the next generation of our sport’s elite athletes."

The press release is so long that it is worth taking you through the interesting changes individually; it isn't quite a revolution of professional cycling, but there is a lot of movement.

Handlebar widths

The most noteworthy of these rules is a change in new handlebar limits for road racing, which means from next year, bars must be at least 400mm wide (outside to outside), a maximum flare of 65mm and an inner measurement limit between the brake hoods of 280mm.

This does mean handlebars can be narrower, with that inner measurement limit dropping 40mm from the original 320mm limit, proposed in June this year. That number will be reviewed by the UCI Equipment and New Technologies Commission "with a view to potentially increasing it for future seasons".

The original announcement of handlebar width limits caused criticism from across the world of cycling, especially from women, for whom narrower handlebars are more the norm due to size.

The Cyclists' Alliance, a union for female pros, said that the original rules would "put riders at risk". It appears the UCI has listened to criticism, a bit.

Bars of 38cm or more will there likely pass the UCI's tests, while those that are smaller won't.

The UCI statement said: "The UCI issues a reminder that the objectives of setting these limits is to contain speeds by ensuring a certain air drag from the width of the handlebars."

Connected to this, the UCI is bringing in clarifications for their regulations on forearm support on handlebars, which is outlawed in road racing, more or less.

Helmet clampdown

In order to combat the growing trend of super-aero helmets in road racing, where some teams use lids which look like time trial versions, the UCI is bringing in new rules for road helmets, or "mass start event helmets" in their language. These rules will apply from 1 January 2026.

The press release says: "These specifications will include minimum ventilation requirements, a ban on helmet shells or accessories covering or obstructing the riders’ ears, and a ban on integrated or detachable visors. These new specifications also aim to contain aerodynamics, and in addition will serve as a basis for distinctions between helmets used in different disciplines."

It is likely to mean an end for some extreme helmets used in road races, although the exact impact is yet to be seen. The objective is to have a simple distinction between TT helmets and road race versions.

Price caps for track cycling

On top of rules for track cycling which mean equipment needs to be registered with the UCI and used in events before the Olympics, the UCI is now set to introduce price caps.

This will be introduced from 1 January 2027, in time for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The release says: "The addition of price caps further reinforces the integrity of competitions by preventing excessive cost barriers so participants from all nations have fair access to equipment. These new rules will come into force from 1 January 2027. From that date, maximum prices will apply for framesets, forks, wheels, handlebars and their extensions, helmets and skinsuits."

It might mean an end to bikes like the one Japan used at the 2024 Olympics, which came with a retail price of £108,000. It was the most expensive track bike at that Olympics, costing significantly more than Team GB's Hope x Lotus HB.T, priced at £25,000 for the frame, and Australia's Factor bike, at £47,000 for the full set-up.

UCI points to count across disciplines

From 2027, UCI road teams will be able to benefit from points earned by their riders in other disciplines. This means, for example, that a road team like Lidl-Trek would be able to collect UCI points earned in the World Championships for track, cross-country mountain biking, cyclo-cross and gravel, plus the overall standings in the World Cups for track, MTB XCO and cyclo-cross.

The press release says: "Approved on the recommendation of the PCC, this measure will be applicable for male riders who are in the top 20 of his team’s road ranking and for female riders in the top eight of their team’s road ranking. No points from these other disciplines will be added to the UCI Individual Ranking or the UCI Ranking by Nation for road. Simulations over the coming months will confirm the scale of points coming from results in these other disciplines."

For example, Tom Pidcock would be able to earn points for his Q36.5 Pro Cycling team from MTB and cyclo-cross, and a rider like Lotte Kopecky could tally her track points to SD Worx-Protime.

This might have the positive effect of encouraging teams to allow their riders to flourish across disciplines.

No more U23 Nations Cups

As of 2026, the UCI Nations’ Cup for under-23 riders will be discontinued, and more emphasis given to the Men Junior UCI Nations’ Cup and Women Junior UCI Nations’ Cup.

"A new format for the two series will see the development of events on all continents and the establishment of a season final," the UCI said. "An individual UCI Nations’ Cup ranking will be published in addition to the existing nations ranking. Meanwhile, the establishment of Junior development teams will enable riders in this category to progress within teams that have a clear framework regarding their composition and participation rights.

"This will enable the structured development of Junior riders, overseen by National Federations, before they potentially join a development or professional team."

REDs monitoring

The UCI says that it is in the "process of finalising documentation and tools that can be used by team doctors to enable the diagnosis of REDs (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport)".

It says: "The strategy is to rely on a screening and risk-assessment tool validated and published by an International Olympic Committee (IOC) consensus group (IOC REDs CAT2). The adapted tool provided by the UCI includes questionnaires tailored to competitive cycling and a risk assessment that is easy for team doctors to use."

Extreme weather and rider safety protocol updated

The method for discussions over extreme weather and rider safety during events has been updated. "It now includes a chronological decision-making process from the pre-race meeting to how decisions are made, as well as clarification of in-race procedures," the UCI says.

SRAM is taking the UCI to court over its proposed gear restrictions, saying that the idea has already caused "tangible harm" to its business.

The US component manufacturer has lodged a complaint with the Belgian Competition Authority, it announced on Friday, arguing that the upcoming trial by cycling's governing body at the Tour of Guangxi will "unfairly disadvantage SRAM riders and SRAM".

Following this, SRAM says the BCA has "initiated formal anti-trust proceedings under EU and Belgian competition laws". The company said it is "the only major manufacturer whose current pro team setup will be blocked" by the proposed rules.

The complaint was lodged on 12 September, and BCS started its proceedings on Wednesday.

As first reported by journalist Daniel Benson on his Substack, the 'Maximum Gearing' protocol will limit riders to a maximum gear ratio which is equivalent to 54x11 in a bid by the UCI's SafeR commission to improve safety amongst the peloton and reduce speeds within races.

The new restriction limits the maximum gear ratio to 10.46 metres in a roll out test which will almost certainly cap the highest gear that riders can use during a race situation.

Unlike other major brands like Shimano or Campagnolo, SRAM riders would need major adjustments, with most pros using 54x10 gearing. SRAM currently provides equipment to four major men's WorldTour teams: Visma-Lease a Bike, Movistar, Lidl-Trek and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.

The SRAM statement says: "The protocol forces SRAM to mechanically disable its 10-tooth cog, reducing gear options and placing SRAM-equipped riders at a competitive disadvantage."

SRAM CEO Ken Lousberg, said: "This protocol penalises and discourages innovation and puts our riders and teams at a competitive disadvantage. We could not have imagined the drivetrains of today when SRAM was founded nearly 40 years ago, and we know the drivetrains of the next decade will continue to evolve. We rely on the sport’s governing body to foster an environment that encourages innovation for the benefit of riders and racers today, and riders in the future.

"We also rely on the governing body to make science-based, impactful changes for rider safety. We are the harshest critics of our own equipment that is raced and ridden around the world; safety is paramount to us."

The statement also says that the concept has "already caused tangible harm" to SRAM. "SRAM’s gearing has been publicly labeled as non-compliant, creating reputational damage, market confusion, team and athlete anxiety, and potential legal exposure," it reads.

SRAM chose to go down the legal route due to the UCI leadership declining "to engage in meaningful dialogue regarding the rule’s validity or its basis". A spokesperson said the Belgian Competition Authority is "is well positioned to pursue the matter and has demonstrated a commitment to fairness and integrity in sport".

