7 Takeaways from the UCI's 2024 Rule Changes
The UCI has released a set of amendments for its 2024 World Cup & World Championships rule books and there are a number of interesting tweaks that come into force on January 1. These changes include a pregnancy status for a rider's ranking, a reworded ruling on start grid bumps for Road and Cyclocross riders in World Cup XC races and some smaller updates including mandatory B Zone cleaning. Here are the most interesting bits.
Pregnancy Status
One of the biggest changes to mountain bike event regulation for 2024 so far is the inclusion of a new pregnancy status that will help to protect the ranking of a rider who was absent after starting a season due to pregnancy.
The UCI's new 4.10.012 ruling details that if a rider only takes part in less than three World Cup rounds in a season due to pregnancy then their national federation or team can apply for a new "recognition of pregnancy status". A rider who is granted the new status will be placed into the starting ranking using points determined by calculating the average points gained from the races the rider attended multiplied by the number of rounds they missed. The rule states that this ranking will only apply for the first World Cup round the rider attends in the following season.
 | If due to pregnancy a rider took part in less than three rounds of the UCI World Cup in a season, the national federation and the team may apply to the UCI for recognition of pregnancy status. An application must be received at the UCI in writing no later than December 31st of the disrupted season. A rider with pregnancy status shall be integrated in the ranking that is used to determine the start list, with the number of points determined according to following calculation: the average points gained per round in which the rider took part multiplied by the number of rounds of the UCI World Cup season during which the rider was absent due to pregnancy. Such benefit shall be limited to the first round of the UCI World Cup in which the rider takes part during the following season. |
We Could be Getting EDR & E-EDR World Championships
Included in the updated World Championship rule amendments is the change that mountain biking will now have ten disciplines offering rainbow jerseys. The list of events sees EDR, E-EDR and snow bike racing added for next year. More on that shortly.
There aren't many details of what this actually means in terms of events but the EDR/E-EDR racing will feature separate categories for Men and Women aged 17 and over. It's important to add that the E-EDR racing will be totally different to the already established E-MTB category as one focuses on enduro racing and the other on XC.
Road and CX grid rankings
After facing anger from top riders at this year's XC World Championships over a last-minute rule change on start grid positions, the UCI have added further clarification to the placement of top road and cyclo-cross riders in the front start rows.
The previous rule stated that "the place 33rd to 40th will include any riders ranked in the top 10 of any individual UCI world ranking of any cycling discipline," but the new addition adds a slightly more complex way of ordering riders from 33rd to 40th.
From the start of 2024, these grid positions will be given firstly to riders who place in the top 10 of the cyclo-cross rankings or the top 20 of the road individual rankings. The rule will see no change for riders crossing over from cyclo-cross but now anyone in the top 20 of the road standings can cross over without building up a ranking at smaller mountain bike events before attending a World Cup. For reference, Mathieu Van Der Poel is seventh in the road rankings and fourth in cyclo-cross so these rule changes would not make a difference in his eligibility to race XC World Cups.
Following the addition of any road or cyclo-cross riders the grid will continue with the most recently published UCI XCO individual rankings. To stop any last-minute changes at the 2024 World Champs the same rule has been applied to the separate World Championship rule book.
| Place 33rd to 40th of the start order will be allocated to riders ranked in below rankings, unless they are listed on the start order between the place 1st to 32nd according to point 1 and 2 above: • top 10 of the UCI cyclo-cross individual ranking • top 20 of the UCI road individual world ranking The place 33rd to 40th will be allocated following the rank of each rider, whatever the ranking: UCI cyclo-cross or UCI road world ranking. If two or three riders have the same ranking, they will be placed by drawing lots. |
Mandatory B Zone Cleaning
After a number of riders picked up injuries after crashing off the course and hitting objects in the track B Zones, 2024 brings with it a new rule under 4.3.007 which states "B zones must be cleaned to avoid any hidden obstacles and to be safe." While this may seem like a pretty obvious rule previously race organisers only had to ensure that had placed B zones in "fast and dangerous sections" according to the diagram below.
20 Junior Women Will Now Compete at DH World Championship Finals
In a small update to the rule 9.2.038 around qualifying at a DH World Championships, the UCI has increased the number of Junior Women qualifying to finals from 15 to 20 riders. There will still be 80 elite men, 40 elite women and 60 junior men making it to finals.
Camera Rule Changes
The UCI's 4.1.042 rule around cameras being worn by riders has been slightly reworded with it now specifically mentioning riders mounting cameras on the bike or the visor/peak of a helmet. Before the rule stated, "the riders are
responsible for securing the fixation of the cameras in order to avoid any danger." Now the statement reads as follows: "The riders are responsible for securing the fixation of the cameras on the bike or on the visor/peak of the helmet in order to avoid any danger."
