The UCI is taking another step towards introducing real-time tracking of riders and race vehicles at professional road races, with the governing body now preparing the protocols and regulatory framework that would govern the technology.
The issue was a major focus of the Professional Cycling Council's (PCC) meeting in Aigle on September 1 and 2, coming at a particularly sensitive time for rider safety. The meeting opened with a tribute to 19-year-old British rider Finlay Tarling, who died after a collision with a van during the Volta a Portugal on August 14.
Following the tribute, the PCC discussed the need for a dedicated system capable of showing the real-time location of riders and race vehicles during professional road events. The UCI says implementation should initially focus on the men's and women's WorldTour, although it has not yet announced a timetable for when the system could become compulsory.
The latest development represents a significant step forward from the UCI's earlier discussions about GPS-based safety tracking. Rather than simply encouraging the use of existing technology, the governing body is now preparing the rules that would determine how such systems should operate across professional racing.
David Lappartient is UCI's president
The UCI wants a common framework
The move follows a March initiative from UCI president David Lappartient, who asked the teams' association AIGCP, race organisers' association AIOCC and riders' union CPA to work together on proposals for GPS-based safety tracking.
At the time, Lappartient made clear that the long-term objective was mandatory implementation. “It will need to become mandatory and phased in across event classes,” he wrote in a letter dated March 13.
The stakeholders were subsequently asked to provide proposals covering the hardware, software and operational requirements of a potential system. However, the UCI says no joint proposal from the three stakeholder groups was available when the PCC met in Aigle.
Importantly, the governing body has previously indicated that it does not intend to dictate which company supplies the technology. Teams, organisers and riders would instead be able to choose their own providers, provided those systems comply with the technical framework established by the UCI.
Safety concerns are now driving the push
The development of a UCI-wide framework comes amid a broader debate over exactly how rider tracking should work and who should control the resulting data.
Previous trials have exposed some of those tensions. A UCI tracking test at the 2025 Tour de Romandie Féminin led to disagreements with several teams over the conditions under which the technology was being tested.
The UCI now wants to move beyond those disputes and establish common rules. Lappartient reiterated following the PCC meeting that stakeholders need to cooperate on rider safety and that commercial considerations should not come before protecting riders.
Real-time positioning could potentially give race officials and emergency services a clearer picture of where riders are located following a crash, while also helping identify the position of race vehicles and other elements of a race convoy. The ultimate objective is to reduce the time between an incident occurring and assistance reaching those involved.
The tracking initiative is being developed alongside another UCI safety measure. The PCC has backed new standards for barriers used during the final hundreds of metres of races, with the proposed requirements subject to approval by the UCI Management Committee.
If approved, the barrier rules would be introduced progressively from the 2027 season, initially covering WorldTour and Women's WorldTour events before being extended to other categories.
Both initiatives will now move to the next stage when the UCI Management Committee meets in Montréal from September 20 to 22. The meeting will therefore be an important moment for determining how the governing body's plans for rider tracking and race safety develop from proposals into enforceable regulations.
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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