Live drone footage in cyclocross to be allowed for general use from March onwards

After footage of it being broadcasted and then shown on social media by GCN, controversy soon emerged as the UCI banned the use of a drone which was at the Superprestige Gavere this past Saturday.

The reason for this though was because a "written request hadn’t been made by the organizer", according to UCI CEO Peter Van Den Abeele on an interview with Sporza. However the UCI quickly acted on it and have allowed the use of drones for general use from March 1st onwards. 

As CyclingTips reported, the safety regulations have been updated so as to make it's use more controlled and safe: “The organiser may authorise the shooting of still photography and/or video by aircrafts, including drones or other small aircrafts, subject to obtaining authorization to operate the relevant equipment safely and securely from the envisaged location. The organizer shall also ensure that any aircraft used does not affect the sporting conduct of the event and shall undertake or require that a detailed risk assessment be undertaken with regard to the riders, officials, and spectators attending the event.

Adding to that, “the organiser must ensure that the use of such equipment on the venue of the event is explicitly foreseen and communicated and fully covered by the relevant insurance carrier. Finally, organisers shall take appropriate measures to ensure that aircrafts, including drones and other small aircrafts, are not used by third persons without being duly authorised and do not impede on sporting operations or the exploitation of third-party rights (e.g. image or media rights).”

With the cyclocross season coming to an end this weekend it is unlikely that more drone footage will be emerging live from the broadcasts. However with the loosening of the rules next season may see a lot more of it's use, and the rules also apply to road cycling where it is possible to see drones more if the organizers decide to do so.