The UCI has launched an replace on its measures to enhance security in highway races which revealed that the world governing physique for biking is trying into the thought of rider airbags.
It’s nonetheless undecided on its stance concerning using race radios and laws surrounding rim top and handlebar widths, in addition to a number of different matters which made the headlines in current months.
It was introduced that a brand new yellow card system was being trialled in skilled biking in June final 12 months, which additionally included modifications to the three kilometre rule the place riders impacted by crashes or mechanical points within the closing moments of a stage race are given the identical time as these round them on the time of the incident. The trial was additionally carried out in the course of the Tour de France final 12 months.
The UCI confirmed this week that the yellow card system could be completely launched within the 2025 season after the trial proved to achieve success. In keeping with them there have been 31 playing cards issued throughout a 66 day trial interval with 52% of them issued to riders. Bookings can now be given for a variety of various offences, together with “harmful behaviour” from a lead-out rider throughout a dash end. The three kilometre ruling can even now be prolonged to a most of 5 kilometres as a part of the brand new modifications.
The replace from the UCI additionally defined that it’s nonetheless undecided on its stance concerning using in-race radios by riders, crew employees and different members of race convoys. It acknowledged that “the topic of communication in the course of the race between all these within the race convoy will probably be a part of an in-depth research to find out the place enhancements will be made to strengthen the monitoring of the race for the protection of riders and all concerned”.
The UCI additionally shared information from its race incident database which had been put collectively in collaboration with Ghent College in Belgium. The database work had been carried out as a part of the broader ongoing SafeR challenge which is striving to enhance race security after a sequence of high-profile incidents lately. SafeR was launched after the tragic loss of life of Gino Mäder on the 2023 Tour de Suisse.
In keeping with the UCI, the database registered a complete of 497 incidents in the course of the 2024 highway season. Unprovoked rider errors had been mentioned to be chargeable for 35% of the incidents in query. On high of this the UCI claimed that highway infrastructure, poor highway floor circumstances and the behaviour of in-race automobiles had been chargeable for 9%, 4% and 1% of the incidents included within the information respectively.
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It’s not but recognized when the UCI will come to a conclusive and remaining choice concerning race radios, gear restrictions, rider airbags and different recommended security enhancements. Each Wout van Aert and Chris Froome each not too long ago recommended that gear restrictions might probably be a manner ahead to decelerate riders at essential factors of races the place crashes are a risk.
UCI President David Lappartient reiterated that rider security stays of essential significance for the organisation.
He mentioned: “The protection of riders is a precedence, each for the UCI and for all these concerned in males’s and ladies’s biking. Launched in 2023, SafeR now has a strong construction and is progressing with rigor and professionalism in direction of the implementation of initiatives that may make highway biking safer for its key gamers, the riders.
“We’re all united in the reason for security and can proceed to make progress on this path in 2025 and past.”