'Teams wanted to blackmail the UCI' – David Lappartient aims to roll out new GPS tracking system at all races, despite concerns from teams

"It is clear that the goal is to have GPS trackers for all the races in the future. We want this for the WorldTour, and after that, it's possible for the Pro Series, that would be nice," Lappartient said.

The GPS tracking system is part of an initiative between the UCI and SafeR intended to enhance rider safety following the death of Muriel Furrer at the World Championships in Zürich in 2024.

All participants' bikes have been outfitted with a GPS device attached to their saddles by officials from the UCI at the start of each event in Kigali. The GPS devices are connected, or linked, to each participant's unique bib number, and officials remove the device after the participant crosses the finish line.

During the eight days of racing in Kigali, the GPS tracking system, operated from the UCI Road World Championships control centre, enables real-time monitoring of data regarding the position and speed of the entire peloton. The UCI has said that it is intended to "allow for immediate identification of any unusual situations, such as a rider suddenly stopping on the course."

Should a situation like this occur, the rider's exact position would be transmitted to the relevant parties in the convoy: organisers, UCI Commissaires, medical and security services, so that measures can be taken without delay.

"First, what is important? The goal is not to have cases like last year [the death of Muriel Furrer] or the potential for other cases where riders can crash, and we potentially can't see the rider, and we want to be able to find the riders and to know where they are," Lappartient said.

"This is why we have a tool for that in the GPS tracker, but not only a GPS tracker with just a gap between the riders on a screen for the race, we need to have some data behind this. We wanted to make a test behind this with a powerful system."

Lappartient is referencing the testing of the new GPS tracking system at the three-day Tour de Romandie Féminin in Switzerland in August, ahead of its rollout at the World Championships in September in Rwanda.

However, five teams were opposed to using the devices during a test event, stating that the sport's governing body failed to answer their questions about the device before implementing the test, while expressing the importance of consent and close collaboration of the teams, also seemingly to receive little reassurance from the UCI that it would not use the data for any other purpose.

Some of the teams are partners with Velon, which also uses a proprietary GPS tracking system, to provide its audiences with live data such as speed, power, cadence and location, which are on show during the broadcast and digital coverage of races.

At the Tour de Romandie Féminin, Lidl-Trek, Visma-Lease a Bike, Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, EF Education-Oatly and Picnic-PostNL requested that the UCI mount the devices on the bike themselves and appoint riders accordingly. When the UCI declined to do so, the teams and riders were subsequently excluded from starting the opening stage, a 4.4-kilometre uphill time trial between Huémoz and Villars-sur-Odon at the Tour de Romandie.

A letter addressed to the UCI's Strategic Sports Manager, Matthew Knight and signed by representatives from EF Education-Oatly, Lidl-Trek, Visma-Lease a Bike, Picnic PostNL, Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto and AG Soudal-Insurance, stated six main points had been communicated to the UCI Commissaires’ meeting earlier in the day that outlined their reasoning for not using the devices.

Although their main point surrounded adequate communication about the GPS tracking system, consent and fairness, Lappartient told the media in Kigali that he believed the teams were concerned more about preventing the commercialisation of rider data, and that threatening not to use or install the GPS devices at the Tour de Romandie amounted to 'blackmail.'

"This is something that was not only discussed with the board of SafeR, and everyone approved that, including the teams. All the stakeholders; riders, teams, organisers, UCI agreed to have a test with only one rider from the team. And then to be released fully here, after we need to discuss what can be done," Lappartient said.

"What was sad, was that some teams wanted to blackmail, a little bit, the UCI by saying, 'we do not accept the test, so if you don't remove the trackers, we will not start.' said Lappartient, who beleives that the teams are worried that the sport's governing body will attempt to commercialise rider data by using the GPS tracking system in its races.

"The [reason] behind this is that they believed that we would commercialise their datas. I said, 'Look guys, it's only about safety, it's only a cost for us, and of course we will not commercialise any datas. But I will also not have a license to use the tools to put devices for safety, and I will not as permission for that.' So, that was the situation behind this," Lappartient said.

"But clearly they were afraid that we will commercialise data. And I said, 'Guys the conversation is the same over the last six years, we have not done that, we will not do that, and we will not commercialise any datas, but I will not be blackmailed for safety. So, if you don't want to wear the GPS trackers, you will be removed from the race.' This is what happened. It was terrible for the riders, and it was sad for all of us."

Lappartient noted the high cost of the GPS tracking system, but that the sport governing body was prepared to front the costs with an understanding that there was no return on investment for the safety system.

"Of course, it is a lot of investment and there is a cost to them, there is no revenue for that, it's a cost, though whether the cost will be shared and if we have other providers, those are the questions," he said.

Lappartient referenced the option of finding a partner provider, possibly Velon, which uses its own GPS tracking system and provides GPS tracking devices used in professional cycling to enhance safety and deliver live performance data to broadcasters and online viewers. However, it has been reported that Velon offered to help manage the UCI's tracking system, but the UCI chose to roll out its own system through Swiss Timing.

"I hope we can find solutions; there are potentially solutions, and it's a high level of cost. Even Velon, they are working to also have something ready to make a test during Il Lombardia, so if tomorrow, there are some options to use already some devices, I will have no problem with this, as it is cost-saving to the UCI," Lappartient said.

"But, in the future, I want to be able to have GPS trackers for the riders and I want to have the opportunity and keep the opportunity to put GPS trackers for the safety of the race and the regulations of the race, but will not commercialise any data."

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