The Belgian Competition Authority announced on 19 September 2025 that it had opened “an investigation into the adoption by the International Cycling Union of a technical standard limiting the maximum gear ratio allowed in professional road cycling events”.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) understands that the investigation relates to the maximum gearing test which will be carried out at the 2025 Tour of Guangxi taking place from 14 to 19 October 2025. The test had been communicated by the UCI on 20 June and 3 July and a dedicated “test protocol” adopted by the UCI Management Committee at its meeting of 10-12 June 2025 to enable the implementation of the test.
The test was recommended by SafeR, the entity which gathers the representatives of riders, teams, organisers and the UCI, with the purpose of increasing the safety in men’s and women’s professional cycling, in particular for riders.
The UCI is puzzled by the issuance of the Belgian Competition Authority’s press release before the UCI has even been served with the complaint and by the obvious inaccuracies contained in this statement. In particular, the statement does not reflect the fact that the UCI has publicly indicated that it will consider the findings of this test before considering if further tests are relevant in 2026. Only then, would the UCI potentially consider any changes to the regulations. Even more surprisingly, the release does not even deem it necessary to indicate that the test that will be conducted by the UCI is aimed at exploring measures aimed at increasing rider safety, which is a fundamental prerogative of all sport governing bodies.
The UCI is confident that its proposal to test limitations to gearing is compliant with EU and Belgian competition law. It is not the role of competition law to lead to a ‘levelling down’ in regulatory and safety standards.
The UCI will continue to collaborate with the stakeholders of cycling through SafeR for the improvement of safety and shall not make any further comments on these proceedings.