Tour de France Femmes riders subject to checks for alleged aerodynamic chest padding

Riders in the Tour de France Femmes were examined for hidden aerodynamic enhancements, specifically padded chest fairings, before the race’s time trial stage to Dijon on Tuesday. UCI commissaires conducted the inspections as part of efforts to enforce rules against artificial alterations to a rider’s physique.

Changes to body morphology to improve aerodynamics are banned under International Cycling Union rules, and officials were searching for padded chest fairings that could smooth airflow and reduce wind resistance. The UCI directive for extra checks came after some teams reported noticing alterations to rider physiques ahead of time trials. In June, Jan‑Willem van Schip was disqualified in a French race for inserting a water bottle into the front of his racing jersey on the basis that it enhanced his aerodynamics and speed.

Stijn Steels, director of the AG Insurance‑Soudal team, said he first noticed suspicious padding at the Paris Olympics in 2024 and described how riders had attempted to increase bust volume. “There was a rider who suddenly had huge breasts,” Steels told the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste News. “Last year, many riders filled their bust area completely with ice or other items to create a larger volume, which gives a much better aerodynamic effect. It’s only a few watts difference [in power], but a few watts matter a lot in a time trial. It’s possible and it does make a difference, but I wouldn’t risk it.”

Stephen Delcourt, manager of the race favourite Demi Vollering’s FDJ United‑Suez team, rejected the practice and supported controls. “We never play with the rules like this. If they want to have controls for this, it’s because someone is doing it. Every season everybody does more work in wind tunnels and looks at equipment from the handlebars, the bike, the helmet. But we don’t play with the rules, we are always transparent.”

Marianne Vos, former world champion and teammate to the defending Tour de France champion Pauline Ferrand‑Prévot, said she backed the clothing inspections. “It’s good that they try to enforce the rules,” Vos said. “Everybody is looking for the best aerodynamics, so there are some games. But there are rules to live by.” She added: “I don’t think it’s really body searching, so I don’t have a problem with it, as long as it’s not too invasive.”

Rolf Aldag, team manager to Kasia Niewiadoma, winner of the Tour Femmes in 2024, likened the spot checks to standard anti‑doping procedures and argued they were necessary. “You have to enforce the rules,” Aldag said. “Otherwise, don’t make them. If there’s something to check, then it should be checked. They do that every time they do a doping control. So do we question doping controls? If we question it due to the privacy of an athlete, then you have to skip doping controls too, which we all agree that we should not do. It’s the same rule for the men and they would also be checked. I think there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Bert Blocken, professor of aerodynamics, aerospace and mechanical engineering at Scotland’s Heriot‑Watt University, explained the potential performance effect, saying a chest fairing can change airflow and reduce aerodynamic drag. “You don’t gain tens of seconds on a time trial, but over 20-30km, it can make a decisive difference,” Blocken said, adding it could mean a gain of 0.78 seconds per kilometre. The UCI directive has prompted accusations of sexism because no clothing checks were carried out either before, or after, the men’s Tour de France time trial between Évian‑les‑Bains and Thonon‑les‑Bains on 21 July.

Philip Roodhooft, manager of the Fenix‑Premier Tech team that won three stages in the men’s Tour in July, said he was not surprised riders were experimenting but called the practice cheating. “When you see that the men try things with water bottles placed in strategic spots, then I can imagine that women are thinking about it as well. Still, it’s not good that it happens because it’s still cheating.”

The UCI has instructed that selected riders undergo extra checks before the Dijon time trial to ensure compliance with rules on “non‑essential items or other accessories worn by a rider that could alter their physique”, and teams were notified of that approach ahead of the stage.