The Tour Down Under is adapting to new UCI regulations effective 2025 which confine food and water hand-ups to designated feed zones. This shift follows concerns over safety and reckless driving by team staff, sparked by relaxed hand-up policies during the pandemic. Teams struggled to manage logistics as feeding points became scattered, leading to dangerous conditions. Brent Copeland, the AIGCP president, emphasized the importance of prioritizing rider safety while ensuring they remain hydrated, especially in hot conditions, showcasing a balancing act between safety regulations and rider needs.
"If the group comes past and they're really going fast, you have to wait for the dropped group to get bottles, [then] jump in the car and race to the next one before the group goes past. We've heard of and seen a lot of speeding, a lot of reckless driving, and we dread the day that a terrible accident happens outside of it."
"We're trying to avoid all of these factors within reason and obviously, the priority is the safety and wellbeing of the riders, without having them going into dehydration, and using common sense when there are hot days."
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