The first stage of the Tour de Romandie Féminin was, truly, a veritable shitshow. Five teams were not able to start after a clash with the UCI about GPS tracking.
Canyon–Sram Zondacrypto, EF Education–Oatly, Lidl–Trek, Team Picnic PostNL, and Team Visma–Lease a Bike were kicked out of the three-stage Women’s WorldTour race for refusing to comply with the rules to test GPS trackers for a new safety system. In total, it meant 30 riders were not on the start line, including Oro, Ont’s Isabella Homgren, and Sherbrooke’s Magdeleine Vallières—both great climbers who were poised to do well in Switzerland.
The UCI’s controversial decision
“The UCI regrets that certain teams have objected to the test by not nominating a rider to carry the tracking device and have opted to be excluded from the Tour de Romandie Féminin. In view of this situation, the UCI shall consider if other measures are warranted in accordance with the UCI Regulations,” a statement read.
The WorldTour teams also put out a statement, which seemed to contradict what the UCI said. According to them, despite several requests over the past two days, UCI commissaires could not point to a specific rule requiring them to “discriminate one rider against other riders in terms of obligations,” other than citing an email from the teams’ union.
They called the measure discriminatory, and said it undermined riders’ rights. They argued it ran counter to the UCI’s commitment to dialogue.
“We are always at the forefront to make cycling a safer sport,” they said, “but it should be achieved through collaboration, not coercion.”
Organizers respond to the events of the day
The biggest loser was the race itself. And the organizers were firm, saying:
“The Tour de Romandie regrets the outcome of the disagreement between the UCI and the teams, over which it had no influence.”
On Thursday, the Tour de Romandie organizers said they shared the UCI’s same-day announcement about the GPS tracking test for Stage 4 of the TDRF, aimed at improving rider safety. The test, requiring only one rider per team to wear a tracker, initially drew no public reaction or opposition, though several media outlets (including your pals here at Canadian Cycling Magazine) reported on the initiative, a statement said.
“During the directeur sportif’s meeting on Thursday evening, eight teams refused to participate in this test, entering into conflict with the UCI. The parties were unable to…
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