The Tour de France Femmes race jury will pay “particular attention” to rider clothing ahead of today’s stage four time trial, following reports that riders may be using additional bra padding to gain an aerodynamic advantage.
On Sunday evening, WielerFlits reported that several teams were concerned that riders are wearing oversized bras with extra padding to save watts.
According to the Dutch publication, the teams had urged the UCI to enforce its rules around “non-essential” equipment that modifies a rider’s morphology.
Extra measures ahead of stage four
It appears the UCI has taken heed of these concerns and it issued a communique after yesterday’s stage three.
“Riders must be to the final checks before the race (bikes and outfit) no later than 10 minutes before their respective start time,” the statement read. “Particular attention will be paid to compliance with article 1.3.032 of the UCI regulations, including nonessential elements and clothing or other items/accessories worn by a rider (including but not limited to helmets, glasses, shoes or in-race communication devices) which could modify riders’ morphology.”
If a rider is found to be using “non-essential” clothing, they can face disqualification and a fine of 50-200 CHF (£46-184/ $62-248).
WielerFlits suggested riders at the Tour de France Femmes could be checked in private by a female jury member. But it is unclear how the race jury will implement its checks ahead of today’s 21km time trial through the Côte d'Or.
Koen de Kort, Lidl Trek’s head of technical and innovation, told The Athletic that the team had found differences between push-up bras and sports bras.
“The problem is how are you going to police it?” De Kort said. “That’s the biggest issue. You can say it’s not allowed (but) how can you say how much a woman needs? That’s time to get pretty much into a gray area of what you’re allowed to check.”
An aerodynamic advantage
Increased volume around the chest area can act as a chest fairing for men and women.
Research suggests chest fairings provide an aerodynamic advantage. A 2024 study found the largest chest fairings give a 3.6% drag reduction and save at least 0.78 seconds per kilometre. It added that a chest fairing “can decide who wins or loses a time trial”.
The study said chest fairings have been used in competition, a claim Wielerflits also made.
While a specific communique around chest fairings is unusual, the UCI has recently taken measures to prevent riders from tweaking their body shape.
In June, cycling’s governing body adjusted its rules to prohibit jerseys with front pockets. It said that nutritional products in these pockets are “extremely difficult” to access during a race but that they “result in significant alterations to the riders’ body shape”.
At the men’s Tour de France, the UCI also prohibited the use of ice socks on the stage one time trial because of how they change a rider’s morphology. Some queried this measure due to the extreme heat at the race.