"Calling it [the Tour of Guangxi] a test doesn’t make it any less of a race," Lousberg added. "All riders on the start line should be able to compete on equal footing. Right now, SRAM-equipped teams will have to race at a disadvantage on compromised equipment with a reduced number of gearing options compared to their competitors. It’s also not clear what is being tested.

"If you talk to riders across the sport, they are asking for safer races, for better course designs. There are things we as a collective can do to help make races safer, but arbitrarily restricting a gearing choice — a gearing choice that only we provide to our teams — is fundamentally unfair to teams, riders, and SRAM."

Lousberg said: "Given the way the governing body makes its decisions — decisions such as handlebar width, rim depth, the recent transponder implementation and penalisation of teams in Romandie... even sock height — it’s impossible to know who may be impacted in the future.

"Through this process we hope to create a more transparent and collaborative climate for teams and component suppliers that ultimately leads to a better and safer sport for all."

On Saturday morning, a UCI spokesperson said: "The UCI is puzzled by the issuance of the Belgian Competition Authority’s press release before the UCI has even been served with the complaint and by the obvious inaccuracies contained in this statement. In particular, the statement does not reflect the fact that the UCI has publicly indicated that it will consider the findings of this test before considering if further tests are relevant in 2026. Only then, would the UCI potentially consider any changes to the regulations.

"Even more surprisingly, the release does not even deem it necessary to indicate that the test that will be conducted by the UCI is aimed at exploring measures aimed at increasing rider safety, which is a fundamental prerogative of all sport governing bodies."

They continued: "The UCI is confident that its proposal to test limitations to gearing is compliant with EU and Belgian competition law. It is not the role of competition law to lead to a ‘levelling down’ in regulatory and safety standards.

The UCI will continue to collaborate with the stakeholders of cycling through SafeR for the improvement of safety and shall not make any further comments on these proceedings."

It would be news to the tens of thousands of pro-Palestine protestors that were such a feature of the recent Vuelta a España that sport isn’t political. It would come as a surprise to Russian, Belarusian riders and their teams that cycling is not political. Those taking the knee for anti-racism and Black Lives Matter, or those obeying a minute’s silence around Remembrance Day might not realise it, but they are taking part in a political act at a sporting event. Countries host events, or fund their national teams for soft power gains; political wins, from London 2012 to the Qatar World Cup.

It would be news, too, to the owners or sponsors of UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Bahrain Victorious, XDS Astana, Jayco AlUla and more, that there aren’t political gains to be made from sponsoring a cycling team. Israel-Premier Tech does not have the overt connection to the state in its name that others do, but it still represents it. Its co-owner, Sylvan Adams, has previously said: “These guys ride for Israel, so they need to know the country. This is not a state project. I am, by far, the largest single contributor from the team, and we do receive a small amount from the tourism board. There is no other government funding. The home country is unambiguously Israel. We don’t have a commercial sponsor – this is our identity.”

According to cycling’s governing body, the UCI, sport isn’t political. In a statement released late on Monday, a spokesperson condemned the protests at the Vuelta, which disrupted the race, forcing stages 11 and 21 to end with no result, and shortening two others. The peaceful elements of the protests had the support of Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez, which drew ire from the UCI.

They said: “The UCI strongly condemns the exploitation of sport for political purposes in general, and especially coming from a government. Sport must remain autonomous to fulfil its role as a tool for peace. It is unacceptable and counterproductive for our sport to be diverted from its universal mission. Moreover, there are dedicated platforms where countries can discuss their differences.”

Sport has always, and remains, exploited for political purposes. The UCI granted licences to the above teams, allowing countries or individuals to boost their aims, to promote themselves on the world stage. When Tadej Pogačar wins another race for UAE, it helps to foster a positive image for the country, it’s that simple.

The UCI has taken licences away, too, in the knowledge that sport is political. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Russian and Belarusian teams and their sponsors lost their licences and were banned from UCI events to avoid “damaging the image of the UCI and cycling in general”, while riders were forced to be neutral, and still are.

Sport is clearly political, and to say that it isn’t is hypocritical, ignorant, or both. This is relevant now, in the week that a UN commission of inquiry concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, as Israel launched a major ground offensive into Gaza City.

Nearly 65,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to figures from the health ministry in Gaza, since the Hamas-led attack against Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed more than 1,200 people.

The protests against the participation of Israel-Premier Tech in the Vuelta were valid, although not when they put riders in danger. The UCI is fully justified in condemning protesters for putting riders at risk.

The team might not have a direct connection to the country in its name, but it is registered there, and represents it. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, praised the team for “not giving in to hate and intimidation” last week, adding that it had made Israel proud.

The protests also worked. They might not have succeeded in forcing the team out of the race, but they brought the concept to the attention of the cycling world, and kept the issue in the headlines as much as Jonas Vingegaard’s victory.

The UCI looks to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for its cues; the IOC acted quickly on Russia and Belarus, but has not yet made a move on Israel. However, the UCI is responsible for Israel-Premier Tech’s licence, with the team potentially moving up to the WorldTour next season. It should not be seen as outrageous for this ruling to take into account Israel’s current actions.

The UCI’s press release is outrageous, to suggest that current events can’t be discussed in the world of cycling. Some things are more important than a bike race.

The Spanish government’s reply to the UCI quoted Kant: “Peace without justice is the peace of cemeteries.”

“With the deepest admiration and respect for our athletes and, as we have always done, expressing our rejection of any type of violent behavior, we believe that sport cannot remain indifferent to what is happening in the world, much less remain oblivious to serious human rights violations,” the Spanish government’s reply read.

“There is no peace without justice, and using sport to ‘whitewash’ a genocide like the one being committed in Gaza, with thousands of deaths, innocent children, and a famine already declared by the United Nations, is a political position that contravenes the Olympic Charter and the most basic values of sport.”

Sport is political. Everything is political. Hiding behind the idea that sport is neutral is not good enough, not at this critical juncture. If sport really is for peace, then difficult decisions need to be made.

This piece is part of The Leadout, the offering of newsletters from Cycling Weekly and Cyclingnews. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here.

If you want to get in touch with Adam, email adam.becket@futurenet.com, or comment below.

At the end of last month, I went to Les Gets in France for the Mountain Bike World Cup. This was a big trip for me, something I'd wanted to see since I first picked up a mountain bike five years ago, hooked on the glamour and whirlwind chaos of downhill racing: the crunch of tyres on dry soil, the hiss of scattered mud kicked up from the ground, the pure, mind-bending adrenaline of riding off-road.

Nestled in the Portes du Soleil area of the French Alps, Les Gets is one of the most famous tracks in the downhill circuit, primarily because of its crowds. The World Championships last year ended in fans swarming the final metres of track after the last rider came down the hill, resulting in the men's podium being escorted away by police. This year, guards combed the crowds during the race, its chaos momentarily contained to muddy hills turned slip and slides for the French fans mid-race. But, come the final rider down the hill after Rónán Dunne's blistering win, and the people charged the finish gate once more.

The Tour of Britain's record crowds last Sunday provided a similar, if slightly lesser, charge, as fans flocked to see Geraint Thomas's last race as a professional cyclist. Though there was a clear and palpable buzz in Cardiff on Sunday afternoon, its enthusiasm was contained, measured in a way downhill's often isn't. Don't get me wrong – I sidled off the hill as soon as it looked like the crowds might start running in Les Gets, but being at the Tour of Britain's finale so soon after got me thinking about what road cycling can learn from downhill mountain biking, and vice versa.

It's a difficult question to answer – they’re both so different.

The first is a team sport, the second an individual one – the fastest to the bottom of the hill wins, all whilst navigating roots, rocks, drops and changing natural terrain; road races can last upwards of three hours, to downhill’s three minutes; downhill riders can walk the track, and practise repeatedly before their race-run, while it's near impossible for road cyclists to recon every kilometre of a multi-day route.

