Controversial UCI Rule Change Sparks Outrage in the Cycling Community

2023-08-13 09:21:00

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The world cycling association UCI has made a short-term rule change, apparently only in favor of one person. The field of drivers is heavily criticized.

Legend: Indignant Jolanda Neff. Keystone/Gian Ehrenzeller

“Do you only think of the men when you make new rules? Or do rules only apply when you feel like it?» Jolanda Neff’s harsh words on social media were directed towards the UCI, the umbrella organization of national cycling associations and organizer of the current cycling world championships in Glasgow.

Tom Pidcock, newly crowned cross-country world champion, also spoke up on Sunday morning. “I didn’t mean to get involved in this ‘shit show’, but something has to be said. Although I have even benefited from the new rule, I reject it completely.”

Van der Poel 64 places forward

What actually happened? The UCI made a rule change just a day before Saturday’s World Championship race that upset the hard-earned starting places of numerous athletes. Rather than relying on discipline rankings as it always does at World Championships, the UCI allowed “riders who rank in the top 10 of the UCI individual world rankings in any cycling discipline” to be between 33rd and 40th on the starting grid.

How the whole thing ended is a disgrace.

Highly controversial: The biggest beneficiary of this change was road world champion Mathieu van der Poel. The Dutchman should have started from the very back (98 participants), but he was allowed to move up to 34th on the grid.

UCI President acted alone

Even before the start of the race, SRF expert Thomas Frischknecht had sharply criticized this maneuver by the cycling governing body. “How the whole thing went is a cheek. The regulations might have been adjusted before the start of the World Cup, but not with such a short-term action before the race.” It is also special that this special permit was issued by the UCI President David Lappartient single-handedly and bypassed all those responsible for mountain biking at the world association.

Pidcock also condemned the timing. “Something has to be decided at the beginning of the year.” For example, the Briton sacrificed 3 weeks of preparation for the Tour de France in order to collect important mountain bike points – now these were partly superfluous because Pidcock was also slightly advanced in the starting grid.

Neff stands up for his colleague

Making the UCI decision even more questionable was that it was only applied to the elite men’s race. And that in turn explains Neff’s criticism mentioned at the beginning: The Olympic champion had emphasized that, for example, the Hungarian Kata Blanka Vas in the women’s U23 race might only start from place 47 (and, mind you, ended up fifth) in the cyclocross ranking however, is in the top 10.

Neff, along with Nino Schurter, Loana Lecomte, Jordan Sarrou and numerous other high-profile names in the mountain bike scene, have signed a statement criticizing the UCI for the special rule adjustment.

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