"The UCI deeply regrets that riders’ safety does not appear to be a shared objective" - Gear restrictions at Tour of Guangxi cancelled
Cycling
The UCI planned on rolling out a test at next week's Tour of Guangxi regarding gear restrictions, with the aim of providing input for a potential improvement in safety in cycling. However this will not move along after SRAM's pushback, with the likes of Jonathan Vaughters also criticizing the UCI over its focus on aspects that should not be the priority.
"As a result of the provisional measures imposed by the BCA (Belgian competition authority, ed.), the test planned for the Tour of Guangxi will not take place and the Test Protocol is currently suspended," the UCI announced in a press release this Thursday.
The goal of this test, as had been proposed months ago, was of understanding the impacts of gear ration limiting in order to reduce speeds in the peloton and thus increase safety for the riders, a heavily debated subject this year, and one with plenty points of view.
The UCI was very critical of an intervention that made it impossible to move forward: "Especially considering that the decision is issued by a Belgian authority responding to a complaint from a US company against a Swiss sports association regarding a test to be carried out on Chinese territory."
Are gear ration limits the solution however?
Many would say no, many would say it's a small part of it. However over the year many observations have pointed out different aspects of the sport that should be taking priority, with gear rations rarely being one of the main points.
Reacting to the press release, EF Education-EasyPost manager Jonathan Vaughters was critical of the UCI's observation itself: "Perhaps things like making sure parked (and still moving) vehicles are not on the race course, blind corners with rock piles in the apex are not on race courses, and motorcycles aren’t part of the peloton take precedence over gear restrictions, sock lengths, and handlebar width?"
The UCI challenges the decision to prevent the safety test planned for the Tour of Guangxi https://t.co/7l2MBJYszP pic.twitter.com/k5Fxoylphy
— UCI_media (@UCI_media) October 9, 2025
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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