The UCI Management Committee confirmed on 5 June that it has amended the ad hoc regulation governing Belarusian and Russian participation in international cycling, following its meeting from 2 to 4 June in Desenzano del Garda, Italy.
The changes follow an IOC Executive Board recommendation issued on 7 May 2026 that lifted all restrictions on Belarusian athletes. The same meeting also reshaped equipment rules, including a ban on front jersey pockets from 1 July.
The revision covers three areas: Belarus is removed entirely from the scope of the ad hoc regulation; junior Russian riders no longer need to apply for Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) status; and riders who hold AIN status may now compete together in team events that require collective participation.
The ad hoc regulation was originally adopted on 28 February 2022 in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with support from the Belarusian government. Under the version in force since June 2023, national teams from both countries were barred from the UCI International Calendar, riders needed AIN status or an eligible club-team route to compete, and all national symbols, flags and anthems were prohibited.
What changed
Belarus is now outside the regulation altogether. Belarusian national teams and athletes are authorised to enter events on the UCI International Calendar, including UCI World Cups and UCI World Championships. All restrictions on protocol matters, symbols and emblems have been lifted.
The two countries are being treated differently because of their respective positions within the Olympic movement. The IOC said on 7 May that its recommendation no longer applied to Belarus, but confirmed it did not extend to Russia, where the Russian Olympic Committee remains suspended.
Russian junior riders holding Russian sporting nationality, and their support staff, are now exempt from the requirement to apply for AIN status to enter UCI International Calendar events. They remain subject to the neutrality provisions in the ad hoc regulation and its Annex 1. Any reference to Russia is still prohibited on start lists, results sheets and television graphics. National emblems and symbols remain banned on riders' jerseys and equipment, despite the Russian Cycling Federation's recent request for its junior riders to race under the national flag.
For senior Russian riders, the broader AIN framework remains in place. AIN riders may now compete together in team events whose format requires collective participation.
UCI ad hoc regulation, before and after
Changes confirmed 5 June 2026
Category | Previous rule | June 2026 rule |
|---|---|---|
| AIN team events | ||
| Belarus | ||
| Russian juniors |
The revised rules apply across the UCI International Calendar, covering road, track, mountain bike, cyclo-cross and other disciplines. The authorisation for Belarus and the junior Russian exemption take effect ahead of the second half of the 2026 season, with UCI World Cups and the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montreal (20–27 September) among the events on the calendar.
Front jersey pockets banned
The Management Committee also moved against an aerodynamic trend it says has been creeping into the bunch. From 1 July 2026, any pocket on the front of a jersey is prohibited, with the sole exception of one used to hold a radio communication device.
The UCI said it had observed riders early in 2026 wearing jerseys with front internal pockets stuffed with nutritional products that mostly went unused, since they were difficult or impossible to reach in race conditions. It argues the practice alters riders' body shape and points to recent studies it says show an aerodynamic advantage, though the scale of any gain is unclear and the trend has drawn little attention in the professional peloton so far.
On that basis, and citing a link between aero gains, higher speeds and crash severity alongside a question of sporting fairness, the UCI ruled that jersey pockets must sit exclusively on the rear of the garment.
The front pocket isn't an aero trend we had observed, and in that sense is a surprising target for the UCI among more dramatic changes.
Gear ratio test stays suspended
In a separate decision, the Committee noted that the UCI's Maximum Gear Ratio Test Protocol remains suspended after the Brussels Court of Appeal dismissed its appeal against the Belgian Competition Authority's October 2025 ruling, which we covered at the time.
Recommended by SafeR, the test was designed to gauge rider opinion on whether gear limits could improve safety in professional road racing. The UCI, citing concerns over the low threshold the BCA applied for interim measures and the limited scope of the appeal review, confirmed it intends to take the case to the Belgian Court of Cassation.
Cover image credit: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
