SRAM's complaint to the UCI temporarily suspends the rule that limited gear ratios

The Belgian Competition Authority, BCA, rules in favor of SRAM and temporarily halts the new technical regulation of the UCI for violating European competition laws. The measure prevents it from being applied in the Tour of Guangxi, the last race of the WorldTour 2025.

The Belgian Competition Authority suspends the UCI rule that limited developments: a blow to the controversial 54x11 rule

The Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) has issued interim measures on October 9 that entail the immediate suspension of the International Cycling Union (UCI) rule that limited the maximum development allowed in professional road races to 54x11. The decision comes after the complaint filed by SRAM, which argued that the measure violated European competition laws and directly harmed both the brand and the teams that use their transmissions.

According to the official statement, the BCA considers that the UCI, while having the legitimacy to establish technical rules for safety reasons, did not meet the requirements of proportionality, objectivity, transparency, and non-discrimination in adopting this rule. Additionally, it emphasizes that the measure caused serious and difficult to repair economic damage to SRAM, as it is the only one of the major brands that currently does not have a road group compatible with that development limit.

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The conflict began in September when the UCI announced the entry into force of the rule at the Tour of Guangxi, the last event on the 2025 WorldTour calendar. The organization justified the limitation as a measure to improve safety and avoid extreme cadences in sprints or descents, but the American manufacturer responded by filing a complaint with the Belgian Competition Authority, arguing that the decision was not based on technical evidence or an open procedure to the various stakeholders in the sector.

In parallel, SRAM also took legal action before the European Commission, arguing that the rule "directly benefited its competitors" and unjustly restricted competition in the transmission group market.

The BCA's resolution obliges the UCI to suspend the application of the rule before October 13, as well as to publish a statement within 24 hours informing that the 54x11 limit is no longer in effect until further notice. Additionally, it prohibits the federation from imposing any other measure that directly or indirectly limits the use of certain transmission systems in professional cycling.

The UCI, which had publicly defended the legitimacy of its decision in recent days, must now review the procedure for approving technical rules to ensure they are "transparent, objective, and non-discriminatory."

The case sets an important precedent in the balance between the regulatory authority of sports and European competition laws. The decision could have broader implications on how the UCI defines technical aspects affecting manufacturers and teams in the future, such as handlebar width, bike weight limits, or aerodynamic integration rules.