Pro Cyclist Willie Smit Disqualified From Race After Wearing AI Glasses During Competition

Smart Glasses Just Got a Pro Cyclist Nixed From a Race

There are lots of ways to get disqualified from a cycling race, but until recently, wearing the wrong glasses was not one of them. This is 2026, though, and "the wrong glasses" can actually mean smart glasses loaded with a camera, speakers, and AI, and that distinction is increasingly swaying people's opinions. Just ask professional cyclist Willie Smit, who recently took to social media to chronicle his disqualification from a race for wearing what appears to be Oakley Meta smart glasses. According to Smit, this is his first disqualification in 14 years of cycling, and he was unaware, before starting the race, of a rule passed in April prohibiting the use of smart glasses while racing. I can't say for sure whether Smit was actually unaware, but given the fact that the cyclist posted POV footage from the glasses on social media after the race, I'm going to choose to believe his claim to ignorance. While Smit appears to have only been using smart glasses to chronicle the race from the on-board cameras, the use of smart glasses in sports -- and the opportunity for misuse -- is more complex than just a recording problem. India's most popular cricket league, for example, banned smart glasses as an anti-cheating measure, since players could theoretically use them to communicate with people off-field and place real-time bets, increasing the chances that someone might throw the game. Cycling, theoretically, could run into a similar problem with riders wearing smart glasses, and that's not even weighing the ethics of how smart glasses could be used to enhance performance. I'm not going to pretend to be a cycling expert, but any device that could theoretically coach athletes how to race better (an idea that's not totally outlandish based on current capabilities) should probably be regulated in some way to keep the playing field level. With all of that said, Smit also has a solid point, which is that riders in the Tour de France, for example, have been vlogging their race from handheld cameras for some time. But things change when the camera leaves your hand and lives on your face -- trust deteriorates, and for good reason. When someone is pointing a camera at the world or themselves, you know (to a reasonable degree of certainty) what they're doing. When it's self-contained and discreet on someone's face, though, things get a lot more opaque. Either way, it seems like sports is destined to be another arena where wearing smart glasses is actually a stupid idea -- at least if you actually care about winning.

Tour de France rider disqualified from race after wearing AI glasses during Stage 1

A professional cyclist and former WorldTour pro has been disqualified for using contraband technology during the opening stage of the Tour of Magnificent Qingha. South African cyclist Willie Smit was racing for the China Anta-Mentech team in the eight-stage race sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). After being ousted for wearing AI glasses, Smit, 33, took to X to detail his outrage. "Today I was disqualified for the first time in my cycling career (14 years), for wearing glasses that record video," Smit posted. "Unfortunately, I was not aware of a new rule that was implemented in April that prohibited this." The rule in question is UCI regulation 1.3.006 bis, which allows riders to use image-capturing devices, with one important caveat: devices must be fitted to the bike itself and not worn by riders "unless specific regulations of a given discipline authorize devices being worn by riders." Video-recording glasses like the ones worn by Smit are not covered by this regulation and are thus considered a "forbidden onboard technology device," for which the penalty is "elimination or disqualification." As a result of rocking his AI glasses, Smit was barred from competing in Stage 1 in Qinghai, a 120.6km sprint stage in Xining. In his X post, Smit reasoned that his punishment could and should have taken a different form. "A warning, fine or yellow card could have also been enough." He admitted to being baffled by what the cycling organization considers and doesn't consider contraband. "What I struggle to understand is why in the Tour de France can you quite literally vlog with a camera in your hand, which is perfectly legal...but because the camera is in the glasses you get an automatic Disqualification?!" To illustrate the point, Smit posted the video he recorded with his glasses alongside footage taken by fellow cyclist Toms Skujinš. "Here is the video that got me disqualified & the other video is just to show what is completely allowed, it seems," he added. However, experts note that Skujinš recorded his footage using a legal on-bike camera, not a handheld camera as Smit alleges. "The glasses are essentially a camera. Your phone is basically a camera. Should it also be banned everywhere?" he questioned in the comments section. The glasses that disqualified Smit are Oakley Vanguards, which can answer basic questions, analyze the current view, take and send messages, make calls, capture photos and video, and respond to voice commands. The Post decreed that Oakley Vanguards are built for sport, and after being dunked in freezing water and repeatedly tossed into the snow, they still look brand-new and function flawlessly. Flawlessly, albeit problematically in Smit's case. He maintains he was unaware of the regulations when he posted footage captured by his Vanguards. "If I knew about the rule, I would have also never posted it on social media. Anyways, I'll take it on the chin." Taking it on the chin but refusing to go quietly, Smit emphasized that his glasses lack AI capabilities unless paired with a phone. "On the bike, it can do nothing but record video!" he emphasized. There is speculation that the UCI ban has more to do with the speakers in the glasses posing a potential safety issue than their video recording capabilities. He continued to air his grievances in the comments. "Using common sense, one would think it's much more dangerous having a GoPro in your hand and making a recording in the biggest bike race in the world compared to having a camera in your glasses that does not require taking your hands off the handlebars." Commenters were divided about Smit's disqualification. Some were sympathetic; others, not so much. "Anyone that wears these glasses is a douchecanoe. Sorry about your luck," said one commenter. "You're an idiot for getting suspended from the most iconic race in history due to literally being an idiot," said another. Smit is the latest rider to face disqualification for curious reasons. This year alone, Lorena Wiebes was disqualified for competing with an underweight bike, Italian cyclist Filippo D'Aiuto was ousted for his too-narrow handlebars, and Jan Willem Van Schip was barred from competing due to his non-compliant clothing.