CPA president Adam Hansen has underlined the importance of unity as he defended the riders union's decision to help fund the UCI's legal proceedings in the battle with SRAM over gearing restrictions.
Cyclingnews revealed on Friday that the UCI is set to take €300,000 from the budget of the SafeR safety group in order to appeal against the 2025 court verdict that saw SRAM effectively halt the UCI's plans for a Maximum Gear Ratio Standard in pro races.
SafeR is funded by multiple stakeholders, including the professional cycling teams association (AIGCP), many of which use SRAM components and effectively now funding litigation against their own sponsor.
The AIGCP opposed the plan to ring-fence the SafeR money for the UCI's legal fees, but they were outvoted by the UCI, the race organisers association (AIOCC), and the CPA.
"No one enjoys seeing money spent on lawyers. That is obvious. This issue is about unity and working together," Hansen, who has headed up the CPA since 2013, said in a statement to Cyclingnews.
Hansen made the argument that all SafeR stakeholders approved the UCI's plans to test gearing restrictions at last year's Tour of Guangxi – a trial that was ultimately blocked by SRAM, which lodged anti-trust proceedings with the Belgian Competition Authority.
"The gear restriction test at the Tour of Guangxi was meant to be a simple test, so SafeR could have rider feedback just like every other test SafeR has conducted. As everyone in SafeR agreed to do this test, including the teams via the AIGCP, it's only natural that the SafeR funds now be used for the legal action," Hansen said.
"We can't risk having a situation in the future where SafeR reaches an agreement on a test or an action to improve safety and then the UCI doesn't take action because someone has taken legal action against them."
Support for gearing restrictions in the pro peloton is mixed at best. Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) was a prominent voice in suggesting such measures could help reduce race speeds and therefore safety, but many are against the idea – "limiting gears will only make everything more dangerous," said Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) last year.
Safety has been at the top of the agenda of the CPA since Hansen became president in 2013, and great strides have been made, including the establishment of SafeR. However, the CPA's support for safety funds to be diverted towards legal proceedings against an equipment supplier of many of its membership base has raised question marks.
Hansen's argument is that a spirit of unity has fuelled the safety progress so far and must continue.
"SafeR is powerful and can improve safety when the four stakeholders agree on a strategy and safety initiatives. When the stakeholders work together, we can all make different suggestions and we accept suggestions from other stakeholders," he said.
"Sometimes one stakeholder didn't like another stakeholders idea but we worked together for the good of the sport. That is the best way forward to improve safety.
"The gear limitation test was no different. If every stakeholder doesn't back the UCI now, with the legal action, then why would they listen to the CPA and other SafeR stakeholders at any point in the future?"
