The UCI will set a limit on the price of the most expensive bikes in this sport

If a bicycle for 15,000 euros seems expensive to you, there is a modality of cycling in which that figure falls short. On the track, it is not uncommon to see bicycles that exceed 100,000 euros. The UCI has just announced that these exorbitant prices will have a limit for the upcoming Olympic Games with the aim of equalizing access to equipment among teams.

The UCI will limit the price of equipment in track cycling to ensure equality

The high price of bicycles has always been a recurring topic, but in track cycling the situation reaches another level. On the road or even in triathlon, it is not uncommon to find models that exceed 12,000 euros, although these figures are small compared to the 126,000 euros that some track bicycles can cost. A reality that has not gone unnoticed by the UCI, which will intervene from 2027 on the eve of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, several teams competed with bicycles valued at more than 100,000 euros, reaching in some cases 126,000 euros. These costs sparked controversy, as only a few countries with very high budgets could access this level of equipment. The situation highlighted the problem of unequal access to technology in the biggest showcase of cycling sports.

To prevent it from happening again, the UCI has confirmed that as of January 1, 2027, price caps for track equipment will come into effect. The rule will affect frames, forks, wheels, handlebars and extensions, helmets, and aerodynamic suits. The goal is for all teams to compete with equipment of similar cost and for differences to be decided by the cyclists' legs, not by their federations' bank accounts.

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The measure, endorsed by the UCI Equipment and New Technologies Commission and the Track Commission, reinforces the rules implemented since Tokyo 2020, which already required registering and using Olympic equipment months in advance to ensure its availability.

With the new economic caps, the organization takes another step in the search for equal conditions and aims to close the door to budget making the difference.

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