Isle of Man cyclist Becky Storrie was caught up in a disqualification storm on the UCI World Tour last week.

The 26 year old from Ballasalla and her Team Picnic PostNL colleagues were one of several teams to have been kicked out of the Tour de Romandie Féminin, which was due to get underway in Switzerland on Friday.

The row stems from UCI’s (Union Cycliste Internationale) introduction of new GPS tracker systems which are being trialled by the sport’s governing body ahead of the forthcoming World Championships which take place in Rwanda next month.

According to Cycling Weekly, five teams were excluded from the Tour de Romandie as a result of not nominating a rider to use the GPS tracker, not for refusing to use the new system altogether.

A UCI spokesperson said: ‘The decision of these teams to oppose the specific rules for the event is surprising, and undermines the cycling family’s efforts to ensure the safety of all riders in road cycling by developing this new technology.

‘As communicated in the specific rules for the event and in accordance with articles 1.3.073 and 2.12.007/3.5.3 of the UCI Regulations, teams were required to designate one rider on whose bike the GPS tracker would be fixed.

‘Teams were given further explanations during the sport directors’ pre-event meeting. The UCI regrets that certain teams have objected to the test by not nominating a rider to carry the tracking device and have therewith opted to be excluded from the Tour de Romandie Féminin.’

In reply though, the five teams in question – Storrie’s Picnic PostNL outfit along with Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, EF Education-Oatly, Lidl-Trek and Visma-Lease a Bike – issued a joint statement on Friday.

This read: ‘[The] teams are shocked and disappointed by the UCI’s decision to disqualify several teams, including ours, from the Tour de Romandie Féminin.

‘Earlier this week, all affected teams sent formal letters to the UCI expressing support for rider safety but raising serious concerns about the unilateral imposition of a GPS tracking device to just one of the riders per team.

‘Teams made clear that: we would not select a rider ourselves, nor install, remove, or maintain the device; and the UCI or its partner was free to select a rider and install the device at their own liability if they believe they are in their right to do so.

‘Despite our cooperation and the existence of a proven and collaborative safety tracking system already tested successfully in other major races (fully operational for the whole peloton and offered to the UCI), the UCI has chosen to impose this measure without clear consent, threaten disqualification and now exclude us from the race for not selecting a rider ourselves.

‘The reason why they don’t want to nominate a rider themselves is still unknown and unanswered.

‘Despite multiple requests by the teams over the last two days, the UCI commissaires were unable to demonstrate on the basis of which precise UCI rule teams are obligated to discriminate one rider against other riders in terms of obligations (except for officially referring to an email of the teams' union) but have nevertheless decided to carry on and disqualify the teams with their riders.

‘This action disregards the rights of teams and riders, applies the measure in a discriminatory manner and contradicts the UCI’s own stated commitment to dialogue with stakeholders.

‘We are always at the forefront to make cycling a safer sport, but it should be achieved through collaboration, not coercion.’