Skip to content

UCI takes action against Russian and Belarussian agression

  • Ron 

The UCI today announced measures against Russian and Belarussian cycling teams and organizations and underlined their support for the Ukrainian cycling community.

The UCI maintains their politically neutral stance, but feels that it is necessary to take actions against Russia in defense of Olympic values.

Effective immediately, their decisions are as follows:

  1. Russian or Belarussian teams or national selections are barred from any events on the UCI International Calendar
  2. UCI team status is withdrawn from any team under Russian or Belarussian nationality. The most notable is the Gazprom – RusVelo UCI Pro Team, but it also affects Team Vozrozhdenie (RUS), Track Team Marathon – Tula Cycling Team (RUS), Continental Team CCN Factory Racing (BLR), Continental Team Minsk Cycling Club (BLR), and Women’s Continental Team Minsk Cycling Club (BLR).
  3. All Russian and Belarussian events have been withdrawn from the UCI International Calendar:
    1. – Grand Prix Moscow 1: class 2 track event (20-21 May 2022)
      – Granfondo Moscow: UCI Granfondo World Series event (21-22 May 2022)
      – Grand Prix Moscow 2: category 2 track event (22 May 2022)
      – Grand Prix Saint-Petersburg: category 2 track event (26-29 May 2022)
      – Five Rings of Moscow: class 2.2 road event (8-12 June 2022).
  4. Cancellation of the Russian and Belarussian national championships
  5. A ban on Russian or Belarussian flags, symbols, etc. on events and/or jerseys
  6.  Any bids from Russian and Belarusian candidates for the organization of UCI events shall not be considered.
  7. The UCI forbids organizers of events on the UCI International Calendar from inviting Russian and Belarusian club, regional or mixed teams.
  8. The UCI will not appoint Russian or Belarusian International Commissaires to UCI International Calendar events until further notice.

Russian or Belarussian license holders that are on other teams are still allowed to participate in UCI International Calendar events as long as they do not show reference to Russia or Belarus, including the name, emblems, acronyms and flags, and replace them with a neutral reference or denomination. The UCI Management Committee has also decided to introduce a specific regulation enabling Russian and Belarusian license-holders with multiple nationalities to request a change to their sporting nationality without any restriction.

They have stated that their position could evolve as the situation in Ukraine develops.

Tags:
Bike World News