Months after a high-profile failure at the Tour de Romandie Féminin, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) says it will try again to roll out GPS rider trackers — this time at the biggest race of the year.
The governing body confirmed Friday that every rider at the upcoming road world championships in Kigali, Rwanda, will be equipped with a small tracking device under their saddle. The plan covers all categories — men’s and women’s elite, under-23, and junior — for both the road races and time trials taking place from Sept. 21 to 28.
Real time tracking of riders for increased safety
The UCI says the system is designed to make racing safer by giving organizers a live view of the peloton’s position and speed. If a rider suddenly stops or crashes, their exact location will be sent immediately to race commissaires, medical staff and security teams.
“This system will enable real-time monitoring of the entire peloton, allowing for immediate identification of any unusual situations,” the UCI said in a statement, adding that the data will be monitored from a control centre on site.
The tragedy at the 2024 worlds
The push for improved rider safety has intensified since the death of Swiss rider Muriel Furrer, who was killed in a training crash at the world championsips in Switzerland in 2024.
The UCI created the SafeR working group in the aftermath of another Swiss cyclist’s death — Gino Mäder, who died during the Tour de Suisse after crashing on a descent. GPS tracking has become one of SafeR’s key projects.
The Romandie debacle
The same devices were tested at the Tour de Romandie Féminin in August — but that trial turned into a debacle. On the opening day, five WorldTour teams were disqualified before the start after refusing to nominate a rider to carry the device. Canyon–Sram Zondacrypto, EF Education–Oatly, Lidl–Trek, Team Picnic PostNL and Visma–Lease a Bike all walked away rather than take part.
Pro cyclist’s advocacy group slams debacle at Tour de Romandie
At the time, the UCI said it “regrets that certain teams have objected to the test by not nominating a rider to carry the tracking device and have therewith opted to be excluded” from the race.
GPS 2.0
Despite that backlash, the governing body has doubled down. It said the Romandie test helped refine the system and that it is now “working closely with organizers and stakeholders” on wider use of the…
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