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The UCI will test gearing restrictions at the 2025 Tour Of Guangxi. Dario Belingheri \/ Getty Images<\/p>\nLast Friday, SRAM announced it is taking legal action against the UCI, in a dispute over the cycling governing body\u2019s proposed maximum gearing protocol.<\/p>\n
The protocol\u2019s objective is to limit speeds achieved by riders and hence improve rider safety, following a number of high-profile fatalities when descending at speed in races, most notably those of Gino M\u00e4der and Muriel Furrer, both last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The UCI refers to the new protocol as a \u201ctest\u201d at a single race, the Tour of Guangxi, taking place in China in mid-October, although it says additional events may follow.<\/p>\n
Banned gearing
\nThe UCI will test gearing restrictions at the 2025 Tour Of Guangxi. Dario Belingheri \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n
The number for the maximum gearing is 10.46 metres of forward motion per pedal revolution. It\u2019s a figure that\u2019s dependent on the bike\u2019s gearing, but also the tyre width (and hence its circumference).<\/p>\n
In real terms, this means the maximum gear a cyclist could use in a race would be a 54×11-tooth, when paired with a 28mm-wide tyre.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And therein lies the problem. SRAM (and Campagnolo with the launch of its Super Record 13<\/a> groupset) produces cassettes that start at 10 teeth, and SRAM\u2019s pro riders often opt for a crankset with a 54-tooth outer chainring. Under the new rules, this combination would be banned.<\/p>\n The UCI\u2019s solution? Make pro teams block off the 10-tooth sprocket, so they can\u2019t use it, reducing their 12-speed groupsets to 11-speed.<\/p>\n So why is SRAM taking legal action against the UCI?\u00a0 SRAM has filed a complaint with the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA), which has in turn launched anti-trust proceedings against the UCI.\u00a0<\/p>\n The basis of SRAM\u2019s complaint<\/a> is that it is the only major manufacturer whose current pro team gearing will be blocked by the new regulation. Shimano cassettes still have an 11-tooth smallest sprocket and are paired with a 54\/40t crankset. Campagnolo currently only supplies Team Cofidis and its Super Record 13 groupset offers cassettes with 11-tooth smallest sprockets as well as 10-tooth ones.\u00a0<\/p>\n So, according to SRAM, the regulations \u201chinder innovation, limit rider choice, and unfairly disadvantage SRAM riders and SRAM\u201d. It reckons it would take years to engineer a drivetrain that conformed to the UCI\u2019s regulation.<\/p>\n \u201cLack of transparency and collaboration\u201d<\/p>\n SRAM says the UCI leadership has refused to engage with it, over multiple attempts, and that \u201cthe lack of transparency and collaboration left legal action as the only remaining path forward\u201d.<\/p>\n It claims that its gearing \u201chas been publicly labeled as non-compliant, creating reputational damage, market confusion, team and athlete anxiety, and potential legal exposure\u201d.<\/p>\n It further claims that the new ruling was made without any consultation, transparency, supporting evidence or safety justification and distorts competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n An open letter from SRAM\u2019s CEO\u00a0<\/p>\n SRAM\u2019s CEO, Ken Lousberg, published an open letter<\/a> explaining why the company filed a formal complaint with the BCA.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the letter, Lousberg wrote: \u201cThe UCI\u2019s new Maximum Gearing Protocol is set to restrict the equipment many of you rely on to ride and race at your best. It limits choice, stifles innovation, and unfairly targets SRAM riders \u2013 and SRAM itself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve tried to engage the UCI, cycling\u2019s governing body, in good faith, but our concerns went unheard. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve taken legal action \u2013 not just to protect SRAM, but to protect the right to compete on equal footing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not asking for much. We simply want our racers to compete on a level playing field, and for the industry to be recognized and included as a core stakeholder \u2013 working together to make our sport safer for athletes and more inspiring for fans,” the letter went on.\u00a0<\/p>\n Focus on course design SRAM says it crunched the numbers for the 2025 Tour de France and found that crashes on descents were rare, and that there was no correlation between higher gearing and crash risk.\u00a0<\/p>\n SRAM claims better course design will do more to improve rider safety \u2013 and it\u2019s not alone in this belief.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dan Bigham, head of engineering at Red Bull \u2013 Bora \u2013 Hansgrohe, presented his research into gearing restrictions at the Science and Cycling Conference in Lille earlier this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bigham said the restrictions would have no impact on the speed of the peloton, so they would not improve safety<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Instead, Bigham proposed four pillars to focus on: course design, bike design, rider protection and medical response.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have the power to make changes. But restricting gear ratios simply distracts from making meaningful changes to rider safety,\u201d said Bigham.\u00a0<\/p>\n The UCI responds twice <\/p>\n
\n![\"SRAM](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Parlee_ouray_07_russ_burton_1.jpeg\")
SRAM says the regulations “hinder innovation, limit rider choice, and unfairly disadvantage SRAM riders and SRAM”. Russell Burton \/ Our Media<\/p>\n
\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-2159717294.jpg\")
Better course design will do more to improve rider safety, according to SRAM. Marco Bertorello \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n