Cycling’s governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), has announced it will be making a major change to its three-kilometer rule for 2025, wherein riders who are involved in a solo crash during flat stages only will not be awarded the same time as the finishers.
Currently, riders who are affected by punctures, mechanical problems, or crashes three kilometers or less from the finish are given the same time as the group they were riding in. However, as of January 1, 2025, if a crash only involves one rider, the individual will be subject to lost time.
Oddly though, if the incident involves a puncture or a mechanical problem, the old rule will still apply. But, in the case of a solo crash, the rider will not benefit from the rule. Moreover, the rider’s finishing time will also effect his or her position in the overall standings.
The reason for the rule change is presumably to avoid situations like what happened in stage 11 of this year’s Tour de France when Primoz Roglič crashed inside the final three kilometers while he and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) were chasing leaders Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Jonas Vingegaard, whereby he was awarded the same time as Evenepoel.
Additonally, to strengthen the new, the UCI has also announced that race organizers will be required to install equipment at the three kilometers to go banner to ensure riders’ numbers are registered at that point in the race.
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