The UCI is at least not amused with riders who do not show up for the World Cup crosses. Certainly not if they do so to compete for other classifications.
Thibau Nys only this weekend for the World Cup Cross in Dendermonde, but will start in the Superprestige in Niel. At the UCI they are not happy with this attitude.
“It is a shame that Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock are not yet there in the World Cup. They have had a very long road season and are taking a rest period. That’s okay,” UCI CEO Peter Van den Abeele told Sporza.
“Thibau Nys prefers the Superprestige in Niel over the World Cup in Dendermonde. I respect riders who say they choose to take a rest. But penalizing the World Cup for a different ranking? If the World Cup is seen as a toy, then we have a problem,” he continues.
The UCI will therefore take action to protect the World Cup races. “Should performances in the World Cup be rewarded with more points? Should we bundle the World Cup cross races in a shorter period so that all the top riders can be there, for example from December to the last weekend before the World Cup? These are all matters that I urgently want to discuss with Flanders Classics and other major players from the cyclo-cross world.”
And action will come soon. “We will make those decisions with the highest priority so that they can be approved at the World Cup. This way they will come into effect next season.”
Tags: UCI intervene riders Nys Van der Haar forfeit racing World Cup
