UCI introduces harsher fines for non-compliant clothing for 2024

The UCI has amended its regulations for the 2024 season to introduce harsher fines for clothing infringements, while riders can also now be docked UCI points for certain assistance, repairs or feeding violations.

Any riders who wear non-compliant clothing will now face a fine of up to 2000 Swiss Francs (£1805 / $2262 / €2075) as from January 1, 2024, when the new regulations come into effect. That’s on top of the existing threat of elimination or disqualification.

Teams will also be subject to a similar punishment and can be fined between 250 to 500 CHF per rider that breaks the rule.

Covering everything from sock height to jersey colour, many riders have fallen foul of the UCI’s clothing regulations over the years, including Annemiek van Vleuten at the 2022 World Championships in Wollongong, Australia.

Riding with a fractured elbow, the Dutchwoman took an unlikely victory, although it came at a cost as she was fined 500 CHF for wearing an aero suit that differed in colour and fabric from what her Dutch teammates were wearing.

Catching more of the headlines, Van Vleuten was then fined 200 CHF for breaking the controversial sock height rules. Introduced in 2019, the rule dictates that a sock or overshoe can’t go above the middle of the lower leg, which is essentially halfway between the ankle and knee.

Van Vleuten’s socks clearly surpassed this point, leading to the fine, but things could have been much worse, and dramatic, had the maximum disqualification penalty been implemented.

In a raft of harsher penalties, the UCI has also upped the fine for failing to wear the race leader’s jersey from 500 CHF to 1000 CHF. It has taken a different tact for anyone wearing non-compliant clothing for podium ceremonies, as riders in the men’s WorldTour can now be docked up to 15 UCI points, on top of a fine of 500 CHF, or 5 points in the Women’s WorldTour.

This is an approach the UCI has taken with many of its other changes, specifically for assistance, repairs or feeding violations. Anyone in the men’s WorldTour caught illegally drafting behind a vehicle can be docked 15 UCI points, while the figure stands at 5 points for the women’s WorldTour.

Riders can also be docked time within the current regulations, with Carlos Rodríguez losing 20 seconds after being found guilty of drafting on stage 20 of the 2023 Tour de France.

The same punishment applies to anyone who pushes off against a car, motorcycle or rider, which presumably includes sticky bottles, something Elisa Balsamo was disqualified from Paris-Roubaix for in 2022.

© Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images

Elisa Balsamo was disqualified from Paris-Roubaix for a sticky bottle

Elsewhere, the UCI has altered the wording so that riders can now only take spare bikes from cars “in the convoy”, with a new 500 CHF fine for any sports directors who break the rule.

It’s not all bad news for riders in the Women’s WorldTour, who face lower fines for illegal feeding in the first 30km of one-day races, although that doesn’t extend to the men’s WorldTour, where the fine remains at 200 CHF.

Finally, anyone who partakes in unauthorised feeding in the last 20km of a stage during a men’s WorldTour stage race will have to pay a higher 500 CHF fine, but they could also be docked 20% of their points in the mountain or points classification.

You can check out the fully amended UCI regulations for the 2024 season here.

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