Plus, road cycling is much older than mountain biking. The sport's premier race, the Tour de France, began in 1903, 70 years before the first mountain bikes were pieced together in Northern California in the 1970s. The 'black sheep of cycling', downhill has long been road racing's messy cousin. Its riders were boys who got hooked building trails in their local woods turned men chasing adrenaline through the Alps.

The two disciplines have similarities, too. Both have been late to encourage women into racing, and to adequately support (and financially reward) them to succeed; both have start lines composed almost entirely of white athletes, with hugely expensive kit and bikes bolstering already mountainous barriers to entry.

But downhill is fast-changing. In 2022, the coverage of the sport was acquired by Warner Bros. Discovery, “to elevate the sport and reach a new global audience” after years of Red Bull’s free-to-air coverage of the UCI Downhill World Cup. A new qualifying system has been brought in, a condensed podium, and a roster of initiatives designed in part to balloon the stardom of individual riders, all behind a £30-a-month paywall. Depending on who you ask, this is a necessary step in the evolution of the sport, or a misjudged move separating fans from the sport they love.

But one thing remains true: downhill racing is, unequivocally, cool. What happened in our collective psyche to equate danger with cool, I don’t know, but hurtling down a hillside as fast as you can, reading the rocks and roots metres ahead of you at 50kph, over drops as high as two people, is pretty textbook cool. There is no doubt that the athletes really want to win, and are dedicated to their sport, but this determination is laced with an understanding that off the trails, life carries on.

In 2022 Kade Edwards came off his bike at the top of Fort William’s race track, and showboated down the rest of the course, his shot at major points gone. On the last of the three jumps, he took his hands off the bars, the crowd roaring as he whipped over the final drop. I am reminded, as I grow ever more enmeshed in the world of cycling, of Keely’s impression of the disgruntled footballer Roy in Apple TV’s ‘Ted Lasso’: “My name’s Roy, and I get paid to play a game!” I think downhill remembers this – I hope it can continue to.

Road racing, on the other hand, is a discipline evermore obsessed with data. Particularly in the modern era, the sport is one of power numbers, watts per kilo, and aerodynamic drag coefficients. Watch any Grand Tour mountain stage, and it's common to see a line of riders staring down at their cycling computers, balancing their effort by numbers. It's made for a faster, more scientific spectacle, but it's a world away from the unfiltered rawness of downhill.

And yet, both disciplines have grown out of one shared seed: the love of cycling. Downhill has kept grounded perhaps simply because of its relative newness, the memory of where it came from fresher in our collective memory. But as downhill's star rises, maybe the question isn’t what road cycling can learn from mountain biking, but rather the opposite. What happens when your sport becomes global, when its stars are propelled onto an even greater stage, and its original, rough-round-the-edges appeal gets refined?

I asked a mountain biker friend about how he thought the sport was changing. He said that when he started riding on his local trails, he would go up in the most rattly bike that could send him through the woodland the fastest, wearing whatever happened to be on at the time he set out. Now the teenage boys who have inherited his spot on the trails are dripped out in hundred-pound Fox kits, riding shiny, new, low-gravity downhill bikes that sell even second hand at upwards of £1,000.

As downhill becomes ever more commercialised, with the endless carousel of upgrades in clothes, kit and technology, the question might not be what road cycling can learn from mountain biking, but how both sports can stay grounded as they grow, and how we can hold onto what drew us all to cycling in the first place: the simple joy of riding a bike.

All riders will compete with GPS tracking devices at this September’s UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda, cycling's governing body, the UCI has confirmed.

The measure comes after Swiss 18-year-old Muriel Furrer died following a crash in the junior women’s road race at the event in Zürich, Switzerland last year. According to reports, Furrer lay alone for almost an hour and a half before she was discovered at the side of the road. She later died as a result of a head injury.

As part of the UCI’s SafeR initiative to improve rider safety, it has been decided all competitors – from the junior events up to the elite level – will carry tracking devices at this year’s World Championships. The news was first announced last month, but confirmed again on Friday.

The technology was trialled at the Tour de Romandie Féminin last month, where one rider per team carried a GPS tracker.

"This system, operated from the UCI Road World Championships control centre, will enable real-time monitoring of data regarding the position and speed of the entire peloton, thus allowing for immediate identification of any unusual situations, such as a rider suddenly stopping on the course," the UCI release said.

"In such a case, the rider's exact position will be transmitted to the relevant parties in the convoy – organisers, UCI Commissaires, medical and security services – so that appropriate measures can be taken without delay.|

With race radios not allowed at the World Championships, concerns were raised in the wake of Furrer’s death about how rider emergencies can be alerted. At the time, UCI president David Lappartient said it was “too early” to say if radios would have made it simpler to locate Furrer.

Lappartient has since suggested his openness to implementing GPS tracking in “all WorldTour events” – “it would enable us to see where they are if they have a crash,” he told Cyclist.

Earlier this year, the Tour de Suisse introduced rider and convoy tracking, claiming to be the first race in the world to do so.

Riders' bikes at the race were fitted with small trackers that sounded an alarm in the case of “anomalies”, race director Olivier Senn explained, “such as if the bike does not move for 30 seconds, leaves the route or abruptly changes speed. In such cases, we are notified immediately and can react.”

The Tour de Suisse fell into mourning in 2023 following the death of Gino Mäder, who crashed at speed descending the Albula Pass.

“We cannot completely prevent crashes with these measures,” Senn said of GPS tracking, “but we are doing everything we can to ensure that all information is available to the teams and that the consequences are as minimal as possible.”

The UCI World Championships will take place in Kigali, Rwanda between 21-28 September.

At the three-day Tour de Romandie Féminin, which took place from 15-17 August, five women's professional teams were excluded from the race over a row about the GPS systems.

The five teams were not allowed to race due to not nominating the a rider to use the GPS tracker, not for wholesale refusal of the system. A joint statement from the five teams said they were "shocked and disappointed" by the decision.

Johan Bruyneel has hit back after the UCI spoke out against his presence in the Tour de France paddock last week.

Lance Armstrong’s former sports director was a guest on a Belgian TV programme, Vive le Vélo, and was seen at the race in restricted areas wearing accreditation.

In response to Bruyneel’s presence at the race, the world governing body released a statement on Tuesday evening reiterating that the Belgian was "not authorised" to be given accreditation having been banned for life from any activity related to the sport in 2018.

"In accordance with Article 10.14 of the World Anti-Doping Code and the UCI Anti-Doping Rules, Mr Bruyneel is banned for life from taking part in any activity related to cycling," the UCI statement read.

"While he is free to attend a cycling event registered on the UCI International Calendar - such as the Tour de France - as a regular spectator, he is strictly prohibited from participating in the event in any role or capacity, or from accessing areas that are closed to the public. This includes, in particular, areas of the Tour de France that require accreditation."

The UCI contacted the Tour de France organiser's ASO, for urgent clarification on why Bruyneel received a pass.

In response to the statement, Bruyneel hit back on X and personally attacked the UCI president, David Lappartient. "It seems that the president of the UCI, David 'The Selfie King' Lappartient didn’t like the fact that I visited the Tour de France last week," Bruyneel wrote. "I’ve said already many times, also to him personally, that I find his attitude being one of hypocrisy. After receiving this press statement, I have contacted him personally again, but he hasn’t responded (yet).

"I hereby want to reiterate how pleasant it felt to have been present at the Tour and really appreciated the many warm welcome gestures from the many people I have met at this occasion."

