This will change in 2024: Tougher penalties, new heat protocol, tramadol ban

With effect from 1 January 2024 not only the minimum wages are rising in cycling. As announced in mid-November, the UCI has also adjusted the catalogue of penalties. In particular for smaller races in the men's category (.2 races), women's races below the Pro Series and the entire U23 and junior category, sanctions were introduced for offences that previously only applied to important races.

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However, the elite themselves will also be asked to pay more from now on, especially for breaches of clothing guidelines. Anyone who is not dressed in accordance with the rules on the podium, for example, will in future receive a fine of 500 Swiss francs (CHF) as well as up to 15 UCI points deducted. Incorrect clothing, such as socks that are too high in the time trial, can in future be penalised with up to CHF 2000 in addition to a disqualification. In addition, the team will have to pay up to CHF 500.

Riders who have abandoned or been disqualified and still have their race number on their jersey or frame when crossing the finish line will also pay at least CHF 500 at the Olympics, World Championships or in the World Tour. For rain jackets without a team name or with a different design to the jerseys, from 2024 it will no longer be the riders but the team itself that will be fined (CHF 500).

Up to five-minute time penalties possible

In future, circumventing or preventing equipment checks before or after a race will also be penalised more severely. This will mean exclusion for the rider and the entire team. There will also be more expensive penalties (up to CHF 1,000) for eating within the last 20 or 30 kilometres before the finish. Slipstreaming will become more expensive, as will any other illegal assistance from the support vehicle - including for the sports director and the driver of the vehicle. Not only can they be penalised with up to CHF 2000 like the athlete themselves, they can also be moved to the back of the convoy or excluded altogether. Time penalties of up to five minutes are possible for the athlete.

In addition to CHF 200 and up to 15 points deduction in the UCI ranking according to the latest regulations for stage races, pushing off vehicles, other riders or even spectators can also mean deductions in the points or mountain classification, in extreme cases up to 100 per cent.

New in the catalogue of penalties: If a rider is absent from the start without a valid justification after having previously confirmed their participation, they may face a fine of at least CHF 500.

Heat protocol to be introduced

In addition to the sometimes seemingly obscure regulations, the UCI is also endeavouring to better protect the health of riders. Among other things, the world governing body wants to introduce a new heat protocol. It is to be submitted to the UCI Management Committee for approval at its next meeting at the end of January and will serve as a supplement to the protocol for extreme weather conditions introduced in 2015, which, in addition to heat, also includes all other extremes such as the opposite, wind or heavy rain.

In principle, the heat protocol should function in the same way as the overarching extreme weather protocol. If the conditions at a race make it necessary, a working group will be convened by the President of the Race Commission at the request of the UCI, teams, riders or the organisation in order to agree on a plan to reduce the health risks. In concrete terms, for example, start zones could be moved to shaded areas, additional motorbikes could be made available to provide cold drinks or ice, start times could be changed or individual sections of the race could be neutralised.

Compared to the extreme weather protocol, the heat protocol is intended to enable a simpler and more objective assessment of environmental conditions based on real-time data relating to temperature and humidity. However, if it is approved at the UCI Congress as expected, some of the races in which it could potentially be used will already be history. The races on the Australian continent, such as the Tour Down Under or the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Race, which, like the AlUla Tour on the Arabian Peninsula, often suffer from extreme heat, will already have been completed or be in full swing.

WADA places Tramadol on the doping list

On 1 January 2024, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will add the painkiller tramadol to the list of banned substances. This also has an impact on how the opiate is handled in cycling. The UCI had already had the drug on its own banned list since March 2019. However, if it was discovered in athletes during blood analyses following a race, this did not justify a doping ban, but only exclusion from the current competition or the disqualification of the results provided. However, it did not result in a ban from further races.

If athletes show traces of tramadol in their bodies during future doping tests, this will change. The reason for the previous UCI ban was that tramadol was only banned in competitions for medical reasons, as it can lead to drowsiness and the risk of addiction. A performance-enhancing effect is not attributed to the drug. However, this no longer plays a role if it is on the WADA list. Bans are then possible.

As the UCI announced in mid-December, three cases of tramadol use were detected in 2200 tests carried out after road races, each of which was punished as a first offence with a disqualification and a fine. At the 2022 Tour de France, two samples from Nairo Quintana were (Arkea-Samsic) was conspicuous, most recently Alex Baudin (AG2R Citroen) subsequently disqualified from the Giro d'Italia 2023because tramadol was detected in his body.

Brake handles in the field of vision

Neither pro was officially banned from racing. However, Quintana was no longer considered by his team after the Tour and was without a contract in 2023. He will rejoin Movistar for the new season. Neo-pro Baudin also stopped racing after the disqualification became known in August, but will be reintegrated into the team for the new season, as the team, which now operates under the name Decathlon - AG2R La Mondiale, recently announced.

The ones that can now be found on many professional bikes have also come into focus, brake levers turned inwards to provide an additional aerodynamic advantage. The UCI recently announced its intention to address the issue, as this would severely restrict braking performance. Although a concrete regulation for handling has not been announced until 2025, restrictions on extreme positions are to be considered as early as 2024. However, it is not yet known what exactly this might look like.

What will no longer play a role in 2024, however, is the Covid-19 protocol, which has been adapted to the current situation every year since its introduction in 2020. If there is no rapid increase in the number of cases in the new year, there will be no new guidelines in this regard - apart from the usual hygiene rules.