Shorts: Pro team not paid since April, Condor bike factory raided

Pro cycling has gone through a number of problems in recent years, with many sponsors lost and teams folding. But one team has kept going by not paying its riders since April; SkyDive Dubai's riders and staff are still hopeful they will get their salaries.

 

The Dubai-based SkyDive pro team have not been paid since April, with both riders and staff waiting on their pay cheques for the last seven months.

The situation is complicated by the fact the team is part of the wider Al-Ahil Club which has interests outside cycling and also counts football, baseball and basketball teams among its ranks.

That means a large queue of athletes and staff from across the group are all waiting to be paid.

The team has just completed its third season at Continental level but those involved are understandably more concerned about being paid what they are owed to date than what may happen into the future.

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“It’s unacceptable, yes, but not only for cycling – also for other occupations, including journalism,” sports director Alberto Volpi told Cycling Weekly.

“My bosses in Dubai are serious, but they have the same payment problem,” added Volpi, who moves to the new Bahrain-Merida WorldTour team next year.

“The problem is bigger than the cycling team. The Al-Ahli Club involves the top-level football team, basketball, baseball, and the cycling is in that.

“All of those sports are in that club, 100 or so people are waiting to be paid.”

The Dubai-based team made some payments in September but the bulk of the money due to be paid since April is still owed.

The association of Italian professional cyclists, which represents many of the riders and staff, said if the money was not paid in the next 10 days it would take the case to the UCI.

 

Condor count cost of robbery

The London warehouse of Condor has been robbed of the bikes used by JLT-Condor this year and a range of other bikes and kit.

 

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Having prepared to sell the 2016 team bikes used by Condor-JLT, the bike manufacturer that sponsors the squad was broken into and at least 14 bikes taken.

Condor’s warehouse in the UK was raided by thieves on Sunday, with the raiders getting away with bikes valued at about £5,000 each.

After the robbery in London the company urged cyclists and shops to be on the lookout for the stolen bikes in the event they were offered for sale.

"We are not sure of the total loss yet, but it includes at least a dozen team bikes from this season that had just been overhauled for sale,” said Neil Manning, Condor’s production director.

He added as well as the bikes from last year, some wheels for 2017 along with sale bikes, Brompton fold-away bikes and Campagnolo components were also gone.

 

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