"I’m waiting for your reply to my messages on my WhatsApp," he added, before going on to tag Lappartient’s personal X account in his message.

ASO are yet to issue their own statement on the matter, although the host of the talk show, Karl Vannieuwkerke, said on Wednesday that Bruyneel was accredited by ASO after Vive le Vélo had applied through "normal procedures."

"We applied for accreditation just as we do for every guest," Vannieuwkerke said. "And there was never any objection."

Bruyneel was initially banned from the sport for ten years after being involved in the doping ring operated by the US Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams. An investigation into both of the teams resulted in Lance Armstrong being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. Bruyneel appealed the initial ban, issued by the American Arbitration Association, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport then ruled that he should be banned for life from the sport after considering the appeal.

The Tour of Britain Women will be five stages next year after the UCI agreed to a request from British Cycling to increase the length of the event.

The move comes as part of an increased effort to reach full parity with the men's equivalent after the national governing body took control of the two races, formerly managed by SweetSpot, early last year.

British Cycling confirmed the change when contacted by Cycling Weekly on Wednesday after it was previously announced that the women's race would move to an August slot on the calendar, bringing it closer to the men's event, which typically takes place in September.

"Bringing the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women up to five stages for 2026 is yet another step in creating parity between the men's and women's races - something which is fundamental to our major events vision," a British Cycling spokesperson said.

"When we took on the running of both races last year, we outlined our plans and were true to this commitment, therefore it was a no-brainer to increase prize money for the women’s race, as a first step.

"Following the hugely successful delivery of the 2025 edition of the race, we are really pleased to see our ambitious plans reflected in an increase to five stages from 2026, supported by the UCI, and we look forward to continuing to champion full parity throughout the Lloyd’s Tour of Britain races."

The men's race was cut to six stages in 2024 as a first step to reaching full parity, with British Cycling aiming to increase the women’s race to six in the coming years. FDJ-Suez's Ally Wollaston took the overall honours at the most recent edition of the women’s race, which concluded in Glasgow last month. Britain's Cat Ferguson finished second.

Speaking to Cycling Weekly last month, British Cycling CEO Jon Dutton was cautiously optimistic regarding the long-term future of the two Tours.

"We were really determined to deliver last year and grow the race and I think if you look at the Tour of Britain Women – just take the riders and the teams last year compared to the riders and the teams this year – it shows that people value racing in the UK," he said. "We need to be mindful of the business model – staging any bike race on the public highway is an expensive affair – but we're optimistic."

"Policing, safety, the public sector finances, people wanting to step forward as event organisers – it's really hard,” Dutton added. "At British Cycling we have a duty and responsibility to be part of the solution, but there is no magic wand to wave.

"What we will find is moving to a sustainable business model, we'll probably have to have some more tough conversations in the future… We've not got enough events with enough event organisers that are sustainable and that's just part of the overall challenge."

Cycling Weekly understands that details of this year's Tour of Britain Men will be released shortly. The race is expected to conclude in Cardiff to pay tribute to Geraint Thomas in what is set to be his final professional race before retirement.

The UCI have recently released a flurry of new rules to be implemented in 2026, including a long-awaited points parity between the men's and women's races.

So, what are UCI points, and why do they matter?

First introduced in 2009, individual riders compete to accumulate points, which are awarded to the top 60 riders in each race. Points collected by a rider contribute not only to the status of the individual, but to the overall standing of the team and nation they represent. The number of points accumulated by each team determines whether they can compete in the UCI WorldTour when licences renew - every three years.

However, not all races are made equal, with varying points awarded depending on the race. The Tour de France, for example, is worth 1300 points overall. By contrast, a Monument like Paris-Roubaix is worth 800.

To date, the points awarded to women have been considerably lower than the men’s. Whilst the best male rider at the Giro d’Italia could score 1,100 points, the fastest woman could only win 400. In the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, 400 was again awarded, in contrast to the 1300 in the men's.

As of 2026, not only will the points on offer be levelled, but female racers will also have three years to accumulate points, rather than their current two.

Additionally, the four women's Monuments - Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liège - will, for the first time in women's cycling, be worth 800 points each. Points can also be picked up in special categories, like the mountain classification and on individual stage wins.

At the end of three years, the points are counted once again, and the top 18 men's and top 15 women's teams receive UCI WorldTour licences for the next three seasons. WorldTour teams outside the 18 or 15? They’re relegated.

As a passing football-fan, the word “relegation” is shrouded in a Wrexham FC informed disneyfication - will the underdog break through the barriers enforced by the system?! But relegation is a slower process in cycling, with teams competing over the course of three years to accumulate enough points to avoid it, or to accumulate enough points to get to the next level.

The battle to maintain a license for the UCI WorldTour can make for some dramatic racing. As the UCI looks forward to a 2026-2028 racing calendar, teams will be scrambling this summer to pick up the last points of the season. At present, with six months left of 2025, every point counts for the likes of XDS Astana, Cofidis, and Picnic PostNL in the men's side.

But, how much are UCI points really worth?

Whilst there is still room for surprise contenders to fight their way to the top of the points table, at the top of the men's classification sits a clear, current leader: UAE Team Emirates-XRG. With a huge win in the Critérium du Dauphiné, Tadej Pogačar’s recent successes declare that one great rider can separate your team from second place by nearly 5000 points (as of 24 June) - and suggest that, for riders of a certain calibre, racing is about winning, rather than point-gathering.

Yet, with the opportunity to accumulate points across stage wins and podium places, the leader board is far from fixed. For teams vying to maintain their World Tour licence, or those looking to break into it from the ProTour ranks, the points system offers the chance to confirm their spot in the racing calendar for the next three seasons. And new rules for men’s cycling might make the battle for points even more exciting. As of 2026, Grand Tour organisers must invite the top three UCI ProTeams and two “wild card” teams to their races, as well as the existing 18 UCI WorldTeams.

The levelling of women’s and men’s UCI points might seem minor, but it is yet more of a recognition of the popularity and high-calibre of women's cycling. The points do matter.

A women’s professional cyclist union has hit out at new rules that will require pro riders to use wider handlebars saying it “endanger cyclists”.

The Cyclists’ Alliance (TCA) has said changes announced by the governing body the UCI earlier this month that would require all handlebars to measure a minimum outside-to-outside width of 40cm, and an inside-to-inside width between the brake levers of 32cm, will “put riders at risk”.

The group is the latest to add to a chorus of disapproval that has followed the unveiling of the new rules, which are set to come into force from 1 January 2026.

The UCI has said the change is due to safety after a trend for pros to adopt smaller handlebars in recent years, partly in pursuit of aerodynamic gains, had led to concerns smaller bars may compromising bike handling. It said the changes were recommended by the SafeR commission, comprising stake holders from across the sport and “were developed following extensive consultation with riders, teams and organisers, including through the distribution of questionnaires to the entire peloton”.

Opponents of the change argue it compromises bike fit many riders while questioning the safety gains. The International Bike Fitting Institute said the rule “lacks adequate consideration of human biomechanics” and that most riders should be on bars between 36cm and 38cm in width.

A public petition against the rules has so far gained over 4,600 signatures.

The TCA said: “This rule endangers cyclists and ignores fundamental principles of bike fit and safety. The Cyclists’ Alliance Rider Council opposes this regulation because it puts riders at risk.

“Female cyclists face the greatest impact from this arbitrary restriction on minimum handlebar width because they are statistically smaller in stature, with narrower shoulder widths.”

