Rigoberto Urán (EF Education-Nippo) and Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) have both received warnings from the Tour de France commissaires over their riding positions.
The rule (2.2.025) forbids riders from riding in the 'super-tuck' position – which saw riders sit on the top tube while descending – as well as riding in a 'time trial' position – where riders used their forearms as a point of support on the handlebars.
Urán and Bilbao appear to have raced using the latter position, with several photographs showing the Colombian riding with his forearms resting on the handlebars during stage 15.
The riders are far from the first to be sanctioned under the new rules.
Back in April, Jumbo-Visma's Gijs Leemreize was disqualified from De Brabantse Pijl for breaking the rule, while Alpecin-Fenix rider Alexander Richardson was thrown out of the Tour of Turkey for adopting a position similar to that used by Urán.
At Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Richard Carapaz was disqualified for using the 'super-tuck' during a late attack. In June, Beat Cycling's Jan-Willem van Schip was disqualified from the Baloise Belgium Tour after his handlebars – designed to allow him to rest his forearms on them – fell foul of UCI rules.
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Under UCI regulations, riders 'using a non-compliant position or point of support on the bicycle that represents a danger to the rider or competitors' in a WorldTour race face a CHF 1,000 fine as well as docking 25 UCI raking points and elimination or disqualification from the race.
Urán and Bilbao appear to be the first riders to have been caught breaking the riding position rules and escape without a fine or disqualification. The pair lie second and 10th overall with five days of racing left in the Tour.
Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor, later being hired full-time. Her favourite races include Strade Bianche, the Tour de France Femmes, Paris-Roubaix, and Tro-Bro Léon.
