The International Cycling Union (UCI) will implement a GPS tracking system at the World Championships in Rwanda to identify the location of cyclists, aiding in their discovery if they crash and go unnoticed by race officials. All cyclists will be equipped with a GPS tracking device during the race at every World Championship event, allowing for full monitoring of their location and speed.
The system is intended to help prevent tragedies like the one that occurred with Muriel Furrer at the 2024 World Championships in Switzerland, where she crashed into trees and remained unnoticed by both race officials and medical services.
"This system, managed from the UCI World Championships control center, will allow real-time monitoring of data on the location and speed of all cyclists, thereby immediately identifying unusual situations, such as when a cyclist unexpectedly stops on the course," explained the UCI. "In such a case, the exact location of the cyclist will be transmitted to the relevant parties involved in the race – organizers, UCI commissaires, medical and security services – so that the necessary measures can be taken immediately."
The UCI tested the system in August during the Tour de Romandie Féminin race, where one cyclist in each team was equipped with a device. However, the trial did not go entirely as planned, with five teams disqualified on the first day of the race following disputes over the use of GPS devices. Visma-Lease a Bike, Canyon-Sram Zondacrypto, EF Education-Oatly, Picnic-PostNL, and Lidl-Trek were removed from the competition after disagreeing with the UCI on several aspects of the system's implementation, including safety, consent, and responsibility.
In Rwanda, however, the implementation of the technology is expected to proceed without similar disputes, as the races will be organized by the UCI itself and will involve national teams rather than professional teams.