It added: “Riders who cannot use properly fitted equipment will experience pain, reduced control, and increased injury risk. The UCI claims this change will improve rider safety, but requiring riders to use equipment that doesn’t match their body measurements creates new hazards.

“If riders are forced to use ill-fitting bikes, they will be at risk of compromised bike control and confidence using oversized handlebars, especially during intensive and dynamic race conditions and potential long-term injuries.”

TCA rider representative Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) added: “This rule disregards the realities of our bodies and how we race, creating unnecessary risk. Every rider deserves equipment that fits and supports their safe performance.

“We welcome the opportunity to consult with the UCI to ensure safety regulations are based on evidence, not assumptions”.

The UCI will test a new gear limit protocol from August on the recommendation of the SafeR commission, effectively banning most SRAM setups.

As first reported by journalist Daniel Benson on his Substack, the 'Maximum Gearing' protocol will limit riders to a maximum gear ratio which is equivalent to 54x11 in a bid to improve safety amongst the peloton and reduce speeds within races.

While the initial memorandum from the UCI suggests that the new protocol will be introduced in multiple events from 1 August, Cycling Weekly understands that the test is just limited to the Tour of Guangxi in China for now.

“The decision to carry out these tests is based on discussions on the subject within SafeR, which led to the conclusion that gearing could be contributing to excessive top speeds in certain sections of races such as downhills,” the UCI memo reads.

“Following the implementation of tests, relevant data will be monitored and feedback from all stakeholders will be gathered to study the effects of restrictions on gearing and to consider other measures related to gearing that could achieve the desired outcome of improving safety.”

Changes will impact riders using all of the major groupset brands, Shimano, Campagnolo, SRAM and FSA, but especially SRAM. The new restriction limits the maximum gear ratio to 10.46 metres in a roll out test which will almost certainly cap the highest gear that riders can use during a race situation.

Unlike the other major brands, SRAM users at the test races will need major adjustments from mechanics before taking to the start line, with most pros using 54x10 gearing. SRAM currently provides equipment to four major men's WorldTour teams, Visma-Lease a Bike, Movistar, Lidl-Trek and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. If the proposed gear changes come into permanent effect, the move would mean that riders can no longer use 1x drivetrains in any UCI races.

"Against the whole idea of racing"

Lidl-Trek's Mads Pedersen won Gent-Wevelgem last year riding a 1x drivetrain but would be unable to use the same equipment moving forwards. Unlike those on SRAM, riders on bikes equipped with Shimano are unlikely to need to make major adjustments to their setups due to the brand having a maximum gear ratio of 54x11, although it would reduce the use of bigger chainrings.

UCI commissaires will enforce the protocol by measuring chainring sizes and checking rear gears at the Tour of Guangxi, as well as other selected events if they are chosen. The memo explains that without the application of the test protocol, existing regulations will apply. It also states that failure to comply with the protocol will result in sanctions.

The test will be evaluated within SafeR at the end of the season before being presented to the Professional Cycling Council and then the UCI management committee. At that point, decisions will then be made on potential relevant measures for upcoming seasons, including permanently establishing maximum gear rations, carrying out more tests or looking into other methods to control speed.

It is the second big UCI tech change in the past week, after new rules on handlebar width were announced.

CPA president Adam Hansen told Cycling Weekly that the riders union is neutral on the decision to potentially permanently reduce gearing.

"We've accepted the decision on testing it," he said. "However, the majority of riders say that this is not the biggest issue... It goes against the whole idea of racing, the whole idea is going as fast as possible and being first to the finish line.

"The course design should be set up for that and that's the position of the CPA. Course design is very important and that’s the number one thing that we’re pushing now."

A petition urging the UCI to reconsider its new handlebar width restrictions has collected more than 2,400 signatures in a day.

Last Thursday, cycling’s governing body released a list of updates that will come into effect on 1 January 2026; among them is a new rule that a rider’s handlebars must measure a minimum outside-to-outside width of 40cm, and inside-to-inside width between the brake levers of 32cm.

The rule comes in response to a trend of narrower handlebars in the pro peloton. The restrictions are expected to disproportionately affect female and smaller riders, who tend to ride with 38cm and narrower outside-to-outside bars.

Launching a petition on Monday, Dana Galley of bike fitting company MyVeloFit wrote: “The new ‘one-size-fits-all’ policy does not account for the variety in body types and biomechanics among riders.

“Cyclists come in all shapes and sizes, and their equipment needs to reflect that diversity. Not every cyclist can perform optimally under the same conditions; some require wider handlebars to accommodate broader shoulders, while others need narrower grips for better control and manoeuvrability based on their body's build.”

At the time of writing, the petition has gathered 2,430 signatures, with new names pledging their support every few minutes.

“It is essential to reconsider this ruling and encourage a more inclusive, science-based approach that allows flexibility in handlebar width adjustments,” Galley wrote. “Let's urge the UCI to rethink its handlebar width regulations and promote a fairer and safer cycling world.”

The petition follows on from a statement from the International Bike Fitting Institute (IBFI) that expressed “serious concern” about the new rule.

“The average shoulder width for most riders, particularly women and smaller men, typically aligns better with handlebars measuring between 360mm and 380mm,” the IBFI statement read. “Forcing these riders to use 400mm bars places them in compromised positions that deviate from sound biomechanical principles and may increase the risk of discomfort, reduced control, and long-term injury.”

The IBFI also highlighted that handlebar manufacturers who produce bars in widths under 400mm now risk “regulatory non-compliance”.

"This potential trend risks alienating a large segment of the cycling population – those who would be best served by narrower bars for comfort, fit, and control. Cycling should be inclusive and accessible, not driven by regulatory standards that ignore anatomical diversity,” the IBFI said.

As well as restrictions on handlebars, the UCI has also ruled on internal fork width, which will be limited to a maximum of 115mm at the front and 145mm at the rear from next season. Likewise, bicycle rims will be set to a maximum height of 65mm in mass start road races.

The propositions come in response to “the increasing speed of races and the safety implications of developments in equipment”, according to the governing body.

A new project that promised to revolutionise professional cycling has been rejected by the UCI as “incompatible” and “lacking sporting coherence”.

One Cycling, an idea developed behind the scenes by some of the sport’s top teams, proposed a ‘super league’ restructure to elite racing, with the goal of creating new revenue streams.

It was expected to be funded by Saudi Arabian investors, with a launch potentially as early as 2026. On Thursday evening, however, the project appeared to receive a setback when the UCI ruled to exclude it from its men’s and women’s WorldTour calendars, set until the end of 2028.

“While welcoming the fact that road cycling is attracting new investors, the UCI Management Committee nevertheless unanimously decided, following the PCC's vote in this direction, not to respond to the request, as it stands, to include the OneCycling project in the UCI Women's WorldTour and UCI WorldTour calendars,” the governing body wrote in a statement.

“The project, which had been developed by certain teams and organisers, in collaboration with a sports investment fund, was deemed incompatible with the governance and regulatory framework of the UCI as well as lacking sporting coherence.”

Not ruling out future possibilities, the UCI added that it wishes to “continue discussions” with One Cycling’s stakeholders.

According to reports, Visma-Lease a Bike managing director Richard Plugge has been one of the leading advocates for the project. It is understood that Tour of Flanders organiser Flanders Classics is also involved, while ASO, the owner of the Tour de France, has resisted joining.

The first whispers of the project are thought to have begun in late 2023. The idea stemmed from concerns of financial instability in professional cycling, with teams said to be too dependent on sponsors for income. It also sought to rearrange the calendar so the sport’s biggest riders competed against each other more regularly.

In a statement seen by Cyclingnews, One Cycling representatives responded to the UCI’s decision with optimism, writing “the door is now wide open” to address concerns.

