September 20/17 8:12 am - UCI Announces Peloton Size Changes & New MTB Event

Posted by Editoress on 09/20/17
 

As usual, the various Commissions at the UCI meet at the Road Worlds and approve changes to regulations, etc.  This year in Bergen is no different, and a number of announcements were released last night:

• To improve the safety of the riders, spectators and the race convoy, the UCI Management Committee decided to limit the peloton size to a maximum of 176 riders in all events on the UCI International Road Calendar. Therefore, a maximum of 7 riders will now be allowed per team in all men's road races (except Grand Tours, 8). In the UCI Women's WorldTour, there will be a maximum of 6 riders per team in one-day races, 7 in stage-races.

• In mountain bike, the addition of a Cross-country Short Track race (XCC) to the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup programme was confirmed. Both spectator and TV friendly, the XCC race will now take place at every round of the Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup. The 20-minute XCC race will occur on a wide and flowing 1 to 1.5 km long course (2 to 3 minutes per lap), using the XCO Start/Finish straight and line, and will determine the line-up of the XCO race - with the top-16 riders occupying the first two rows.

• Significant increases in the overall prize monies for UCI Mountain Bike World Championships (+67% - from €6,000 to €10,000) and UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (+64% - from €3,950 to €6,500) were also agreed.

• Following a successful first season and review of feedback from riders and teams, the UCI Management Committee has updated the new format of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup so that only the top two riders - instead of the top four - will progress from the Last Chance Qualifier phase of each World Cup stage. The method of heat seedings in place prior to the beginning of the new World Cup format will also be reinstated.

• The system of awarding UCI BMX Permanent Career Numbers - to be renamed 'International Elite Numbers' - will be updated to provide top BMX racing riders a stronger marketable identity around a number which they have the exclusive right to use for a period of time. From 2020, the top 40 men and top 40 women in the UCI BMX Ranking of 31st December, Tokyo 2020 Olympians, and all present and past Olympic and World Champions still active at the Elite level will be allowed to either keep their existing permanent number, or choose a new one between 10 and 99. These numbers will be awarded until the end of 2024, when this system will be repeated.

• The UCI Management Committee also validated the launch of the UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup in 2018. With the support of the Indoor Cycling World Wide Association, the series will contribute towards existing efforts to increase the number of nations participating in the discipline. It is anticipated that in its first season, the UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup will comprise four rounds: Prague (Czech Republic) in February, Heerlen (The Netherlands) in May or June, Hong Kong (China) in August and Erlenbach (Germany) in November.