The Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) has ordered the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to suspend its planned trial of gearing restrictions at next week’s Tour of Guangxi, ruling that the initiative may breach competition law, and unfairly harm SRAM and its sponsored teams.
In a decision issued on 9 October, the BCA said the UCI’s ruling – which sought to cap gearing at 54x11t – "does not meet the required conditions of objectivity and transparency" and risks creating "serious and difficult to repair" harm for SRAM.
The authority recognised the UCI’s responsibility to regulate to improve safety, but said "the procedures for determining technical standards enacted for this purpose… must meet essential conditions of proportionality, objectivity, transparency and non-discrimination in view of the economic consequences of these standards", in a statement.
The BCA noted that SRAM – which brought the case to the BCA – is "the only one that does not currently have a product meeting the requirements of the Maximum Gear Ratio Standard", and that the rule "adopted under disputable conditions, is likely to cause harm to SRAM… [and] extends to professional cycling teams equipped with SRAM [drivetrains]".
Last month, the American brand said the gearing restriction unfairly targeted its equipment, alleging the rule was "adopted without consultation or transparency" and amounted to an abuse of competition law.
The BCA therefore ordered the UCI to suspend the rule immediately, and barred it from imposing any similar transmission ratio limits "until the UCI adopts a new safety measure based on a transparent, objective and non-discriminatory procedure, or until a decision on the merits is adopted".
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UCI vows to appeal
The UCI responded with a strongly worded statement, confirming the trial will not go ahead in Guangxi but criticising the intervention.
"The UCI expresses its surprise at the intervention of a competition authority on a subject desired by all stakeholders of cycling, the scope of which was limited to analysing the effects that limiting gear ratios may have on riders' speed and therefore on safety," the statement reads.
The governing body added that it "deeply regrets that riders’ safety does not appear to be a shared objective with those who challenged the implementation", and reaffirmed that the protocol was recommended by SafeR – the body representing riders, teams and organisers.
The UCI said it will appeal the BCA’s decision and may adjust the protocol "to allow for the implementation of the tests desired by all stakeholders in professional road cycling".
What happens next?
The BCA’s statement also required the UCI to publish a press release acknowledging that the gearing rule is suspended and to reference the BCA’s decision, warning that penalties may follow if the UCI fails to comply.
For now, the gearing restriction will not apply at the Tour of Guangxi, and it’s unclear what will happen next.
SRAM CEO Ken Lousberg said last month that UCI’s rule "penalises and discourages innovation and puts our riders and teams at a competitive disadvantage".
He added that the company’s gearing had already been publicly labelled as non-compliant, causing "reputational damage, market confusion, team and athlete anxiety, and potential legal exposure".
The UCI has consistently defended the measure as a safety initiative, recommended by SafeR, the group representing riders, teams, organisers and the governing body.
However, scepticism remains across the pro cycling sphere.
Ahead of the Arctic Race of Norway, Tom Pidcock said: "Limiting gears will only make everything more dangerous."
Elsewhere, Dan Bigham of Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe said his analysis showed the change would have no effect on peloton speeds and therefore "would not improve safety".
By contrast, Chris Froome and Wout van Aert have both suggested gear restrictions could be a reasonable way to manage the progression of equipment for safety reasons.
The controversy comes as part of a broader wave of UCI technical regulations in 2025, including new rules on handlebar width, wheel depth and helmets, most of which have drawn criticism from riders, teams and manufacturers.
