Le steering committee of the International Cycling Union met on January 29 and 30 in Beveren, Belgium, on the sidelines of the Cyclo-cross World Championships. Several decisions were made, particularly regarding safety. A call for expressions of interest has been officially launched for the airbag development designed to protect runners in case of a fall.
« The primary focus is on manufacturers or laboratories working on such airbags, in order to define with them a framework and standards to be adopted to allow the development and use of airbags in cycling, as well as manufacturers of cycling apparel, in order to consider with them the integration of airbag solutions into clothingand, at the same time, exchange ideas and propose solutions to strengthen the protection of cycling apparel " the UCI press release states.
The organization is also counting on different studiesThe one on barriers will soon enter its final phase, the one on " the detachment of the wheels and tires » will start in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Milan, and another, dedicated to falls and aerodynamics, will aim to to propose solutions to improve runner safety using various digital simulations ».
UCI President David Lappartient welcomed these upcoming developments: Innovations like the bicycle airbag show that the stakeholders can working together to develop concrete and effective solutions to better protect the runners. The studies underway or about to be launched also illustrate our commitment to relying on the best experts to continuously improve safety in cycling. »
