British Cycling is putting pressure on the UCI to go further with its measures aimed at sanctioning Russian and Belarusian cycling interests, which would include the suspension of powerful UCI figure Igor Makarov.
The Russian oil and gas billionaire is a member of the UCI Management Committee. A former track rider, he is also the honorary president of the Russian cycling federation.
British Cycling has now said the UCI must go further than stripping Russian and Belarusian teams and events of their UCI status, as announced on Tuesday, in response to Russia's attack on Ukraine.
The British want the UCI to suspend “representatives from Russia and Belarus… with
immediate effect from their positions on the management and organising
committees within the UEC and UCI”, which would include Makarov and others. British
Cycling has also called on the UCI to suspend the two countries’ cycling
federations.
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The UCI has left the door open for Russian or Belarusian cyclists to compete under a form of individual entry at events involving national teams. But British Cycling says athletes from either country must not be allowed to represent their country, even as individuals, and will not be allowed to do so in Britain.
However, British Cycling’s demands of the UCI – and which will be implemented for races in Great Britain – appear to stop short of the Dutch ban on any cyclist from Russia or Belarus going to the Netherlands to race on trade teams.
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While the Dutch have introduced a blanket ban on all cyclists from Russia or Belarus racing in the Netherlands, the British ban relates to teams or individual cyclists "representing" Russia or Belarus.
“We advised that, if these measures were not taken, British Cycling delegates would not be attending the UEC Congress in Odense this weekend. We also advised that British Cycling will not sanction the inclusion of any teams or individuals representing Russia or Belarus in any events organised by British Cycling or coming under the auspices of British Cycling,” said the British federation’s chairman Frank Slevin.
“The UCI released a statement yesterday evening which
confirmed significant measures in response to the situation in Ukraine, and we
welcome those. However, they have not suspended the Russian and Belarusian
federations, and Russian and Belarusian officials will still be permitted to
hold positions on the UCI Management Committee and UCI commissions.
“Our cycling colleagues in Russia and Belarus are not
responsible for the further invasion of Ukraine. Indeed, they may be as
appalled as we are. However, in our view, it is simply wrong that Russian and
Belarusian officials will be permitted places of honour and influence at the
highest level of our sport while our colleagues in Ukraine live in fear for
their homes and their families.
“As a consequence, British Cycling will not attend the
UEC Congress in Odense this weekend and I have written to the UCI and UEC to
repeat our request that the Russian and Belarusian federations are suspended
and that Russian and Belarusian officials will not be permitted to hold
positions on the UCI or UEC Management Committees, or their commissions.
“I am also acutely mindful of the responsibility British
Cycling shares with the international cycling community to support our
colleagues in Ukraine. With that in mind, I wrote yesterday to the president of
the Ukrainian cycling federation, Andriy Grivko, to extend a hand of friendship
and to offer help, where we can, to enable his riders and officials to continue
to represent their country.”
