The UCI has confirmed that GPS tracking devices will be trialled at the upcoming Tour de Romandie Féminin (15th-17th August), with one rider per team carrying a tracker as part of a new initiative to improve safety across women’s professional road cycling. The trial is a key step in preparation for the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda, where all riders across all categories will be required to use the technology.
A direct response to tragedy
The push for real-time rider tracking follows the death of 18-year-old Swiss rider Muriel Furrer during the junior women’s road race at the 2024 Worlds in Zürich. Furrer crashed on a forested section of road and remained unnoticed for over 90 minutes before being found. The incident sparked urgent conversations around emergency response protocols in races that do not allow race radios, including the World Championships.
“The objective of this test is to refine the UCI’s safety tracking software and establish protocols to provide real-time data to race control, medical teams and UCI Commissaires,” the UCI explained. “This system will strengthen the monitoring of rider safety during races and enable rapid response in case of incidents.”
Photo Credit: Tour de RomandieTesting ahead of full implementation
The Tour de Romandie Féminin will serve as the first WorldTour-level test for the new system, which is part of the UCI’s broader SafeR initiative. While this month’s test will involve just one rider per team, the Kigali World Championships in September will mark the first time all riders across all categories – junior, U23 and elite – will be equipped with GPS trackers on their bikes.
The UCI has not detailed exactly how the data will be monitored at the Romandie race, but it is expected to mirror the setup trialled at the Tour de Suisse earlier this year. At that event, rider and convoy GPS signals were monitored in real time from a centralised security centre, with alarms triggered when trackers stopped moving for 30 seconds, left the race route, or abruptly changed speed.
“We cannot completely prevent crashes with these measures,” said Tour de Suisse race director Olivier Senn, “but we are doing everything we can to ensure that all information is available to the teams and that the consequences are as minimal as possible.”
Photo Credit: GettyWider support for GPS tracking
While no timeline has been given for the introduction of GPS trackers across all races, UCI President David Lappartient has voiced support for expanding the system to all WorldTour events, saying that “it would enable us to see where they are if they have a crash.”
The UCI says it will continue working with race organisers and teams to refine the software, logistics, and protocols behind the system. “This represents an important step forward in ensuring the safety of riders,” the federation noted, “and the UCI will continue to work closely with event organisers and all stakeholders on the broader implementation of such technology in the coming seasons.”
The test at the Tour de Romandie Féminin marks a pivotal point in the adoption of tech-driven safety measures in professional cycling – one brought into focus by recent tragedy, but with the potential to reshape how races are monitored and managed in future.