The UCI’s ruling came as part of a lengthy statement announcing WorldTour calendar changes and new technological regulations for future seasons.

One of the most significant calendar changes is the moving of the Giro d’Italia Women in 2026 from its usual July spot – which has clashed with the men’s Tour de France since 1990 – to 30 May-7 June, following on from the men’s Giro d’Italia. The Tour of Britain Women has also been moved from June to 20-23 August, nearer the dates of its men’s equivalent.

Full details of the 2026 men's and women's UCI WorldTour calendars can be found within the press release.

The UCI also announced it will implement handlebar width restrictions from 1 January 2026, with the minimum overall width set at 400mm for mass start road events. A clarification on the use of time trial helmets in road races is expected to follow.

The peloton in the men’s Grand Tours will grow this season, after the UCI ruled to increase the number of teams allowed to compete from 22 to 23.

The idea was originally put forward last week by the Professional Cycling Council (PCC), a body that counts teams, riders and race organisers, including Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme. The UCI Management Committee approved the request on Monday, meaning an extra wildcard invite will now be allowed at the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España.

"The arguments put forward for accepting this proposal were mainly based on the need to support second division teams (UCI ProTeams), while enabling organisers to strengthen the line-up for their race and giving riders from the additional teams the opportunity to compete in a Grand Tour," the UCI wrote in a statement.

Until now, the men’s Grand Tours consisted of the 18 UCI WorldTeams, the two best-ranked UCI ProTeams, and two further ProTeams invited by the organiser. While race organisers will now be able to make a third invitation, the UCI has asked the PCC to consider reserving the extra spot for the third best ProTeam, keeping two wildcards.

Lotto and Israel-Premier Tech were awarded automatic Grand Tour invitations at the start of this season as the two best-ranked ProTeams. This leaves wildcard slots open to teams such as Julian Alaphilippe’s Tudor, Tom Pidcock’s Q36.5, Uno-X and TotalEnergies. Traditionally, Grand Tour organisers have favoured inviting teams from their host country, with Polti Kometa and VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè competing at last year’s Giro d’Italia, for example.

The Tour de France has already confirmed its wildcards for 2025 will be TotalEnergies, Tudor and Uno-X.

It is not the first time in recent history that the UCI will allow a 23rd team into the Grand Tours. In 2021, organisers were allowed to issue an extra wildcard invitation to help ProTeams recover from Covid-19.

Peloton sizes were also larger until 2017, when teams of nine competed in the Grand Tours. The UCI restricted this to eight-rider squads for the 2018 season, stripping the bunch’s size down from 198 to 176 riders. At the time, the governing body said the decision was made to “improve the safety of the riders, spectators and the race convoy”.

184 riders will be permitted to start the Grand Tours this season.

Speaking earlier this month, Visma-Lease a Bike boss Richard Plugge said he was against adding a 23rd team. "One of the rules for safety is that we cannot have more than 176 riders in a Grand Tour," Plugge told Sporza.

"I have nothing against any team, but giving out an extra wildcard would be strange for the value of the WorldTour.

"This means that suddenly a [Pro]team can be added that can score a lot of points [during the relegation cycle]. That can be a big problem for the WorldTour teams at the bottom of the team rankings."

The UCI's new ruling does not affect the women's race equivalents – the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Vuelta Femenina or Giro d’Italia Women – all of which already carry at least five wildcards.

The UCI's president, David Lappartient, has said that there is "no plan B" for the UCI Road World Championships. This is despite the European Parliament calling for its cancellation if Rwanda "does not change course" on the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC].

Last month, the M23 rebel group took control of the city of Goma in the DRC, close to the border with Rwanda. It has been reported that the rebels are backed by Rwanda, although this has been repeatedly denied by government officials in Kigali.

The United Nations Security Council demanded on Friday that the Rwanda Defence Forces stop supporting the armed group and “immediately withdraw from Congolese territory without preconditions”.

More than 3,000 people have been killed in Goma, with more than 800,000 displaced by the situation, according to the joint motion for a resolution from the European Parliament.

"There is no plan B," Lappartient told Cyclingnews. “The UCI World Championships this year in Kigali are incredibly special for us because it will be a unique moment as UCI celebrates its 125-year birthday, so we decided to go to Africa. This was my dream, my goal, when I was elected UCI President and I am proud to say: here we are."

A motion was passed earlier this month in the parliament on the conflict, which included reference to the cancellation of the Road World Championships, due to be held in Rwanda in September.

On Tuesday, the British government called for an "immediate cessation of hostilities", and described the humanitarian situation in the eastern DRC as "critical". It has brought measures against Rwanda, including "pausing direct bilateral financial aid to the government of Rwanda".

"The UK calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, humanitarian access, respect for international humanitarian law, meaningful engagement with African-led peace processes, and the withdrawal of all Rwanda Defence Forces from Congolese territory," a Foreign Office spokesperson said.

Uncertainties about the situation in the local region led to Soudal Quick-Step pulling their development squad out of the Tour of Rwanda on safety grounds.

The UCI made clear in January that there were no plans in place to relocate September’s World Championships in the Rwandan capital. Speculation had risen that the event would move to Switzerland due to the ongoing situation in the DRC. This was categorically denied.

"The ongoing conflict is confined to the DRC, and Rwanda remains entirely safe for tourism and business," the UCI said. "We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution of the situation."

There are currently no plans to relocate the UCI Road World Championships after the outbreak of an armed conflict on the east African country’s border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, the UCI has said.

The situation has drastically escalated after the M23 rebel group seized control of the city of Goma, leading the President of the DRC, Félix Tshisekedi, to state that his country will respond to the attack, potentially leading to the wider spread of violence in the region. A report in The Guardian on Monday said that the M23 rebel group is backed by Rwanda, although this is officially denied.

More than 178,000 people have now fled from the local territory, which has been described as a "dire humanitarian situation" by the United Nations.

In a statement released on Friday afternoon, a spokesperson for the UCI said that it was keeping a close eye on the situation and dismissed speculation that a contingency plan had been put in place for the World Championships to now take place in Switzerland.

"The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), in close collaboration with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, is closely monitoring developments in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo and their potential impact on the organisation of the UCI Road World Championships scheduled for next September in Kigali, Rwanda," the statement read.

"The ongoing conflict is confined to the DRC, and Rwanda remains entirely safe for tourism and business," it continued. "We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution of the situation. The UCI wishes to emphasise that sport, and cycling in particular, are powerful ambassadors for peace, friendship, and solidarity.

"Moreover, following the spread of rumours on this subject, the UCI clarifies that no relocation of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships from Rwanda to Switzerland or any other location is planned at this time."

As it stands several nations have withdrawn some squads from competing at the Rwandan Worlds due to a variety of reasons, including the high costs of travelling to compete in Kigali. Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland have announced that they will send reduced squads to the Championships, but none have cited safety concerns as reasoning behind the decision.

Cycling Weekly contacted both British and USA Cycling on Friday to ask for comment on the situation and to ask whether the violence could affect either national governing body’s plans to travel in September.

A report from The Guardian explains that the M23 group briefly took over the city of Goma in 2012, but withdrew after international donors cut aid to Rwanda over its support for the group. Amid longstanding tensions the President of Congo, Félix Tshiseked, previously referred to his Rwandan counterpart in highly critical terms, even stating that he believes Paul Kagame will "end up like Hitler".

The UCI has released an update on its measures to improve safety in road races which revealed that the world governing body for cycling is looking into the idea of rider airbags.

