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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Jeremy Whittle in Dijon

Tour de France Femmes cyclists face checks for aerodynamic-boosting chest padding

The peloton passes through the village of Chexbres during the second stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes
The peloton passes through the village of Chexbres during the second stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes. Photograph: Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone/AP

Riders in the Tour de France Femmes were examined for hidden aerodynamic enhancements, or chest fairings, before the race’s time trial stage to Dijon on Tuesday, in a clampdown on the latest attempts to circumnavigate cycling’s rules.

Changes to body morphology to improve aerodynamics are banned under International Cycling Union rules. The UCI’s commissaires were looking for padded chest fairings that would artificially improve airflow and reduce wind resistance.

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