the chips on the bikes. The rule in force from the Tour de France- Corriere.it

THEDiscreetly glued to the frame (“so that they are not visible to spectators”), to the bicycles of all the riders of the next Tour de France (men and women) there will be non-removable tags measuring 4×2 centimeters with a remotely monitored radio frequency identification (RFID) chip inside. This is explained by a protocol (17 pages, in theory secret) approved three weeks ago by the International Cycling Union: it circulates and causes discussion at the Giro d’Italia. The goal is, within one year in all races, «to promote correct and equitable access to equipment, ensuring fair competition and safety».

By June, all Tour teams will have to apply Rfid tags to each frame and register all spare parts: wheels, handlebars, helmets. Anyone caught with an unregistered piece will be “investigated and fined”. The initiative, unprecedented, aims to prevent fraud but also accidents like those of yesterday. Some teams, in the absence of controls, would use non-regulatory and often extreme technological solutions, favoring speed at the expense of safety: bikes that are too light, frames and handlebars designed to induce dangerous aerodynamic positions, non-approved disc brakes or wheels and not tested by the judges federal. In that gigantic caravanserai which is a grand tour it is impossible to carry out punctual checks during the race.

Since the athletes have the habit of changing bikes or wheels several times, depending on the route, the replaced ones end up in cars that go directly to the hotels. The labels will allow you to monitor the movement of the materials and understand where that wheel has ended up (and how many times it has been changed) or that frame to check its regularity.