It is still undecided on its stance regarding the use of race radios and regulations surrounding rim height and handlebar widths, as well as several other topics which made the headlines in recent months.

It was announced that a new yellow card system was being trialled in professional cycling in June last year, which also included changes to the three kilometre rule where riders impacted by crashes or mechanical issues in the closing moments of a stage race are given the same time as those around them at the time of the incident. The trial was also implemented during the Tour de France last year.

The UCI confirmed this week that the yellow card system would be permanently introduced in the 2025 season after the trial proved to be successful. According to them there were 31 cards issued during a 66 day trial period with 52% of them issued to riders. Bookings can now be given for a range of different offences, including “dangerous behaviour” from a lead-out rider during a sprint finish. The three kilometre ruling can also now be extended to a maximum of five kilometres as part of the new changes.

The update from the UCI also explained that it is still undecided on its stance regarding the use of in-race radios by riders, team staff and other members of race convoys. It stated that "the subject of communication during the race between all those in the race convoy will be part of an in-depth study to determine where improvements can be made to strengthen the monitoring of the race for the safety of riders and all involved".

The UCI also shared data from its race incident database which had been put together in collaboration with Ghent University in Belgium. The database work had been carried out as part of the wider ongoing SafeR project which is striving to improve race safety after a series of high-profile incidents in recent years. SafeR was launched after the tragic death of Gino Mäder at the 2023 Tour de Suisse.

According to the UCI, the database registered a total of 497 incidents during the 2024 road season. Unprovoked rider errors were said to be responsible for 35% of the incidents in question. On top of this the UCI claimed that road infrastructure, poor road surface conditions and the behaviour of in-race vehicles were responsible for 9%, 4% and 1% of the incidents included in the data respectively.

It is not yet known when the UCI will come to a conclusive and final decision regarding race radios, gear restrictions, rider airbags and other suggested safety improvements. Both Wout van Aert and Chris Froome both recently suggested that gear restrictions could potentially be a way forward to slow down riders at crucial points of races where crashes are a possibility.

UCI President David Lappartient reiterated that rider safety remains of crucial importance for the organisation.

He said: "The safety of riders is a priority, both for the UCI and for all those involved in men's and women's cycling. Launched in 2023, SafeR now has a solid structure and is progressing with rigor and professionalism towards the implementation of initiatives that will make road cycling safer for its key players, the riders.

"We are all united in the cause of safety and will continue to make progress in this direction in 2025 and beyond."

Riders and staff on the British Continental team Saint Piran were shocked by the team's closure, with some telling Cycling Weekly that they only found out about the decision on social media.

Saint Piran announced on Tuesday evening that they would cease to exist ahead of the 2025 season after a "tough" year in which the "stars did not align" for the Cornwall-based squad.

It is understood that only a select few personnel were given advanced warning of the decision from the team’s senior management. Others only learned that they would not be employed for the upcoming season when reading the statement which was put out on social media.

"I found out when everyone else found out online," one team source said. "It’s unprofessional and I’m pissed off. We deserved the common courtesy of being told before."

"I didn't even read the full statement. I felt like with all the effort I've put in for them I shouldn't have to read a press release to find this out."

CW understands that the team’s decision to fold came after management learned that British Cycling would not accept Saint Piran’s application for a UCI licence due to the team currently being under UCI investigation. Riders and staff were told that BC said a ten-day extension to apply was possible provided riders formed their own team.

A statement from BC, provided to Cycling Weekly, read: "As part the application process for UCI Continental Team status for the 2025 season, British Cycling must confirm each team’s compliance with UCI regulations and requirements.

"We were aware of a UCI investigation into allegations relating to Saint Piran team staff from 2022 and any active UCI investigation is considered in relation to a team’s application."

The world governing body for cycling, the UCI, is currently investigating after the team admitted applying fake frameset approval stickers to imported Chinese bikes that had not been formally approved.

Both the Saint Piran men’s and women’s teams were affected by the decision to close.

"This has been an incredibly difficult decision for all at Saint Piran but one that we believe is right," the statement from the team read. "While the Saint Piran door closes, another opens for a team wishing to step into our shoes, it is an incredible opportunity.

"Saint Piran has proved that you can successfully run an independent UCI Continental Team in the UK and take on some of the biggest challenges and teams in the world.

"Unfortunately for us, the stars did not align in 2024 and it has taken its toll. Bad luck, poor health and an unfair reminder we have made mistakes over the eight years of development have contributed to this decision."

Saint Piran counted 21 riders on its men’s roster in 2024, including a number of track world champions. It is understood that some have already secured their future at other UK-based teams.

British Continental team Saint Piran insited that riders looking to be part of the squad pay £500 for their data to be analysed by an external coaching provider, and have asked riders to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before joining.

As well as completing an online application form, new riders are being asked to purchase what is described as a "performance test review" via the Saint Piran Service Course section of the team’s website, the online arm of general manager Richard Pascoe’s Cornwall-based bike shop.

The initial listing said that the service was provided by Holohan Coaching. However, the company told Cycling Weekly that, whilst it had previously carried out data analysis work for Saint Piran, it was no longer involved with the team and did not wish to be associated in this capacity. Saint Piran are currently under UCI investigation after Cycling Weekly revealed that the team had attached fake UCI compliance labels to bikes purchased from China.

The listing, which is also open to amateur cyclists, was adjusted late on Monday evening, with details of the coaching provider removed.

"Complete the Performance Review process on our website to be considered for rider applications," a description of the service read. "Holohon [sic] Coaching provides an in-depth review signposting strengths and weaknesses. On completion, riders receive the Performance Test Review and Senior Management Team decision."

Sources told Cycling Weekly that Pascoe - who manages the team - is said to have boasted that he made £15,000 in rider applications last year alone when speaking at an industry event.

A spokesperson from Holohan Coaching told Cycling Weekly that the company had recently provided "an objective performance review for the Saint Piran cycling team," but that this was "created strictly for the team’s internal use", and not "intended for direct distribution to individual riders, nor as a substitute for personalised athlete coaching."

They added: "Saint Piran has repurposed this objective analysis and offered it to riders as part of a mandatory performance review process, charging a £500 fee," noting that this was done "without our knowledge or approval" and did not "align with the intended purpose or the spirit of our professional services."

The spokesperson continued: "When our work is repackaged or presented out of context, there is a significant risk of misinterpretation, which undermines its value and the trust we strive to build."

A representative from Saint Piran said the process was "standard practice" for teams, and that the requirement had been motivated by "significant experience of data sources provided directly by riders as being inaccurate."

"Since the team achieved UCI Continental status, we have been approached by many riders wishing to race for the men’s team. As a team, we are not able to pay a third party to undertake assessments for every rider that might apply," they said, adding that "this review can be a very useful tool for riders who are not ready for the Conti level yet and signpost areas for them and their coaches to work on."

Saint Piran said that riders completing the review are "provided with their comprehensive industry-standard analysis which can be used for other team applications, should they not be successful with Saint Piran."

Regarding references to Holohan coaching, they said: "In the past, we have been purchasing services from Holohan coaching to assist our in-house team in compiling these reviews," adding, "due to the potential conflict in teams not being able to work together and staff not being allowed to work for more than one UCI team this has changed and our website had not been updated to reflect that until very recently."

Non-disclosure agreement

Cycling Weekly has also seen an email in which the team has asked riders looking to join the 2025 roster to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). However, when asked for comment, a spokesperson said this practice had been discontinued after a “strategic review of the 2024 season”.

The email stated that the NDA request was part of Saint Piran’s "reshaping" process for the new year.

