Monday, February 26, 2024 at 1:21 PM
The American women’s team Cynisca Cycling has been sanctioned by the international cycling union UCI. And for a very bizarre reason. Last year the formation had too few riders to participate in the Belgian one-day race Argenta Classic-2 Districtenarrow Ekeren-Deurne, but the team manager tried to mislead the race commissioners.
Teams that wanted to participate in the Argenta Classic-2 DistrictenArrow Ekeren-Deurne on July 9, 2023, had to put together a selection of at least five riders. One problem: Cynisca Cycling had only traveled to Antwerp with four riders. Team boss Danny Van Haute then tried to circumvent the rules. The team announced that the fifth rider had become ill, but the race marshals did not fall for this.
Mechanic disguised as a rider
However, Van Haute did not leave it at that and asked the team’s female mechanic, Moira Barrett, to sign on the starting sheet wearing a racing outfit and a face mask. Without success, Cynisca Cycling was not allowed to start.
And it doesn’t stop there, as the UCI qualifies the incident as fraud. “The members of the team participated in fraud on the basis of article 12.4.008,” was the judgment, with the UCI referring to the article relating to the provision of false information.
Team boss Danny Van Haute has a suspension until the end of 2025, mechanic Barrett is suspended until September 1, 2024. American riders Anna Hicks, Cara O’Neil, Katherine Sarkisov and Claire Windsor are given a warning. Cynisca Cycling must also skip one UCI race. The formation can still appeal to the TAS, the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
