No pin-less numbers - UCI's call for riders to return to tradition at Tour de France

The UCI has been widely criticized over some subjects in which they've devoted their focus on, such as sock height, but an equally unusual change has been told to the peloton this month of July: No pin-less numbers.

In a letter in which CyclingWeekly had access to, UCI's Head of Road and Inovation Michael Rogers has told teams at both men's and women's Tour de France that “rider numbers are fixed on the outer layer of the jersey/skinsuit and not placed in pin-less number fixation systems/pockets... Several cycling stakeholders (UCI commissaires, Race Organisers, Cycling Media and Fans) have raised their concerns about the lack of visibility of rider numbers placed in pin- less number fixation systems/pockets". 

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This comes after in the last few years several teams have developed small sleeves in the back of the jerseys, with the purpose of having the race number inside, instead of a traditional pin, in a pursuit of aerodynamical gains. Although it features no apparent danger to the riders or the convoy, concerns exist regarding the visibility of the rider numbers.

Having been firstly used in time-trials, it is also used now in road races by some teams and riders. As the peloton constantly moves towards the direction of as many 'marginal gains' as possible, there seems to be an effort to prevent the evolution of that trend.

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