Riders' clothing checked at women's Tour over bra padding concerns

Tour de France Femmes officials implemented equipment checks to prevent riders from using bra padding and other items as aerodynamic fairings, according to BBC Sport. Padding in bras could result in riders gaining one second per kilometre, and other items have been inserted into a skinsuit around the chest area to smooth airflow around the body.

Race organiser ASO issued a statement following Dutch media reports of concerns some riders had used bra padding as aerodynamic fairings. According to the statement, riders must be at final checks before the race, covering bikes and outfit, no later than 10 minutes before their respective start time. Particular attention will be paid to compliance with article 1.3.032 of the UCI regulations, including non-essential elements and clothing or other items and accessories worn by a rider, including helmets, glasses, shoes, and in-race communication devices, which could modify riders' morphology.

Riders could face disqualification from a race and a fine of nearly 200 pounds. The practice had been seen previously in women's cycling, including at the Paris 2024 Olympics, according to Dutch outlet Wielerflits.

A study by researchers at universities in Scotland and the Netherlands found that fairings can give rise to significant drag aerodynamic reductions, and that wider objects yielded the largest gains.

However, enforcing the rule presents practical challenges. Lidl-Trek's head of technical and innovation, Koen de Kort, said, "The problem is how are you going to police it? That's the biggest issue. You can say it's not allowed but how can you say how much a woman needs? That's time to get pretty much into a grey area of what you're allowed to check." The UCI's rule prohibits clothing "not strictly necessary for the functionality of the clothing, or other item, or accessory", a standard that relies on judgment about what constitutes legitimate undergarment versus aerodynamic enhancement.