With just days to go until Paris-Roubaix, UCI has reported banned Visma-Lease a Bike from using self-inflating tyre tech, angering the team's Head of Performance, Mathieu Heijboer, who has called it "no coincidence".
The system, known as KAPS (Kinetic Air Pressure System), was developed by Dutch company Gravaa and was first used in a WorldTour race in March 2023 by Edoardo Affini.
Whether Visma-Lease a Bike has any official affiliation with Gravaa is unknown, but the technology has been tested and raced extensively by the team in the years since, with various riders using it at each edition of Paris-Roubaix since, and perhaps most famously, it was piloted to victory by Marianne Vos at the Gravel World Championships in 2025.
Gravaa, as a company, went out of business in January, but the team has continued to use it.
Speaking on the Dutch In De Waaier podcast and reported by Nieuwsblad, Heijboer said: "We further developed it and tested it extensively during the winter; however, two weeks ago, we received a letter stating that it is banned by the UCI. Then it stops all at once.
"We received no announcement that this was coming; there was simply that letter. In fact, we even rode the GP Denain [on March 19] with it.
"The GP Denain is the biggest cobblestone race [behind] Roubaix. It is also our final competitive test, and at that time, there was nothing going on. But now, suddenly, [it is banned] right before Roubaix. That is no coincidence."
The UCI's 'Commercialisation' rule - Article 1.3.006 of its Technical Regulations - states that "Equipment shall be of a type that is sold for use by anyone practicing cycling as a sport."
There is a grace period of 12 months for prototype equipment, which is extendable once, but only based on "justified grounds."
It goes on to say that commissaires may "refuse the start or disqualify any rider using such equipment," and that breaches of this rule are subject to fines ranging from 5,000 to 100,000 swiss Francs.
According to Heijboer, despite the bankruptcy, the Gravaa company was relaunched soon after, and it is still possible to order the system, but there is no time to argue the case before Paris-Roubaix, given the amount of preparation the team needs to make to be ready for the race.
"A [company] restart was made shortly [after the bankruptcy], but due to the whole situation, the UCI doubts its commercial availability. And they have said, 'We are banning it for the rest of the year.'
“You can order one if you want," he continued. "So you can understand that we were utterly astonished. It was communicated on such short notice that we simply have to accept it.
"We have considered appealing, but that also entails a whole procedure. And given our previous experiences, we do not think this has a chance of success in such a short timeframe.
"The penalty ranges from a warning to disqualification, and you’re not going to take that risk. Plus, [Paris Roubaix] takes quite a bit of preparation time. Over the past two weeks, our mechanics have been preparing hundreds of sets of wheels. You can’t postpone that until the Saturday before Roubaix.
"Quite soon after that letter, we decided to cut our losses; we are not going to ride with them. We are going to challenge this, but for now, it is too late."
The news will be a blow to Wout van Aert's hopes of stealing victory from his rivals. The Belgian comes into the race as a second-tier favourite behind Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar.
Despite back-to-back crash-marred seasons, he has looked close to his former self in 2026, riding solo into third at Milan-San Remo, missing out by a hair at Dwars Door Vlaanderen, and being the fastest to react to Pogačar's stinging Oude Kwaremont attack in last week's Tour of Flanders.
"We have a lot of faith in the system and have tested it extensively," Heijboer reiterated. "It's a real shame that it is now suddenly no longer allowed, and for very unclear reasons."
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