With muted effort, the UCI published updated regulations for clothing, feeding and other minor infringements, with non-compliant clothing, such as socks that are too high, now punishable by fines of up to CHF 2000 ($2,250, £1,800).
Other increased penalties apply to drafting behind a vehicle or taking food or drink near the end of a stage race. Directeur sportif also face stiffer fines and punishment for 'irregular behaviour' in the race convoy.
As well as fines, the UCI has also increased the number of UCI ranking points that individual riders and their team face for the offences. These points could be vital as team fight to avoid relegation from the men's WorldTour in 2025 or ProTeams fight to secure WorldTour race invitations.
For any rider not wearing appropriate clothing during podium obligations, a deduction of 2 to 15 UCI points was added to the CHF 500 fine.
Fines of CHF 50-2000 will be assessed to riders using ‘non-compliant’ clothing in a race, with the team also fined CHF 250-500 per rider involved. The higher fines and point deductions will be levied at Olympic Games, elite World Championships and men’s elite WorldTour events, beginning in 2024.
The UCI introduced new rules for the legal height of socks and shoe covers for road cyclists in 2019.
The language restricting those items as “must not extend above the middle of the leg” was clarified to a specific measurement, “the height defined by half the distance between the middle of the lateral malleolus and the middle of the fibula head."
UCI commissaires often check sock length, especially before time trials to avoid riders obtaining an aerodynamic advantage.
Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) was one of the more high-profile offenders of the high-sock rule. She was given a CHF 200 fine after winning the road race at the 2022 World Championships in Wollongong.
The updated rules and fines mean teams face fines of CHF 250 and CHF 500 for each rider using non-compliant clothing. The UCI has also doubled the fines for ‘failure to wear the race leader’s jersey or skinsuit’ to CHF 1000.
‘Sheltering behind or taking advantage of the slipstream’ of a vehicle and taking a push from a team car, teammate or spectator will also be punished with a deduction of up to 15 points, in addition to existing fines of CHF 50-200.
At this year’s Tour de France, Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) was given a 20-second time penalty and a fine of CHF 200 for drafting behind a team car after he crashed early on stage 20. He was in contention for a podium spot and eventually finished fifth overall.
In 2024 riders and teams face fines, a time penalty of between 20 seconds and five minutes, mountain and points classification penalties, plus 15 points deducted from UCI rankings.
If a rider is deemed to demonstrate irregular behaviour by passing through a level crossing that is closed or in the process of closing, up to 100 points can be deducted from UCI rankings and the rider can face elimination or disqualification.
A 20% penalty in the points or mountains classification was added to the existing monetary and time assessments (20 seconds) in stage races, related to unauthorised feeding in the last 20km of a stage race.
For an unexcused absence of a rider at the start of a race after he or she had been confirmed, the rider(s) now face fines of CHF 500-1000. And disqualification can now result for any rider taking off a helmet during a race, which continues with fines ranging from CHF 50-200.
The full list of UCI updates is shown on the UCI website.
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