Rider disqualified for wearing camera goggles during race, complains of double standards in Tour de France filming

This year we have seen riders disqualified from racing for a variety of reasons. Among them are Lorena Wiebes’s underweight bike, Jan Willem Van Schip’s riding position and inappropriate clothing, and Filippo D’Aiuto’s too-narrow handlebars.

Over the weekend, another strange disqualification was added to the list – a driver was removed from the race due to the use of wearable technology.

Former Katusha and Burgos rider Willie Smith, who rode for Chinese team Anta-Mentech this year, said on social media on Sunday that he was disqualified from the first stage of the Tour of Magnificent Qinghai for wearing video goggles.

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“Today I was disqualified for the first time in my cycling career (14 years) for wearing video recording glasses,” Smith wrote on X.

“Unfortunately, I was not aware of the new rule that was put in place in April prohibiting this. A warning, fine or yellow card could also be enough.”

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The rule he refers to is UCI Regulation 1.3.006 bis regarding the use of on-board technology. The regulation allows the use of devices that collect a variety of data, including: “Image: still or moving images or footage taken from a bicycle (such devices may only be mounted on a bicycle if the specific rules of the discipline do not allow the wearing of such devices by riders).”

Video goggles are not subject to this rule, so the penalty for using such a “prohibited on-board technological device” is tantamount to a “refuse to start, expulsion or disqualification.”

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As a result, Smith was disqualified from the first stage in Qinghai, a 120.6 km sprint stage in Xining, which was won by Li Ning Star’s Alexander Salbi.

A closer look at the Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses – the same ones Smith wore. (Image credit: Will Jones)

“But I have a hard time understanding why in the Tour de France you can literally vlog with a camera in your hand, which is perfectly legal… but because the camera is in your glasses you get an automatic disqualification?!” Smith wrote.

“Yes, if I had known about this rule, I would never have posted it on social media. Either way, I’ll take it by the chin.

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“Here is the video that got me disqualified and the other video is just to show what appears to be completely legal. Lastly, my glasses have absolutely no AI capabilities unless used with a phone. So they can’t do anything on the bike other than record video!”

Smith illustrated his post with a video he recorded while wearing sunglasses and a video of Tom Skuins at the Tour de France, although the Latvian was recording with a seemingly legal handheld camera rather than video recording glasses.

Last year, our senior tech writer Will Jones reviewed the glasses Smith uses for the vlog—the Oakley Meta Vanguard AI glasses—and described them as “technically brilliant but undeniably creepy.”

We’ll wait to see if the UCI updates its rulebook, but the creep factor – the 12MP camera and Meta AI goggles have raised concerns about covert shooting – seems likely to overshadow their usefulness.

Today, for the first time in my cycling career (14 years), I was disqualified for wearing video recording glasses. Unfortunately, I was not aware of a new rule put in place in April prohibiting this. A warning, fine or yellow card could also be enough. But what… pic.twitter.com/II7nRUPKsEJuly 12, 2026