The UCI will test a GPS-based safety tracking system during the Tour de Romandie Féminin. The race takes place from August 15–17. It as part of a broader effort to improve rider safety in professional road cycling.
The pilot program, carried out in collaboration with race organizers and teams, will see one rider per team equipped with a GPS device. According to the UCI, the objective is to “refine the UCI’s safety tracking software and establish protocols to provide real-time data to race control, medical teams and UCI Commissaires.”
That same technology is expected to be rolled out in full at the 2025 UCI road world championships in Kigali, Rwanda, where every rider will be required to carry the device.
“This represents an important step forward in ensuring the safety of riders,” the UCI said in a statement, noting that it will continue working with stakeholders to expand the use of such tools across the racing calendar.
The initiative is part of the federation’s partnership with SafeR, the recently launched rider-safety body supported by the men’s and women’s professional pelotons.
Muriel Furrer, 18, died from injuries sustained in a crash during the junior women’s road race at the 2024 UCI Road World Championships in Zurich. She lay undiscovered for over an hour after veering off course into a forested area, raising concerns about the absence of real-time GPS tracking during the race.