Tom Pidcock has given his opinion on the UCI's push to improve safety by limiting speeds through introducing gear limits and imposing a minimum handlebar width, saying that cycling instead "needs to talk about the important issues."
Back in June, news emerged that the sport’s governing body is set to announce a foray of new technical regulations in January 2026. These include limits on maximum gear ratios, adjustments to its preexisting handlebar width rules, new limits on wheel depth, as well as new rules on fork and seatstay width.
Specifically, the gear limit rule centred around a maximum ratio of 54 x 11, equivalent to a 10.46m distance of wheel travel per single crank rotation. The UCI confirmed the new limit would be trialled in a test stage race later in the 2025 season, but it has already been met with consternation from industry experts, who don't believe it will achieve the claimed goal of reducing racing speeds.
It prompted Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe's Head of Engineering, Dan Bigham, to argue the opposite, in a presentation entitled 'How gear ratio limits will make cycling less safe' at the annual Science and Cycling conference ahead of the Tour de France grand depart in Lille.
In an interview with Marca at the Arctic Race of Norway, Pidcock agreed with Bigham's argument.
"Limiting gears will only make everything more dangerous," he said. "If we're all going at the same top speed, we'll be closer together, and on descents, that means we'll take up more of the road.
"The debate about handlebar width also seems like a smokescreen to me. We need to talk about the important issues."
Pidcock, who is racing in Norway in preparation for the upcoming Vuelta a España with his Q36.5 squad, joked that the UCI's next step in its efforts to reduce speeds would be to limit the amount of carbohydrates riders can eat.
"I told my brother that if we continue like this, they should limit carbs for everyone and put us in ketosis, only then will the races be slower. We're cyclists… people should focus on other things," Pidcock said.
The 26-year-old Briton's appearance in Norway is his first outing in over a month since he finished 10th at the Andorra MoraBanc Classic at the end of June.
Pidcock enjoyed a strong start to his time with Q3.65 this season, winning two stages and the overall at the AlUla Tour, winning a stage of the Vuelta a Andalucia, plus finishing second at Strade Bianche and third at La Flèche Wallonne.
His debut Giro d'Italia campaign was tougher, however, with his team's wildcard only being confirmed at the end of March. He picked up three top-five placings in his first Grand Tour with his new team, and now he's setting his sights higher for La Vuelta, which kicks off in Turin, Italy, on August 23.
"I can make a lot of progress at La Vuelta; I feel refreshed," Pidcock told Marca. "It would be excellent if I can improve a little and regain the feeling I had at the start of the season."
