After Muriel Furrer’s tragic death, UCI makes GPS trackers mandatory for all riders at 2025 World Championships

The UCI has confirmed it will deploy a GPS rider tracking system to enhance rider safety at this September’s Road World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda. The decision comes almost a year after the tragic death of Swiss junior Muriel Furrer at the 2024 Worlds in Zürich, which highlighted the risks of a fallen rider remaining undetected for too long.

In a statement, the governing body said: “The UCI, together with SafeR and in close collaboration with all stakeholders of professional road cycling, is constantly working to improve the safety of riders. The introduction of a GPS safety tracking system for riders is important and necessary progress in this regard. Thanks to this system, any incident or accident that might have gone unnoticed can be quickly identified, and it will be possible to assist the person concerned as quickly as possible.”

According to the UCI, “all riders in all categories (Men and Women Elite, Under 23 and Junior) will be equipped with a GPS safety tracking device attached under their saddle during all events at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships (road races, individual and team time trials).”

The technology, operated from the World Championships control centre, will allow real-time monitoring of each rider’s position and speed. Any unusual situations — such as a sudden stop on the course — will automatically trigger alerts. The UCI explained that in such cases, “the rider's exact position will be transmitted to the relevant parties in the convoy – organisers, UCI Commissaires, medical and security services – so that appropriate measures can be taken without delay.”

The GPS safety tracking technology was tested during the Tour de Romandie Féminin in August. The UCI said this trial “enabled it to be refined” ahead of its debut in Kigali. Yet those Romandie tests were marked by controversy: several teams refused to participate under the federation’s terms and were ultimately disqualified, underscoring the political and commercial sensitivities around data control in cycling.

The new system will be the most visible policy change since the death of Muriel Furrer, who crashed at last year’s World Championships in Zürich and was not immediately located at the roadside. Her case prompted louder calls for technology that could ensure no rider remains unaccounted for.

While the adoption of GPS tracking at the Worlds represents a step forward, questions remain over governance, access to live data, and long-term implementation across the professional calendar. For now, though, Kigali will mark the first time every rider at a World Championships — from juniors to elites — races with a digital safeguard beneath their saddle.