UCI announces plans to clamp down on riders brake lever positioning

Going forward into the 2024 season, the UCI has announced plans to crack down on the riders' brake lever positioning. Pointing inwards for aerodynamic gain is set to be much more heavily regulated.

"Positioning the levers with an extreme inclination limits the braking capacity of the riders and constitutes a modification of the product beyond its intended use," explains the UCI in a statement. "Such positioning will be restricted in 2024. In 2025, new regulations will come into force requiring compliance with the installation guidelines established by brake lever manufacturers."

“Turning your levers in is ridiculous and dangerous and stupid,” an anonymous source has told Cycling Weekly. “It’s a safety thing, basically. If you turn your levers in at 90 degrees, like some of these juniors are doing, you cannot reach the brakes, you cannot change gear. Yes, you might have a very nice aero-looking position when you’re on the hoods, but the rest of the time, you can’t climb safely, you can’t hit the brakes properly.”

“I feel as though this is a perception issue that will trickle down to the more susceptible-to-influence juniors,” they said. “If you’ve got an entire field of juniors doing this, it’s going to be a complete nightmare, and people are going to hurt themselves. For the UCI to crack down on something that people might do, which is less safe, before there’s an issue, I think is a good thing.”