The Cian Uijtdebroeks dispute with Bora-Hansgrohe and possible transfer to Jumbo-Visma has taken another twist, with the UCI revealing that they have yet to approve the deal.
Jumbo-Visma, next year known as Visma-Lease a Bike announced they had signed Uijtdebroeks on Saturday, only for Bora-Hansgrohe to claim he is still under contract for 2024.
Uijtdebroeks’ recently appointed agents A&J All Sports claimed the agreement between Cian Uijtdebroeks and Bora-Hansgrohe had been terminated on December 1st, 2023 and that "legal proceedings already have been initiated by Cian and the UCI is aware of the termination of the agreement."
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Under UCI rules, a rider can only terminate a contract with a team early and transfer to a rival team with the approval of the UCI's Professional Cycling Council (PCC), which oversees the governance of professional cycling.
Cyclingnews understands that the PCC held a meeting on Wednesday before teams, race organisers, and the UCI gathered in Lausanne for the annual UCI WorldTour Seminar.
However, the PCC president Tom Van Damme has told Het Laatste Nieuws that the Uijtdebroeks is still being studied by UCI lawyers.
"The file is still being investigated by the UCI legal department," Van Damme said. "Only when they have completed their work can it be submitted to me for signature."
Uijtdebroeks joined Jumbo-Visma at their training camp in Denía, Spain, on Tuesday, with video footage by Het Laatste Nieuws showing him wearing a plain black jersey and shorts but riding a team-issue Cervelo bike.
Bora-Hansgrohe told Cyclingnews they would "strongly condemn" any decision by Uijtdebroeks to train with Jumbo-Visma rather than attend their own training camp in Mallorca.
The dispute escalated on Tuesday after Dutch journalist Thijs Zonneveld suggested during the In het Wiel podcast that Uijtdebroeks may have been bullied at Bora-Hansgrohe.
"Several sources say that Uijtdebroeks was something of an outsider at Bora," Zonneveld said, his comments widely reported in the Dutch and Flemish media.
"For example, during the Vuelta, there was also an 'Anti-Cian' app group, without himself in it, so they could gossip about him. It's really too childish. He didn't feel at home in that team at all."
Bora-Hansgrohe directeur sportif Eisel, who was at the Vuelta with Uijtdebroeks, denied any suggestion of bullying within the team.
"100% I can deny that. Definitely not. Especially from my side, and the riders' side," Eisel told GCN from Mallorca.
Het Laatste Nieuws suggested that recent events and claims are not the reason for the delay in the UCI ruling on the case. Neither is a reported request from Bora-Hansgrohe for a 1 million Euro release fee.
Any claims of bullying would have to be reported to the UCI, with the disciplinary committee then deciding on any action.
"If the story of the bullying is true, it is of course worrying," Van Damme said.
"These facts must then be presented to the disciplinary committee. But did Uijtdebroeks report this himself? I do not know."
