New UCI rules and fines for teams using prototypes in competition

The UCI has tightened the rules on the use of prototypes in competition. The regulatory body has approved a document that aims to limit the freedom available to teams and will oblige them to present the equipment before the start of the race and to put it on the market within the following 12 months. For the time being, the regulations will apply to the Tour de France.

UCI renews rules and increases fines for using prototypes in the next Tour de France

Competitions are a showcase for manufacturers to show their new products before the eyes of half the world. It's the perfect opportunity to show that they have better equipment than everyone else. The Tour de France is undoubtedly the biggest showcase in the world, so the UCI has decided to take a tougher stance against the use of prototypes in the Grande Boucle.

The UCI's intention is to prevent teams from coming up with any changes that might go beyond the rules. Therefore, they will have to show their equipment days before the start of the competition, which will give them more time to give their verdict.

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Specifically, this will affect only what the UCI refers to as "critical equipment"; that is, frames, handlebars, wheels, time trial handlebars and extensions, clothing and helmets. As stated above, for the time being this will only affect the 2023 Tour de France and the 2023 Women's Tour de France.

The UCI will punish non-compliance with these rules with fines ranging from 5,000 to 100,000 Swiss francs (about 5,160 to 103,250 euros at the exchange rate). However, the penalty could be higher, as it could lead to disqualification of the team if the UCI considers it appropriate.

The deadline for submitting all this equipment will be June 1st for the Tour de France and June 17th for the women's Tour, approximately one month before the start of the competitions.

The equipment must be available to the public

This is the other objective pursued by the UCI, which wants the equipment used to be available for purchase by anyone who practices cycling.

To this end, only those that are in the final stage of development will be approved. In other words, they must be on sale within the next 12 months. Even so, the regulation has some loopholes: brands can request extensions but the deadlines are not specified and it is not known whether they will be penalized if they do not finally bring them to market.

Finally, another new feature will be the use of RFID tags on all frames to assist the UCI in managing random equipment checks at races. The tags are designed so that if a team tries to remove them, they will be damaged.