UCI likely to lift earpieces ban

VATAN, France (Reuters) - The International Cycling Union (UCI) will decide on Thursday whether to lift a radio ban for the 13th stage of the Tour de France.

"(Tour organisers) ASO have asked me whether it is possible to allow earpieces on Friday's stage," UCI president Pat McQuaid told Reuters on Wednesday.

"I have asked my managing committee to reply on the issue and the decision will be announced tomorrow."

An experiment to ban all communications between riders and their team cars took place in Tuesday's 10th stage.

But most teams, who oppose the radio ban, rode the stage at a leisurely pace in protest against the decision.

"We did not ask for the ban to be lifted," ASO general manager Yann Le Moenner told Reuters before the start of the 11th stage, a 192km ride from Vatan to St Fargeau.

"The UCI asked us if we'd agree to have the earpieces back in Friday's stage and we said why not," he added, noting that the 10th stage showed teams opposed the ban.

"It was useless to try and impose a decision on the teams against their will," he added.

"It shows the strength of team managers in front of riders and organisers," he added.