World cycling’s governing body will use a GPS tracking system for all riders at the Road World Championships.
The UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) has confirmed the system will be introduced to enhance rider safety at the tournament in Rwanda.
The trackers are being introduced to establish the position of every rider following the death of Muriel Furrer during the junior women’s race at last year’s Road World Championships in Zurich.
The 18-year-old Swiss cyclist crashed and was left unconscious in a wooded area for about an hour and a half as organisers were unaware she was stationary and in need of help.
The UCI has banned radio communications between riders and teams during the worlds for about the past 15 years.
The safety tracking technology was tested during the Tour de Romandie Feminin in Switzerland last month.
The UCI disqualified five teams from that race, external as they refused to elect one rider from their team to test the under-saddle device.
The UCI said the system will “enable real-time monitoring of data regarding the position and speed of the entire peloton, thus allowing for immediate identification of any unusual situations, such as a rider suddenly stopping on the course”.
UCI president David Lappartient said the system’s introduction “is important and necessary progress”.
The Road World Championships will take place in Kigali, Rwanda from 21-28 September.