The Tour de France will start in Lille this Saturday. While the spotlight will naturally be on the riders, led by Tadej Pogacar, the bikes—and more broadly, the equipment—will attract some of that spotlight. The last three editions have been the fastest in history, with average speeds of 42,030 km/h in 2022, 41,820 km/h in 2024, and 41,427 km/h in 2023. This trend could end in the coming years, as the International Cycling Union has decided to regulate equipment in order to reduce rider speeds, and therefore safety risks.
Standards for handlebars, forks and rims
From January 1, 2026, riders' bikes will have to meet several criteria: a minimum handlebar width of 400 mm, a minimum width of 320 mm measured between the brake levers, a maximum internal fork width (115 mm at the front and 145 mm for the rear triangle), as well as rims limited to 65 mm in height. Air penetration will inevitably be affected, with the consequence of reducing speeds. The UCI will also conduct a test limiting the maximum gear ratio – " approved by all families ", recalls the authority - during a stage race in the second part of the 2025 season.
« The maximum gear ratio allowed in this context will be 54 x 11, or 10,46 m traveled per crank turn. The limitation of maximum gear ratios aims to limit the speed reached in competition. It is indeed proven that the very high speeds reached today by riders constitute a risk factor for their safety. The events during which the tests will be carried out will be communicated later ", specifies the FI. Marc Madiot, boss of the Groupama-FDJ team, was in favor of the speed limit, like his rider Valentin Madouas, in L'Equipe : " Since I turned pro, I've been taking a tooth a year. Before it was 52 x 11, 53, 54, now there are stages where you put 55 or 56. How far will we go? (…) The faster you go, the longer your braking time will be and the more you'll have crashes with big piles. 54 x 11 is already very good. »
What should be done about increasingly violent crashes in a peloton that's racing at full speed? Several former and current riders offer ideas to make cycling safer and crashes less dangerous.
— The Team (@lequipe) June 19, 2025
Crash, peloton under tension - a documentary @lequipeEXPLORE pic.twitter.com/hmcwPIeeRe
A broad consultation of the peloton
The UCI justified its decisions in a press release published on June 20. These changes are part of a global approach aimed at ensuring ever safer and fairer competition conditions, in a context marked by rapid technological advances and a significant increase in racing speeds which could have repercussions on the safety of riders.she explains. Several of these measures respond to recommendations made by SafeR, the organization dedicated to improving safety in men's and women's professional road cycling. They were developed following extensive consultation involving riders, teams, and organizers, including the distribution of questionnaires to the entire peloton. »
The UCI has already banned riders from resting on their frame tubes – the famous "Mohoric position," which is aerodynamic but considered dangerous – and from riding with their forearms resting on the handlebars. It recently extended its yellow card system to punish risky behavior. It is also studying the use of airbags for runners, as well as the feasibility of a device measuring the distance between runners and vehicles in the race convoy. Slovenian runner Matej Mohoric raised another possibility: "Forcing us to use slower tires, with which it would be difficult to go over 50 km/h. It's totally possible, and it would make things safer because if the tire is slow, it would also take corners better, it would have better grip, the braking distances would be shorter." The ideas box remains open.
