The UCI is opposed to the use of helicopters to transport riders during events ©Getty Images

The International Cycling Union (UCI) has "condemned" helicopters transporting riders during events after slamming their use between staging of this year’s Giro d'Italia due to the impact on the event’s carbon footprint.

The worldwide governing body noted that the organisers had made "no specific provision" for transfers by helicopter but had now addressed "this shortcoming" in a bid to "combat the negative effects of such a practice".

Giro d’Italia was held across 21 stages from May 6 to 28 with Slovenia’s Primož Roglič, of Team Jumbo-Visma emerging victorious.

At the conclusion of stage seven at Gran Sasso, some teams were reported to have used helicopters to take riders from the summit to their hotels while others either made their way down on cable cars or took buses.

Among those was Soudal-QuickStep which posted a picture on social media showing several of their riders, including Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel, using a helicopter, while Bora-Hansgrohe and Bahrain Victorious also reportedly opted to take to the air.

With those taking helicopters said to have arrived at their hotels two hours earlier than the riders using buses and the cable car, the UCI insisted the decision went "against the principles of fair play and equity, the fundamental values of sport".

It also stressed that it would take "necessary measures and sanctions to ensure that such a practice does not occur in the future".

A decision has now been taken by the UCI Management Committee to amend the rules to "ensure that this type of transfer gives rise to carbon compensation".

"In an effort to guarantee sporting fairness and reduce the carbon footprint of events on the UCI WorldTour calendar, the UCI condemned the use of helicopter transport to transfer riders at the end of a stage in the last Giro d'Italia," a statement from the UCI read.

"The transfers were carried out in conditions that did not respect these two requirements.

"It became apparent that the organisers' specifications made no specific provision for transfers by helicopter.

"To remedy this shortcoming and combat the negative effects of such a practice, the UCI Management Committee decided to amend the aforementioned specifications, in particular to ensure that this type of transfer gives rise to carbon compensation and that the equitable treatment of teams is guaranteed."