UCI disqualifies five teams from Tour de Romandie Féminin calling refusal to use tracking tech “deplorable” 

UCI disqualifies five teams from Tour de Romandie Féminin calling refusal to use tracking tech “deplorable” 

29 riders have been disqualified with EF Education – Oatly saying they are “shocked and disappointed” by the UCI's decision

Luc Claessen / Getty Images


The UCI has disqualified five teams from the Tour de Romandie Féminin after their refusal to use GPS trackers which it has labelled “deplorable”.

The technology is being trialled at the race ahead of all riders being required to use GPS trackers at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda. The trial required one rider per team to carry a GPS tracking device.

“The decision of these teams to oppose the specific rules for the event is surprising, and undermines the cycling family’s efforts to ensure the safety of all riders in road cycling by developing this new technology,” the UCI, cycling’s governing body, said in a statement. 

“It is deplorable to witness the refusal of certain teams to move forward together to protect the safety of riders, and the UCI condemns their non-cooperation,” the UCI said. 

The measure is part of the UCI’s SafeR initiative, which aims to enhance rider safety in professional road cycling, and follows the death of 18-year-old Muriel Ferrer following a crash in a junior race last year. 

The teams that refused to use the tracking devices and were therefore disqualified are: 

  • Canyon//Sram zondacrypto
  • EF Education – Oatly
  • Lidl –Trek
  • Team Picnic PostNL
  • Team Visma – Lease a Bike

A statement published by EF Education – Oatly said: “We are shocked and disappointed by the UCI’s decision to disqualify several teams, including ours, from the Tour de Romandie Féminin.

“Earlier this week, all affected teams sent formal letters to the UCI expressing support for rider safety but raising serious concerns about the unilateral imposition of a GPS tracking device to just one of the riders per team.”

EF Education - Oatly  professional cyclist.
EF Education - Oatly said “We are shocked and disappointed by the UCI’s decision”. Pim Waslander / Getty Images

The team said that they made clear to the UCI that they would “not select a rider ourselves, nor install, remove or maintain the device.” 

“The UCI or its partner was free to select a rider and install the device at their own liability if they believe they are in their right to do so,” they added. 

They added that the UCI chose to impose this measure “without clear consent”, and that it is unclear why the UCI did not want to nominate riders to trial the GPS trackers.

“[T]he UCI commissaires were unable to demonstrate on the basis of which precise UCI rule teams are obligated to discriminate one rider against other riders in terms of obligations (except for officially referring to an email of the teams’s union) but have nevertheless decided to carry on and disqualify the teams with their riders,” the statement continued. 

“This action disregards the rights of teams and riders, applies the measure in a discriminatory manner, and contradicts the UCI’s own stated commitment to dialogue with stakeholders.” 

A total of 29 riders have been disqualified with only 63 riders finishing today’s stage 1 of the Tour de Romandie Féminin.