Recent fatal crashes prompted the UCI to introduce multiple safety initiatives that have drawn sharp criticism from riders, teams and engineers for being slow, inconsistent and illogical. Engineering leads warn that cycling risks a watershed safety moment comparable to motorsport tragedies unless decisive measures are taken. A central controversy concerns proposed maximum gear ratios aimed at limiting extreme speeds, with a 54x11 (10.46 metres per crank revolution) ceiling causing friction with manufacturers such as SRAM and raising questions about enforceability and real safety benefits. The Tour of Guangxi will serve as a test event for the gear-ratio measures.
The issue of safety has dominated professional road cycling since the tragic deaths of Gino Mäder at the 2023 Tour du Suisse and Muriel Furrer at the 2024 UCI World Road Championships. The sport's international governing body has reacted by rolling out a series of initiatives that have been met with a mixed reaction, as critics contest that their reforms are too slow, inconsistent and even illogical.
Dan Bigham, head of engineering at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, went so far as to say that without effective safety measures, the sport is close to its 'Formula 1 Ayrton Senna moment'. "Roland Ratzenberger died, and no-one noticed. A day later, Ayrton died and it changed everything," he told the audience at this year's Science & Cycling Conference in Lille, France, his point being that the sport cannot wait for a superstar like Tadej Pogačar to be seriously injured or worse before taking serious safety steps of change.
The Tour of Guangxi is off the radar of many and, in athlete circles, is arguably seen as a cool-down into the off-season. The six-stage Chinese race takes place in October, with past winners including Tim Wellens, Enric Mas and last year's victor, Lennert Van Eetvelt of Lotto. However, this year Guangxi holds special significance as it will double as a test event for the main source of Bigham's ire in Lille: maximum gear ratios. More specifically, restricted gear ratios, which the UCI says will limit extreme rider speeds that they deem a safety risk factor. The equivalent of 54 x 11 (10.46 metres per crank revolution) is the ceiling, presenting a groupset stumbling block for SRAM and its common 54-tooth and 10-tooth pairing.
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