Written by the team’s commercial director Luke Humphreys - whose firm Pacenti Cycle Design also provides equipment to the team - the email says the new agreement comes after external partners have "insisted" that their confidentiality and privacy is protected.

"Anyone joining the team next year will be asked to sign an ethical principals document from the UCI, along with our own NDA and code of conduct,” Humphreys wrote. “This will help us to protect our riders, staff and intellectual property. While helping us manage the relationships with our external partners who rightly insist that we protect their confidentiality and privacy, at the same time as we represent them well."

The email continued to state that in order "to facilitate and manage the change, our structure, governance, professionalism and behaviours must also change to keep pace."

When asked about the NDA by Cycling Weekly, a representative said: "We have already contracted some riders for 2025 and can confirm that no rider has been asked or will be asked to sign a specific NDA to ride for Saint Piran Pro Cycling.

"The email referred to was sent prior to the conclusion of our strategic review of the 2024 season and the use of an NDA was deemed unnecessary."

It is also understood that Saint Piran boss Richard Pascoe and Humphreys have previously encouraged former staff members to sign non-disclosure agreements after moving on from the team to new roles elsewhere in cycling.

A formal investigation into the blank framesets previously used by British Continental team Saint Piran has been opened by cycling’s governing body, the UCI, it was announced on Thursday.

As reported by Cycling Weekly earlier on Thursday, the squad admitted to using bikes that were non-compliant with UCI regulations during the 2022 season. It is alleged that fake UCI compliance stickers were glued to the Chinese bikes. Some riders raced bikes using the unbranded frames in major UK races, as well as UCI events across Europe.

A short statement provided to CW by the UCI confirmed that the matter is now being formally looked into.

“The UCI can confirm that an investigation is currently underway regarding the potential use of a non-homologated frameset by UCI Continental team Saint Piran in past events on the UCI International Calendar,” a UCI spokesperson said. “As the investigation is ongoing, the UCI will refrain from making any further comments at this time.”

The UCI has strict rules regarding its approval process for framesets and the use of the compliance label. Regulations make clear that "the fixing of the UCI frameset and UCI fork labels by private individuals is forbidden" and that labels must be "visible, indelible and inseparable from the frameset".

The regulations also state that “any misuse of the label or use contrary to the provisions of this protocol may be penalised by a fine of between CHF 10,000 and 100,000.”

Saint Piran’s boss, Richard Pascoe, said on Wednesday: “After a detailed inspection, we can confirm the unbranded frames were not compliant with the UCI regulation process.”

In a statement, he added: "Saint Piran acted on the advice of the manufacturer and an external expert and understood they were in line with UCI regulations at all times. It appears that advice was incorrect. We have now reported this to the UCI and will abide by their ruling.”

Multiple sources said that they feared the framesets were not legal and unsafe. Team personnel are said to have challenged Pascoe on the matter at the time. A document produced by riders underlined various safety concerns with the frames, but it is understood that the concerns were brushed aside with riders later accused of “moaning”.

A spokesperson for British Cycling shared the following update with Cycling Weekly on Thursday: “We are aware of the matter and will investigate through our compliance process.”

People with information about potential motor doping in cycling can now receive a financial reward from the UCI, after the world governing body stepped up its efforts in combatting the risk that it described as posing “a significant threat… to the integrity standards of the sport.”

Technological fraud, the act of propelling a bike “by a system or method with electric or other assistance”, has been a spectre hanging over cycling for the past two decades, with the UCI’s president David Lappartient telling the Ghost in the Machine podcast earlier this year that “if we have a case of cheating with a motor in a bike, it will destroy our sport.”

Belgian cyclocross rider Femke van den Driessche remains the only rider to have ever been sanctioned for motor doping, but Cycling Weekly understands that the most senior figures at the UCI are deeply concerned that the practice may still be ongoing. Lappartient vowed that “if we need to catch one of the top riders in the world, I am not afraid of that.”

Effective immediately, the Fight against Technological Fraud Rewards Programme “aims to encourage individuals who may possess critical information but are reluctant to come forward, thereby providing an additional tool for the UCI to address serious attempts to defraud the cycling community,” a statement from the Switzerland-based federation read.

It is hoped that the offer of a financial reward will incentivise people to give information who otherwise may not feel comfortable doing so.

The UCI added that it will investigate current and historical cases. Most allegations surrounding motor doping relate to the early 2010s, but all riders accused have consistently denied that they ever used motor technology.

Currently, the UCI has multiple methods to detect potential technological fraud, including two types of X-ray machines and a magnetic iPad scanner. No case of motor doping has been found since Van den Driessche in 2016.

Setting out its guidelines in the programme that first came to light at the start of the 2024 Tour de France, the UCI said that “the programme aims at incentivising reporting through financial rewards or other forms of compensation through confidential channels.”

Any information provided will be assessed by the UCI to determine its quality and reliability, with targeted testing and in-depth investigations to follow if required. Should the information lead towards the detection or prevention of technological fraud, the informant will be entitled to either material support, financial assistance, or monetary or value reward.

In May, the UCI appointed former criminal investigator Nick Raudenski to oversee its department in charge of preventing motor doping, and the American told the Ghost in the Machine podcast of his concern that authorities are unaware of the potential methods of concealed motors.

“I think the technology is out there," he said. "I think it exists and I think if there is enough money to throw at a problem or a situation, then there is enough money to provide a solution that will likely not be so easy to detect."

The UCI’s statement echoed Raudenski’s fears, stating that a further aim of the program is provide them with the knowledge and opportunity “to detect, deter and investigate potential cases of technological fraud or attempts to defraud cycling events through the use of new and innovative – and hard to detect – technology in bikes.”

People can provide information via the UCI’s confidential SpeakUp platform, and also to a dedicated email: techfraud@uci.ch.

On Tuesday, SD Worx-Protime’s Barbara Guarischi became the first rider to receive a yellow card under the new UCI ruling at the Tour de France Femmes. 

The UCI, cycling's governing body, has introduced 'yellow cards' as part of a range of measures designed to make pro cycling safer. 

The Italian sprinter received a warning regarding alleged dangerous riding during the stage two sprint, which was won by Charlotte Kool (dsm–firmenich PostNL). Guarischi was seen taking her hands off her handlebars and stopping pedalling in the middle of the bunch after being involved in Lorena Wiebes' lead-out train. 

A line in the official post-stage communiqué, issued by the organiser, revealed that Guarischi had been given a warning for her actions. It read: "Improper conduct that endangers others in the final sprint as per Article 2.12.007.8.2-1 of the UCI regulations."

SD Worx later confirmed Guarischi's yellow card. The new system, developed by the UCI, is part of a trial involving a series of rule changes designed to promote safety in road racing. 

As a result of the work of the SafeR group, the UCI’s independent safe cycling project, the system was brought in at the start of the summer in June, and also involved reconfiguring the 3km rule - in which riders involved in crashes or impacted by mechanicals during the closing kilometres of races are given the same finish time as those around them at the time an incident occurs - as well as potential restrictions on the use of race radios. 

Yellow cards will continue to be tested in races between August and the end of the current year, with the aim of then introducing the system permanently from 2025, including the introduction of sanctions. Unlike in football, yellow cards won’t physically be shown for offences, but will continue to be listed in post-race communications, alongside other fines and sanctions. 

An accumulation of yellow cards during the season next year could then result in potential disqualification from races or suspension. 

As well as riders, yellow cards will also be used to monitor bad conduct from other members of a race convoy, including sports directors, motorbike drivers and members of the media. Alongside dangerous sprinting, a rider taking off their helmet during a race would lead to a yellow card, according to the UCI’s article 2.12.2007.