The full 4.1.042 rule reads as follows:
| Cameras are not permitted during final for cross-country and during qualifying rounds and final for downhill/four cross/cross-country eliminator. The riders are responsible for securing the fixation of the cameras on the bike or on the visor/peak of the helmet in order to avoid any danger. The UCI can decide to allow a camera during final but only for the usage of the TV production company. Comment: 1. see also, in particular, articles 1.3.001-1.3.003 and 1.3.031 Part 1 of the UCI Regulations 2. cameras may be used during training sessions in DHI (article 4.3.021) under the conditions laid down in this article. |
Shorter Finals Day Training Sessions
Another tiny wording change to the rule book for next season is the required time for qualified riders on finals day. Previously the 4.11.006 rule stated riders who qualified for finals were given a training period of at least 60 minutes, but for 2024 this requirement has been cut to 30 minutes. While this does allow for longer training periods organisers will now only need to ensure they offer a 30-minute window for practice instead of the 60 minutes previously.
| The organiser must ensure that the following minimum training program is provided. Three days before the final an on foot downhill course inspection period must be provided for the riders. The course must be fully marked and cordoned off. No bikes are allowed on the course during the on foot downhill course inspection. One day before the final a training period will be provided. A training period that is reserved only for the riders qualified for the finals must be provided, on the day of the final. This training period must last for at least 30 minutes. |
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Dullard.
Which doesn’t sound the same as men’s and women’s champ for EDR & men’s and women’s champ for E-EDR.
The only joke about E EDR is the dumb name. E bikes are perfect for Enduro racing because you can climb back up quickly several times without wearing yourself out on the climb. It's essentially the same as Enduro racing except more interesting.
E xc, snow biking, and pumptrack racing on asphalt while calling it mountain biking are bigger jokes. Regular Enduro racing is more of a joke considering the history of doping and cheating, and the consistently awful coverage.
Amish EDR will always be shit to me because it's the reason World Cup DH sucks now.
So, my buddy, who is a beast and had won the masters DH overall before, demolished all the stages, only to loose 30 seconds in that climb and loose the race along with it.
None of the participants was happy about it, because that climb was decided on the capacity and health of your battery, and the torque of your bike, rather than bike handling and fitness.
If I had any doubt, that's what convinced me that Ehbike racing, at least in it's current format, is stupid.
Off course the cyclists are only 42kg wet, because that's where the advantage of an e-bike resides.
That's like saying that F1 isn't a viable form of racing because they have electronically assisted boost. Or electronically controlled aero. Or extreme-e is not a viable form of racing because they're electronic vehicles. Etc etc.
Or that they shouldn't allow electronic vehicles to race at the salt flats.
Nah... racing anything is part of nature. You just create their own categories or series and let them race each other. Develop rules, etc. You don't want to watch it don't watch it. Don't want to race it, don't race it.
The important part is to maintain category integrity.
It's how it done in ALL forms of racing.
You can easily say that... battery must be between size x and size w. Batteries bust weigh between x and y. Motor class can only deliver nm between x and y. Etc. Create a spec. Minute differences can make a difference but that's how it is in all racing.
Whose suspension set up is best for the track that day. Tires. Etc.
You don't think Bruni got a bump in the flats by having a DH bike that he can lock out? How many other people did you see have that technology? Do you think that will become more common in the future? Of course it will.
To me that's a bigger issue than whether we let e-bikes race each other. It's a question of how much electronic tech do you want to allow in REGULAR racing.
That's pretty bad and unfair.
More here: www.pinkbike.com/news/top-xc-racers-criticize-last-minute-uci-rule-change-around-elite-start-order.html
7. Kebab
6. Fried Chicken
5. Pizza
4. Thai
3. Fish and Chips
2. Indian
1. Chinese
But in general the top 3 seem to be some combination of
Chinese
Mexican
Pizza
Italian/Sushi/Thai all mixed in there from 4-8.
This was a pretty solid list though:
Chinese
Mexican
Italian
Thai
Indian
so again, if a rider doesn't make it n the tv appearance, you can not see how he/she was doing
not sayin all need to have full tv coverage, but not permitting them to publish private race footage makes all the not top 5 riders more and more invisible
and yep i think the "TV" footage last year was more than lame.. not mocking the commentators, but camera angels, missing/failing split time display, what sections were covered/shown oer rider...
yay its great footage when not 20 rider is shown just for the finish jump out of angle and you do not get the splittimes displayed.....
All my local races have clydesdale groups, it's only a matter of time.
Sentiment aside, the truth is that most ebikers I know don't ride further, they ride the same loops quicker and take more time at the cafe/pub at the end. Horses for courses I guess.