The Uci Has Confirmed That All Riders At The Road World Championships Will Receive A GPS Tracker. The System is intended to promote Safety But caused a conflict between Several Teams and the International Cycling Union Last Month.
Duration the World Championships in Rwanda (September 21-28), Riders Will Have A GPS Tracker Under Their Saddle. If a rider makes a saudden stop, for example, due to a fall, the system will detect it. In Such a Case, The Medical Services Will Imediately Receive the Rider’s Exact Position.
This aims to prevention accident like the one last year. At the Road World Championships in Switzerland, Muriel Furrer died after Lying Unnoticed on the side of the road for an hour. The Eighteen-Year-Old Swiss Woman later died in The Hospital.
The Initiative is a collaboration between the uci and safer, an organization dedicated to improving Safety in Cycling. “The Introduction of the GPS System is an Important and Necessary Step Forward,” Said Uci President David Lappartient in A Statement.
“Thanks to this system, any incident or accident that may gone unnoticed can be quickly identified, and the person involved as quickly as possible by the people alreamy on-site and by mobilizing the emergency services.”
Teams Refused GPS Tracker Duration Test in Romandie
The Uci had PreviOutly Announced the Introduction of the System at the World Championships, but there was much criticism in the lead-up to the championships. Last Month, the System was Tested Tour de Romandie, With Each Team Required to Designate One Rider to Test the System.
Five teams refused to wear the GPS tracker. They did not want to install the systems on the bikes themelves, be response for the system in the event of accidents, or select a rider Themselves. These were Visma-Lease A Bike, Team Picnic PostNL, Lidl-Trek, Canyon-Sram, and EF Education-Oatly.
This was Against the Uci’s Wishes, which Disqualified The Teams Involved Before the Start. The Cycling Union Pointed Out That Some of the Teams Involved had Been Investing in A GPS System From Velon For Years, Similar to the System the UCI Wants To Use. The Teams were reportedly afraid that their investment in it had Been for Nothing.
The Teams Said in a Joint Statement that they had Expressed Their Support for the Test But that they Felt the Uci Should Take Responsibility for Selecting the Riders and Installing the Device.