In professional cycling, it is common in December for athletes changing teams to attend training sessions with their new club while still wearing the kit of their current employer. This peculiar situation is governed by UCI rule 2.15.139: "Riders may not, during the term of their contract, work for any other team or advertise other sponsors..." However, the condition that they cannot wear another team's kit before their contract expires on December 31 may be subject to change.
Currently, riders are required to promote their contracted teams until the end of their contract, and at the same time, teams and sponsors have the right to use the riders' images and employ them in advertising.
As a result, we see Remco Evenepoel (pictured), who is transferring to Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe, attending his new team's press events and training camps wearing a hooded sweatshirt without sponsor logos and his Soudal–QuickStep race kit. Other riders changing teams must act in the same way.
UCI Sports Director Peter Van Den Abeele said that the sport's governing body is looking for ways to change the rules, and the topic was discussed at a recent meeting of the UCI Professional Cycling Council.
"We are working on this together with the AIGCP [Association des Groupes Cyclistes Professionnels] and the CPA riders' union," confirmed Van Den Abeele. "A rule change will definitely happen, with contracts starting on November 1. The starting year will be determined in cooperation with all parties involved."
Such a change would likely require the restructuring of all existing rider contracts so that they begin on November 1 and end on October 31. Based on initial feedback, it appears that all parties are in favor of updating the regulations.
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