UCI confirms barrier standards, GPS tracking push and genetic testing plans

The UCI Management Committee has approved a series of road cycling decisions at its meeting in Montréal, with new safety measures, a junior series and plans for eligibility testing ahead of the 2028 Olympics among the most significant.

New standards will govern the barriers used in the final 200 metres before race finishes, based on a study by the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland Valais-Wallis. The requirement will apply to WorldTour and Women's WorldTour events from the 2027 season, with the protocol made available to manufacturers so they can meet the specifications.

The committee also stressed what it called the pressing need to deploy GPS rider safety tracking across all professional road events, allowing real time tracking of riders and vehicles, initially focusing on the WorldTour and Women's WorldTour. The protocols, regulatory framework and implementation timeline are still to be developed. A system of this kind was used at the 2025 World Championships in Kigali and is in place again in Montréal.

The most consequential item beyond safety concerns eligibility for the women's category at IOC recognised events. Following guiding principles published by the IOC in March, the UCI said only athletes it defines as biological women who do not carry the SRY gene will be eligible for the category. The Management Committee has validated the principles for a specific regulation, which will be submitted for approval before the end of the year.

The proposed regulation provides for a single genetic test across an athlete's career, with results kept confidential. The UCI also plans an awareness programme for athletes, teams and national federations ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Professor Xavier Bigard, the UCI medical director, also reported the first findings of a crash study running at WorldTour and Women's WorldTour events since March. After five months, the data show injuries are more frequent and more severe among women than men, with a return to competition taking on average twice as long.

The Junior Road Nations Cup has also received its first calendar, with eleven events between February and July, four in Europe, four in the Americas, two in Oceania and one in Africa. An Asian round is still to be confirmed. Each event will feature a men's and women's race for teams of five riders, primarily national selections from within the host continent to limit travel.

Four rankings will accompany the series. Continental rankings will determine qualification for the Grand Final, while national rankings will allocate quotas for the World Championships. Results from the Continental Championships and the previous Worlds will also count.

The Grand Final will be held at the Piccola Tre Valli Varesine in Varese from 29 July to 1 August 2027, with 26 men's and 26 women's teams taking part.

From 2027, road teams will also be able to score UCI ranking points through their riders' results at World Championships and World Cups in cyclo-cross, track and mountain bike, as well as at the Gravel World Championships.

Sport directors face new certification requirements. Those working with national selections must complete an online course before the 2027 World Championships in Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc, with the requirement extended to Continental and Women's Continental team directors in 2028.

On equipment, the UCI will establish a new consultation framework with the cycling industry. Technical committees covering areas including clothing, protective equipment, wheels and tyres, and frames will bring together manufacturers, independent experts and the governing body. The UCI and industry will have equal representation within the committees.

Their opinions will feed into the Equipment and New Technologies Commission, though final decisions will remain with the Management Committee. A pilot covering track, gravel and wheels will come first, with the full framework introduced from February 2027.

The committee also launched a review of the Lugano Charter, adopted in 1996, with a draft going to consultation between February and April 2027 and a new version due to be presented later that year.

Three calendar changes were confirmed for 2027. The Vuelta España Femenina moves to 3 to 10 October, immediately following the men's race. The Vuelta a Burgos Feminas takes the dates it vacates, from 6 to 10 May, while Eschborn-Frankfurt returns to 1 May.