UCI backtracks on fines after riders threaten to protest
16 March 2019 11:30
The UCI has backtracked on applying stiff fines and ranking point penalties if riders arrive late at race sign-on after the peloton threatened to go on strike before the final stage of the UAE Tour. The UCI changed the rules of the sign-on protocol for the 2019 season because riders often stayed on their team buses and arrived en-masse in the final minutes before the start of races. That offered little interest to the local crowds and left race organisers embarrassed. Riders were previously obliged to sign on at a specific time on the opening stage of a race. Now race organisers can force teams to respect a time slot on every stage in the 70 minutes before a stage start.ADVERTISEMENT UAE Tour organiser RCS Sport issued a daily schedule for the new WorldTour race but several failed to respect their time slots, sparking a strong reaction from the UCI commissaires. The seven riders from Katusha-Alpecin, UAE Team Emirates, Groupama-FDJ and Astana were all fined 500 Swiss Francs (£375, $495) and were docked 20 UCI ranking points. Each team’s directeur sportif was also fined 1,000 Swiss Francs. The day after the Bahrain-Merida riders were fined 500 Swiss Francs for signing on in non-competition clothing, even if the rule on clothing is not clear. They had an early slot in the schedule and so went to sign on in team-issue T-shirts and shorts.
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