Transfer windows and drones among UCI ideas to boost cycling

Transfer windows, team budget caps and drones replacing convoy vehicles at races are three of the ideas to boost cycling in a new report from the sport's global governing body.

The Union Cycliste Internationale's (UCI) report, entitled "Future of Cycling", examined road cycling and heard from 55 stakeholders including professional teams, national federations, race organisers and some riders.

It aims to turn a "large but passive audience into active, loyal fandom", admitting cycling's under-35 audience was "under-represented" and there was a need to "strengthen its appeal".

"While the sport today enjoys strong and growing popularity across five continents, its media exposure and the revenue it generates for its stakeholders do not yet fully reflect its potential," it said.

Among the most frequently referenced recommendations were:

A more coherent race calendar based on geography with fewer overlaps

More predictable rider participation in races alongside transfer windows and fees

Simplifying the ranking and category system

A stronger second division with clearer pathways

A financial fairness mechanism, such as a budget cap on teams

The combined total budget of professional UCI tour teams in 2025 was £731m (850m euros), but individual team budgets vary.

Long-discussed budget caps, aimed at evening out the peloton and increasing "financial fairness", would improve the attractiveness of the sport for investors according to the UCI.

But it admitted any such mechanism remains the biggest point of difference for stakeholders and would be at the heart of upcoming discussions.

Meanwhile work on a new transfer system and rider-agent regulation was already under way, it said.

One of the main pillars of the report was safety. Its publication comes a month after the death of Welsh teenager Finlay Tarling who was in collision with a non-race vehicle at the Volta a Portugal.

The UCI said it had seen wide support for stricter, evidence-based course-design, minimum standards for barriers and protective infrastructure around climbs and descents, with several contributors calling for greater use of circuit-style finishes.

It recommended reviewing the number of convoy vehicles – especially motorbikes - and greater use of drones.

Also, it noted near-universal backing for GPS tracking and some interest in features such as brake lights.

UCI president David Lappartient said road cycling was "experiencing unprecedented growth".

He added: "That success comes with responsibilities.

"The first of these responsibilities is safety. It is not negotiable, and it will move forward at an even faster pace than the other parts of the reform."

The riders' union, the Cyclistes Professionnels Associes (CPA), has been approached for comment.