Richard Plugge to step down as AIGCP president

Richard Plugge
Richard Plugge (Image credit: Getty Images)

Richard Plugge has announced that he will not run for re-election as the president of the AIGCP, the representative body for professional cycling teams. The Visma-Lease A Bike manager was elected to a three-year term in July 2021 after previously serving as vice-president.

“After serving as president of the AIGCP for three years (and vice-president for several years before that), I felt it was time to hand over the gavel. I therefor did not stand for re-election,” Plugge said in a statement he published on Twitter on Friday afternoon.

“I think it is healthy that our gavel changes regularly. By doing so, we as professional teams share together the responsibility and much work involved in a role in the AIGCP.”

“When you are elected and you’re representing all the teams and you’re behaving like that, how can other teams trust you? It’s not possible,” Vasseur told GCN. “With that mentality, you can’t be the AIGCP president.”

During his time as AIGCP president, Plugge has also been among the main drivers of the One Cycling project, a proposed restructure of professional cycling with backing from SRJ Sports Investments, which is owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

“In the coming period, I will focus further on the development of our own organisation, Team Visma-Lease A Bike,” Plugge said on Friday. “But I will always look after the interests of all pro teams and cycling, where as far as I am concerned, health and safety for the riders is paramount and a healthy business model for the teams and our sport is of great importance.”

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan was Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.