A British coach and event organiser is taking the UCI to the European Commission and has accused the sport’s governing body of breaking antitrust law for ‘unfairly blocking’ cyclists, particularly children, from competing in rival bike trials events.
The situation surrounds trials — the discipline of mountain biking competition which tests bike handling by seeing participants ride an obstacle course, aiming to avoid putting a foot down.
The UCI has its own trials events, such as at the UCI Urban Cycling World Championships which were held in Abu Dhabi in December, but there are also rival competitions such as those of the BikeTrial International Union (BIU).
MLex reports David Johnstone, a cycling coach, event organiser and founder of Bike Trial Federation UK has filed a complaint at the European Commission accusing the UCI of breaking antitrust law and unfairly blocking trials riders from competing in rival competitions not run by the UCI.
Filing the complaint with his son, Mr Johnstone has accused the UCI of threatening to fine riders, including children, if they participate in non-licensed events — the case relating to ‘threats’ received from the governing body in 2022 ahead of a non-UCI event.
“Bike trial is a sport ideally suited to kids. No child should be forced to choose between participating in the sport they love and their future in elite competition,” Mr Johnstone suggests, the event organiser believing that recent EU court cases against the governing bodies of football and skating support his chances.
“UCI should end these unfair and unjustifiable restrictions which undermine its values of widening access to cycling and inclusion.”
Mr Johnstone concluded that the approach had caused an “environment of fear and anxiety”, something that is particularly concerning when the riders involved are children. He organises BikeTrial International Union (BIU) events and those of the UCI, the rules for each varying slightly.
The event organiser and coach reports that in 2022 the UCI sent letters, via national associations, warning cyclists, including riders as young as eight years old, against competing in non-UCI events, a warning that saw some pull out of BIU events weeks before the BIU European Championships took place in Germany
Mr Johnstone wants to see the ban removed but also highlighted an alternative possibility from another cycling discipline BMX, where UCI rules allow riders to compete in non-UCI events.
A UCI spokesperson told the legal website: “The UCI maintains that UCI Regulations concerning the authorisation of events benefit organisers and riders of all levels by guaranteeing standards for the organisation of events (e.g. technical, safety, anti-doping and other integrity-related rules) within an organised calendar in a transparent manner. The UCI is confident that the associated rules applicable to license-holders fully comply with competition law.”
13 thoughts on “British cycling coach accuses UCI of threatening to fine children, takes governing body to European Commission for ‘unfairly blocking’ riders from cycle event”
If this happens, it’s going
If this happens, it’s going to open the flood gates and will splinter cycling sport in general. The UCI rules are in place across all disciplines. If this was to happen, race organisers, including those under British Cycling could choose to do away with the governing body altogether and hold events outwith BC, which those who hold licenses with BC could then partake.
This is a screenshot of the rule currently in place, it means that anything outside of the UCI/National Federation (under UCI) is considered a “forbidden” race. Things like CTT time trials have been given a blind eye, but if they started holding road races, anyone with a BC/UCI license wouldn’t be allowed to compete.
And a massive blind eye on
And a massive blind eye on gravel events. British Cycling doesn’t even recognise gravel as a discipline of cycling, even when we have two UCI events in the country. I don’t believe there is a single gravel event organised in the UK that has British Cycling backing as a governing body.
Matt Page wrote:
I think that changed last year. There was a British Cycling National Gravel Championship race held – co-hosted with 1 of the Raiders Gravel days in Scotland. Conor Swift won the BC gravel champ jersey. The 2025 BC gravel champs are already planned for North Yorkshire in September.
Addendum: Seems BC gravel champs were first held in 2022, so certainly recognised as a distinct discipline for a few years now?
Incorrect. The “British
Incorrect. The “British Gravel Championships” you refer to were not and indeed still are not, run under BC and are not recognised at a national championships by the UCI. Its a shit show, bluntly. Only this year does BC have regs for gravel and they still don’t really know how to handle it.
It might well be called the
It might well be called the British Gravel Championships, but it is not and never has been sanctioned by British Cycling, or by any other governing body.
Matt Page wrote:
That has changed now, as with any “new” sport, it takes time to work out where the boundaries are, who gets to cover what and with which rules. BC now oversees some gravel racing and I think non BC events will find themselves on the “forbidden” events list from next season.
That has actually changed
That has actually changed form this year Matt. You can now organise a gravel race under BC, they are on the calendar as “Offroad Endurance” ‘cos BC’s system is so bad even they cant update it.
Ah, British Cycling and the
Ah, British Cycling and the UCI. It’s hard to think of two more universally beloved organisations. Thames Water and the National Rifle Association maybe.
and what of BMCR and TLI road
and what of BMCR and TLI road races, many members also race those?
OnTheRopes wrote:
My “Things like” was all encompassing, yes those are “forbidden” races and members shouldn’t actually be racing them
I think that horse has well
I think that horse has well and truly bolted, if UCI/BC sanctioned all the licence holders who rode in forbidden races they would have nobody left to race in their own races. Any serious clamp down on CTT, TLI and the like would result in many more legal cases that they would be likely to lose. As it is they are setting such high standards for organisers that they are killing off the very events they claim to be encouraging.
Backladder wrote:
I think that is why blind eyes have been turned in the UK, internationally aswell, with things like the Redhook crits, there were many licensed riders taking part in that.
If the UCI were to clamp down and came up against legal challenges, I don’t think they would lose, as these are part of the regulations that you sign up to follow every year to enable you to get a license. So that would be down to the individual to decide if they wanted a license or not.
Ah the UCI one of the
Ah the UCI one of the greatest sporting protection rackets outside of the FIA.