The UCI is ready to make use of funds from the SafeR security mission to struggle a authorized battle in opposition to SRAM, creating a unprecedented state of affairs by which some groups will successfully be funding litigation in opposition to their very own sponsor.
The dispute surrounds the UCI’s plans to restrict the dimensions of gears utilized in races. Believing such a measure may enhance rider security, the game’s governing physique was set to check a Most Gear Ratio Customary in 2025 however SRAM launched authorized motion and scored a victory by anti-trust proceedings lodged with the Belgian Competitors Authority.
The UCI had already introduced its intention to enchantment, and Cyclingnews can now reveal the way it will fund this course of and and the way the jurisdiction of the case has divided biking’s stakeholders.
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In accordance with a abstract be aware obtained by Cyclingnews and confirmed by a number of sources, UCI President David Lappartient requested for the sports activities’ stakeholders to assist authorized proceedings throughout a latest assembly of the SafeR Supervisory Board. The be aware doesn’t specify what steps are to be taken past ‘authorized motion’ however in principle the UCI is ready to enchantment the BCA’s verdict.
Cyclingnews understands the UCI has ring-fenced €300,000 from SafeR’s finances for its authorized battle with SRAM and the Belgian Competitors Authority. It’s unclear how this may influence SafeR’s finances and work to enhance security in professional biking.
In accordance with the be aware seen by Cyclingnews, the shortage of unity amongst stakeholders sparked Lappartient to suggest that UCI world additionally take over administration of SafeR, decreasing the opposite stakeholders’ commitments and affect. This can be mentioned on the subsequent UCI Administration Committee in the summertime.
The background
The dispute in regards to the Most Gear Ratio Customary started after the UCI introduced plans to restrict the utmost gear ratio of the chainring and cassette to a distance lined per pedal revolution of 10.46 meters, or an equal of 54×11. The take a look at was as a result of be carried out on the finish of season Tour of Guangxi WorldTour race in China.
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The UCI’s Most Gear Ratio Customary was based mostly on tyre measurement of 28mm. Nevertheless, groups usually use larger tyres and so would fall foul of the rule in the event that they used 30mm tyres and a gear of 54×11. The implementation of the ruling, as initially proposed in 2025, would have solely been enforced based mostly on gear ratios, nonetheless, without any consideration given to tyre measurement.
The SRAM cassette is designed round a 10-tooth smallest sprocket and so when used with a 54-tooth chainring, wouldn’t respect the Most Gear Ratio Customary. Utilizing a smaller chainring would depart the SRAM-equipped groups at a drawback, as would someway manually blockading the ten-tooth sprocket, one thing which may very well be achieved in an analogous method to how Lidl-Trek modded their derailleurs to make a 13-speed setup 12-speed for Paris-Roubaix.
Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, Movistar, Lidl-Trek, NSN, EF Training-EasyPost, Uno X Mobility, Decathlon CMA CGM, Pinarello-Q36.5, Visma-Lease a Bike and CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto all used SRAM elements in 2025, with most of the groups thought of as events within the BCA verdict.
Initially, all SafeR stakeholders, in addition to SRAM, accepted the Guangxi exams. Nevertheless, SRAM later introduced a authorized problem to the UCI’s proposed rule through the Belgian Competitors Authority in September, claiming the principles unfairly deprived SRAM-equipped groups in addition to disparaged SRAM within the highway drivetrain market.
“This protocol penalizes and discourages innovation and places our riders and groups at a aggressive drawback,” SRAM CEO Ken Lousberg stated in a press release despatched to Cyclingnews on the time.
The BCA dominated that the UCI’s Most Gear Ratio Customary didn’t meet the required circumstances of objectivity and transparency and “generated disproportionate unfavourable results on a sports activities gear provider, specifically SRAM.”
The UCI withdrew the take a look at in China however lamented that security was not a shared goal and questioned the worldwide authority of the BCA. “The UCI expresses its shock on the intervention of a contest authority on a topic desired by all stakeholders of biking […] particularly contemplating that the choice is issued by a Belgian authority responding to a grievance from a US firm in opposition to a Swiss sports activities affiliation concerning a take a look at to be carried out on Chinese language territory,” learn a UCI assertion in October.
Now the UCI plans to enchantment in opposition to the ruling, utilizing funds from the SafeR mission – and subsequently cash instantly invested by SRAM-sponsored groups – to fund the authorized battle.
The UCI has not responded to Cyclingnews’ request for remark. SRAM declined to touch upon the matter.
