The level of detail in the landmark ruling is far broader than a simple gear limit rule, and the fallout could reshape the balance of power between the UCI, the industry, and teams.
Escape, Cor Vos
The Belgian Competition Authority’s (BCA) decision to suspend the UCI’s proposed gear-ratio limit rule didn’t just halt the contentious trial safety intervention; it might well have handed the UCI one of its most significant legal rebukes ever. In a 69-page decision published [PDF, en Francais seulement] on Thursday, the BCA found that the UCI’s “Maximum Gear Ratio Standard” was introduced without transparency or consultation, discriminated against one manufacturer, and breached competition law.
While the order doesn’t necessarily mark the end of gear ratio limits and the UCI could still attempt to revise its plans, the ruling effectively leaves the proposal on life support, since any future move must now involve the manufacturers affected, including SRAM.
But the judgment’s real weight lies in its potential precedent, which is far broader than the gear-limit fight itself. It establishes that when the UCI’s equipment rules have commercial consequences, as they almost always do given its commercialisation rule, those rules fall squarely within the scope of EU competition law.
For the first time, a regulatory authority has said that the UCI’s power to make and enforce technical rules is not absolute but subject to objectivity, fairness, and due process. The immediate result is the suspension of the gear ratio trial, but the longer-term consequence may be far greater: the UCI can no longer simply do as it sees fit.
SRAM wins legal battle with UCI over gear limits
The Belgian Competition Authority ruling calls into question the UCI’s unilateral authority to create rules. So what’s next?
Whether the UCI presses on or ultimately accepts the ruling, this case has already redrawn the boundaries of the governing body’s power. It may yet redefine how future developments in equipment and technology gain approval or become banned in the professional peloton. Here’s how the decision went against the UCI and the potential fallout from it.
Key details from the BCA hearing and decision
The Belgian Competition Authority hearing took place on 3 October 2025 in Brussels before the BCA’s Competition College. While the proceedings were confidential, the decision published on the BCA website and sources with close knowledge of the proceedings offer a glimpse inside.
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