The UCI has outlined a raft of updates following recommendations from SafeR, cycling’s cross-party safety body, as the governing body seeks to improve rider protection across men’s and women’s road racing. The updates, published ahead of the Tour de France, include results from incident tracking, the expanded yellow card system, upcoming gear ratio limits, and new GPS rider tracking plans.
Tour de France stages to see extended 3km rule
Seven stages of the 2025 Tour de France will feature an extended version of the ‘three-kilometre rule’ to account for the rise in urban obstacles near sprint finishes. Riders involved in a fall or mechanical issue in the final 3-5km will be credited with the same time as the group they were with. The stages with an extension include:
- Stage 1 (Lille – Lille): +5km
- Stage 3 (Valenciennes – Dunkerque): +5km
- Stage 4 (Saint Méen-le-Grand – Laval): +5km
- Stage 9 (Chinon – Châteauroux): +5km
- Stage 15 (Muret – Carcassonne): +4km
- Stage 17 (Bollène – Valence): +5km
- Stage 21 (Mantes-la-Ville – Paris Champs-Élysées): +5km
The rule aims to ease pressure on riders navigating traffic calming devices such as speed bumps and chicanes in the build-up to sprints.
Yellow card rollout sees 159 infractions logged
Since its introduction in January, the UCI’s yellow card system has been in effect on 235 race days (173 men’s, 62 women’s), with 159 yellow cards handed out. Rider infractions account for 42%, while team staff make up 37%. Media and other race vehicles are responsible for the remaining 21%.
Common offences include:
- Unsafe driving in races
- Misconduct by staff in feed zones
- Dangerous sprinting behaviour
In a first, Oscar Riesebeek of Alpecin-Deceuninck was excluded from a race and handed a seven-day suspension after receiving two yellow cards at the same event.
Photo Credit: UAE Team ADQ297 race incidents analysed – rider error the leading cause
The SafeR Case Management Committee has examined 297 race incidents in the first six months of 2025, covering both men’s and women’s WorldTour and ProSeries events. Of the 203 cases where causes were determined:
- 29% stemmed from rider error
- 12% from high-risk positioning zones (e.g. cobbled sections, sprints, climbs)
- 12% from slippery or wet roads
- Other causes included descents, feed zones, traffic infrastructure and poor road layout
The UCI says the regular analysis helps identify patterns and inform mitigation strategies.
Gear ratio test coming at Tour of Guangxi
A new restriction on gear ratios will be trialled at the men’s Tour of Guangxi (14-19 October). Riders will be limited to a maximum gearing of 54 x 11 (10.46 metres per crank revolution) in an effort to curb top speeds and reduce crash risk. The UCI will follow up with a rider survey before considering broader application in 2026. No equivalent trial has been announced for the women’s peloton.
Rider tracking to debut in UCI-organised race at 2025 World Championships
In response to safety concerns, notably following the death of junior rider Muriel Furrer in 2024, the UCI will debut real-time GPS rider tracking at the 2025 Road World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda. The technology was trialled during both the men’s and women’s Tour de Suisse in June, with organisers testing alerts for abnormal movement or prolonged stoppage.
The UCI says the goal is to eventually provide live data to organisers, medical teams and Commissaires to respond more quickly to crashes and locate riders in real time.
Additional protocols: restarts and vehicle flow
SafeR has helped shape a new Restart Protocol, providing clear guidance in the event of weather-related or safety-based neutralisations. This includes:
- A 15-minute maximum stoppage
- Access to food and warm clothing
- Instructions on grouped restarts and gap calculations
A separate Way Out and Way In system has also been developed to manage race convoy vehicle movements. By providing planned entry and exit points, the system reduces the chance of vehicles needing to overtake the peloton, a known safety risk.
Feed zone flexibility in hot weather
With summer temperatures rising across European races, SafeR continues to assess heat-related risks and has supported more flexible feeding strategies, including feeding on categorised climbs where conditions demand.
UCI President David Lappartient reaffirmed the governing body’s commitment:
“Rider safety continues to be an important priority for the UCI and all cycling’s stakeholders… thanks to the joint efforts of riders, teams and organisers, we are working towards a common goal: to make road cycling events safer for everyone.”
