At its most recent Management Committee meeting on 29 and 30 January, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) decided to launch a call for expressions of interest relating to the development of protective equipment for riders in both the men’s and women’s pelotons, with the aim of enhancing their safety in the event of a crash.
Already in contact with several players in the sector, the UCI now wishes to broaden the initiative to the greatest number possible of manufacturers and institutes working on the development of airbags and technical apparel for cyclists.
The objectives of this initiative are as follows:
regarding airbag systems: to define a clear framework and appropriate standards to enable the development and integration of such devices into cycling (in competition and training);
regarding technical apparel: to study the integration of airbag solutions into clothing and to identify ways to further strengthen the protection offered by textiles.
For the UCI, it is essential to bring together the various relevant parties to:
analyse the relevance of this equipment across the different disciplines;
develop a regulatory framework defining clear and relevant standards for competitive cycling;
encourage coherent development of protective equipment that meets the needs of riders and teams, and is in line with the industrial realities faced by manufacturers.
The UCI invites all relevant parties to express their interest by 15 March 2026 via the following form: https://wkf.ms/4sSpdhn. The form is also available in the Equipment section of the UCI website.
A broad consultation, in the form of working groups for each of the topics, will then be organised during 2026 with the parties who respond to this call as well as independent experts.
For the UCI and the stakeholders brought together within SafeR – the body dedicated to safety in men’s and women’s road cycling – the continuous improvement of rider safety remains a top priority.
For any further questions, relevant parties are invited to contact the UCI Equipment Unit at the following email address: [email protected].