SRAM has said it welcomes the suspension of the UCI\u2019s planned trial of gearing restrictions, after the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) ruled yesterday that the initiative may breach competition law and unfairly harm SRAM and its sponsored teams.<\/p>\n
The American brand brought the case to the BCA last month<\/a> and said the cycling governing body\u2019s planned trial of gearing restrictions at next week\u2019s Tour of Guangxi unfairly targeted its equipment. It alleged that the UCI\u2019s protocol was \u201cadopted without consultation or transparency\u201d and amounted to an abuse of competition law.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In a statement released yesterday, SRAM said: \u201cOn October 3, SRAM participated in an emergency hearing before the Competition College of the BCA in Brussels to contest the UCI’s newly imposed gearing restriction \u2013 a rule that was fundamentally unfair to SRAM riders, teams, and SRAM itself.<\/p>\n \u201cThe BCA initiated formal anti-trust proceedings under European and Belgian competition laws on September 17. Nine professional cycling teams voluntarily joined the process to oppose the restrictions.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the hearing, SRAM and the teams advocated for an open, non-discriminatory, and objective rule-making process in professional cycling \u2013 one that ensures a level playing field, fosters meaningful safety improvements, and respects rider choice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The UCI issued its own statement explaining that the trial at the Tour of Guangxi will not go ahead, but it criticised the BCA\u2019s intervention \u201con a subject desired by all stakeholders of cycling\u201d, referring to the ongoing discussion around how to improve rider safety.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, SRAM\u2019s CEO Ken Lousberg said it is time to \u201creshape how the sport\u2019s key stakeholders engage\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe UCI, teams and riders, sponsors, race organizers, and the cycling industry must collaborate to build a better future for the sport and its fans. The best outcomes happen when everyone has a seat at the table,\u201d Lousberg said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re more optimistic than ever that through open communication and shared goals we can create a safer, more inclusive sport. Innovation and safety are not opposing forces \u2013 in fact quite the opposite. They go hand in hand,\u201d\u00a0 he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gearing restrictions and their effect on rider safety has been a contentious debate throughout the current road cycling season. Critics have claimed it would have no effect on peloton speeds<\/a> and even claimed it would \u201cmake everything more dangerous<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n The debate is part of a wider controversy over the UCI\u2019s new technical regulations, which include rules on handlebar width, wheel depth and helmet design<\/a>, and has prompted widespread criticism of the governing body.\u00a0<\/p>\n