Electric bikes have been a point of interest—and contention—in competitive cycling for the last few years. Now, Europe is breaking new ground by adding sanctioned e-bike racing to the sport's official calendar.
The European Cycling Union (UEC), a federation of pro cycling governing bodies for the continent, announced at its annual meeting this week that it will create a new racing circuit for e-bikes in the 2019 season. Called the "UEC Formula E-Bike," the new classification will include both e-road and e-mountain bikes.
The UEC still needs to work out the regulatory details, such as maximum speeds and what kinds of electrical assistance (pedal vs. throttle) will even be allowed. Its management board says it's in talks with engineers and manufacturers to get an idea of how to best oversee this new racing category.
While e-bike competitions do exist, none are currently sanctioned by any of the sport's official governing bodies. Informal events, like the e-mountain bike races introduced at the Sea Otter Classic in 2016, have proven especially popular. Still, the addition of e-bikes to the professional level will surely cause some debate.
"We are aware that cycling is undergoing a period of radical change and our main objective must be to reach as many fans, athletes, and others that we can," UEC president Rocco Cattaneo said in a press release.
The announcement came during the week of the Cyclocross World Championships, and the irony will not be lost on competitors: Two years ago, pro cycling got its first mechanical doping scandal when rider Femke Van den Driessche abandoned the U23 Women's race after officials found a motor in one of her pit bikes.
Van den Driessche would later show up at the Sea Otter Classic's first e-MTB event, to a mixed reception from the cycling community.
Why open higher-tier races to e-bikes, if the bikes are so controversial? It likely has to do with bringing in (and retaining) more viewers, whose numbers have been lagging in recent years. That goal is evident in another change announced by the UEC this week: shortening event lengths across all categories in the European Road Race Championships.
If the aim is to keep fans excited, shorter races and whole new circuit for an ever-more-popular form of riding might do the trick.
