Too-long socks could prove costly to cyclists in 2024, according to new regulations from the UCI. If a rider wears socks that are too high, they’ll incur fines of up to 2000 Swiss Francs—equivalent to 3100 Canuck bucks. Like, what? I’m all for socks that don’t look like something out of Pippi Longstocking, but that’s sort of a lot?
The UCI increased penalties for drafting behind team cars and raised fines for staff driving irregularly in the caravan or on the race course. In September, for example, Lotto-Dstny staffer Carl Roes hit a race official as he was prevented from immediately re-entering the race route at an intersection.
Because fashion
It’s not just socks listed as sartorial faux pas, by the way. If you don’t wear the right outfit on the podium, you’ll face a 500 Swiss Franc fine (775 CAD) and lose anywhere from 2 to 15 UCI points. Wearing non-compliant clothing in races can result in fines ranging from 50 to 2000 Swiss Francs as well. The bigger the races, the higher the fines. So if you sport some foot hosiery at a WorldTour race, world championships or Olympics, you’re gonna get royally fleeced.
In 2019, the UCI announced new regulations for sock and shoe cover lengths to disallow increased aerodynamic boosts for riders. The allowed length is defined as “the height defined by half the distance between the middle of the lateral malleolus and the middle of the fibula head.” (There will be a quiz after, by the way.)
Fighting sock crime, one rider at a time
The most famous stocking sufferer was Annemiek van Vleuten, who wore socks that were too long when she won the 2022 road worlds in Wollongong, Australia. She was fined a few hundred Swiss Francs, but she probably didn’t care since she also got a rainbow jersey.
Annemiek van Vleuten won the road worlds but got fined for her sock length
If, for some reason, a rider doesn’t wear the leader’s jersey or skinsuit in a stage race, they will be fined 500 Swiss Francs.
Patrick Lefevere lashes out at UCI after Julian Alaphilippe fined for briefly removing helmet
The penalty for riders who take off their helmet during a race has also increased. Julian Alaphilippe was fined 500 Swiss Francs for removing his lid during the fourth stage of Tirreno-Adriatico when he was taking off a base layer. In 2024, the fine will also include disqualification.
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