UCI to ban the ‘super tuck’
A number of new regulations were created to make racing safer
Photo by:
Sirotti.it
On Thursday, the UCI announced a number of updates to its rules that it says will improve safety protocols. The safety provisions, written after three days of video conferences with teams, riders, and organizers, are intended to make racing less dangerous. One of the most notable changes is a ban on the ‘super tuck’, which will be enforced starting April 1.
The ‘super tuck’ is an aerodynamic position that has become more popular in recent seasons. Riders sit on the top tube and hunch over the bars—Chris Froome used the ‘super tuck’ to win stage 8 of the 2016 Tour de France, which drew attention to the position.
The ban on the ‘super tuck’ is part of the UCI’s new rules against dangerous conduct. Throwing bottles onto the road will also be prohibited outside of allotted areas.
One of the biggest announcements is stronger regulations around barriers and roadside barricades. The stricter barrier rules were created following Fabio Jakobsen’s horrific crash on this year’s opening stage of the Tour of Poland. The UCI will impose rules for the positioning and weighting of barricades and will standardize barrier regulations by 2022.
RELATED: Massive crash mars sprint finish at Tour of Poland
UCI management
The updated safety protocols will be managed by the newly created role of UCI Safety Manager which will be filled by Former pro and Tour de Romandie organizer Richard Chassot. He will deal with licensing for drivers in the race convoy, provisions related to the COVID-19 pandemic and a database to track safety incidents.
“After 2020, a year in which the UCI invested a great deal to successfully ensure the staging of a maximum of major events despite the COVID-19 pandemic, it will continue to follow the evolution of the situation with all its stakeholders and adapt its measures, notably its health protocols, to ensure the season 2021 runs as smoothly as possible,” says UCI president David Lappartient.
