New UCI rules target extremely narrow handlebars... but appear to miss

Minimum width is now 350mm from outside to outside - but there's nothing in the new technical regulations about the hoods

Detail of Jan Willen vav Schip's narrow handlebars
(Image credit: DAVID STOCKMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

With a new year on the horizon, the UCI has released its updated rules for the 2023 season, with a few notable changes to the technical regulations.

The ‘Clarification Guide of the UCI Technical Regulations’ is 76 pages long and probably only read cover to cover by bicycle engineers and those suffering from insomnia. Much remains unchanged from the previous edition but there are a number of new regulations that catch the eye, none more so than a significant tweak regarding the overall dimensions of a bike allowed in UCI sanctioned events.

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