European Cycling Union supports UCI over radio ban

While USA Cycling has announced it will allow race radio to be used in National Racing Calendar events this season, the European Cycling Union has backed the UCI on a gradual elimination of their use.

Cyclingnews has seen a letter sent by the UEC president Wojciech Walkiewicz to all the European National Cycling Federations, which specifies that the UEC supports the UCI on the race radio ban.

Wojciech Walkiewicz refers to a speech UCI President Pat McQuaid made at the recent General Assembly of European Cycling Union in Zrece, Slovenia, but there are no details of what McQuaid said or the sway he may have had on the UEC members.

The UEC is continental federation that represents 48 country members and organises the European Cycling Championships.

Wojciech Walkiewicz is from Poland and became the new chairman of the UEC in 2009. The UEC recently voted David Lappartient of France and Igor Makarov of Russia as the two new European representatives to the UCI Management Committee.

Just a few weeks before the elections, the UEC announced that Russian oil and gas company Itera had agreed to come on board as a sponsor. Makarov has been the head of Itera since 1992.