UCI hit with EU antitrust complaint over sanctions for cycling in rival events

BRUSSELS – The International Cycling Union (UCI) has been hit with an EU antitrust complaint by a Scottish father on behalf of his 18-year-old son and bike trial rider, regarding the governing body’s allegedly anti-competitive practices and sanctions against riders taking part in rival events.

The complaint, filed to the European Commission on Feb 21, underscores the growing trend of athletes taking their grievances about governing bodies’ power to EU antitrust enforcers on competition grounds.

The complaint alleged that UCI abuses its dominant position and that it breaches EU competition rules by shutting out rivals and that its sanctions are disproportionate, especially for children. It urged the EU watchdog to order UCI to halt its alleged anti-competitive practices.

The issue started in 2022 when UCI sent letters to riders and national federations to discourage bike trial riders from taking part in non-UCI events in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Britain, the complaint said.

The letters were sent just before the BikeTrial International Union’s (BIU) European Championships. BIU is an independent entity which manages bike trial events.

Under UCI rules, participants in rival events could face fines up to 100,000 Swiss francs (S$150,000) and banned from UCI events.

David Johnson said his son, a bike trial competitive cyclist who had been planning to take part in a non-UCI event, received such a letter and that the recipients included children as young as eight.

“No child should be forced to choose between participating in the sport they love and their future in elite competition. UCI should end these unfair and unjustifiable restrictions, which undermine its values of widening access to cycling and inclusion,” said Johnson, who is being advised by law firm White & Case on a pro bono basis.

The EU competition enforcer declined to comment.

UCI, meanwhile, said it has not been notified of any complaints or legal proceedings regarding its rules about licence-holders’ participation in non-sanctioned events.

“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 governing body said in an e-mail.

“The UCI is confident that the associated rules applicable to licence-holders fully comply with competition law.”

Europe’s top court, in a landmark ruling in 2023, said the International Skating Union cannot penalise speed skaters for competing in new money-spinning events, in a case triggered by complaints by two Dutch Olympic speed skaters.
REUTERS