Patrick Van Gansen to take legal action against women who allege abuse
15 June 2019 07:00
Patrick Van Gansen has told Cyclingnews that he is now working with a lawyer and intends to take legal action against the women who have accused him of abuse and inappropriate behaviour. The general manager of the UCI women's Health Mate Ladies Team rejects the allegations levelled against him by his former riders and said that he must deny them in a formal manner. "In the last few days, I have been accused of sexually transgressive behaviour by certain former members of the women cycling team, Health Mate Ladies Team," Van Gansen wrote to Cyclingnews. "I’m deeply affected by these unjustified complaints. I can only deny these allegations in the most formal manner. To further polemicize this matter in the press has no use." Cyclingnews reported on Tuesday that Esther Meisels, Sara Mustonen and Chloë Turblin all left the Health Mate Ladies Team, which is based in Belgium, in the past three months.ADVERTISEMENT Meisels and Mustonen, along with Turblin's father, had separately filed three formal complaints against Van Gansen with the UCI Ethics Commission. The complaints centre around the UCI Code of Ethics: Appendix 1, that covers protection of physical and mental integrity – sexual harassment and abuse, and specifically point to Article 2.1 concerning psychological abuse and Article 2.3 concerning sexual abuse. Turblin's father initially filed his complaint citing bad treatment and illegal work. In the wake of the first three formal complaints against Van Gansen at the UCI Ethics Commission, six former riders have come forward to corroborate the accusations that include verbal aggression and sexually inappropriate remarks. Five riders wrote an open letter alleging that they had similar experiences while racing on the team managed by Van Gansen. The letter was penned by former rider Tara Gins, on behalf of herself and four women who wished to remain anonymous, to the Dutch news outlet WielerFlits and published on Wednesday. Health Mate Ladies Team to continue racing
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