Professional cyclist Willie Smit went 14 years without being disqualified from a race. Then he put on a pair of smart glasses.The 33-year-old South African veteran cyclist was removed from the opening stage of the Tour of Magnificent Qinghai after officials determined that his video-recording glasses violated Union Cycliste Internationale rules governing onboard technology. Smit, who was racing for China’s Anta-Mentech Cycling Team, announced the disqualification on X and posted footage captured from the glasses during the race.
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“Today I was disqualified for the first time in my cycling career,” Smit wrote. He said he had not known about the restriction and argued that “a warning, fine or yellow card” would have been enough.
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Why did smart glasses break the rules?The rule is fairly simple once the technical language is stripped away: Cyclists can record races, but the camera generally has to be attached to the bicycle. Riders cannot wear a recording device on their bodies unless the rules for that particular type of cycling specifically allow it.Smit’s camera was built into his glasses, though, which meant it was sitting on his face rather than mounted on his bike. The UCI confirmed that newer smart glasses capable of recording video are therefore prohibited during its sanctioned competitions. Breaking the rule can result in a rider being prevented from starting, eliminated, or disqualified. Smit was disqualified after completing the first stage.Smit described the restriction as a new rule introduced in April. The section of the UCI rulebook covering onboard technology was first added in 2021, although the organization has continued updating its equipment rules as cameras, GPS computers, sensors, and other devices have become more advanced.He also questioned why cyclists at the Tour de France have been allowed to film during stages while his glasses produced an automatic disqualification. Smit pointed to footage of Lidl-Trek rider Toms Skujiņš interviewing fellow cyclist Victor Campenaerts in the middle of a Tour de France stage.
