One of the priorities of the UCI is that all cyclists and countries have fair and equitable access to sports equipment, with equal conditions for all competitors. These regulatory obligations are of particular importance within track cycling, and with the aim of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The material subject to regulation are frames, forks, seat post, front and rear wheels, handlebars, extensions, clothing (overalls, underwear, gloves, socks and boot covers) and helmets.
To this end, it promulgated a regulation on said material, which must comply with the UCI regulations, and in particular with article 1.3.006, in two aspects:
It must be verified by the UCI if it is currently in the prototype phase. For this, it has to be presented and used in one of the 2023 Nations Cup sleeves or, at the latest, in the Glasgow World Cups in August of this year. It must be marketed before January 1, 2024.
The Federation that is going to use any novel material must complete a specific form and send it to the UCI at least 21 days before the event in which the UCI wants to inspect said material. An inspection that will be done by scanning, weighing and measuring it, although in certain cases drawings of it in 2D or 3D may be presented.
The material that will be analyzed in each of the four tests will be published one week before it, as is the case of the one that will be inspected in Cairo.
All the authorized material will be published in a specific list, as happened with the material authorized for Tokyo, which does not need this exam, even though it is no longer on the market. The most remarkable thing is that this material, authorized and marketed, may be used by any Federation, not only by the one that requested its authorization.
Several cyclists are already testing the material that must be approved through this procedure, although the official response is still imprecise. The subject of the presentation to the UCI of the new materials that can be used in the Olympic Games is still under control, so if necessary they will be presented in the events that reflect the material validation process communicated by the UCI.