UCI President David Lappartient accused Team Visma Lease-a-Bike boss Richard Plugge of spreading fake news last night in response to the Dutch team’s boss criticising a team radio ban being trialled at the Tour de Pologne.
The Polish WorldTour event is one of two UCI stage races, alongside last week’s Vuelta a Burgos, to trial a restriction on radio or ‘earpieces’ communication during certain stages.
According to the UCI, the trial will limit the information riders receive from their team vehicles and directeur sportifs mid-race, encouraging them to make tactical decisions on the bike, while also staying alert to any safety hazards.
However, Plugge believes the trial has turned races “into a complete farce.”
He voiced his opinion on X (formerly Twitter) after images surfaced of an injured rider at the WorldTour race lying on the roadside without medical attention.
The 54-year-old described the situation as “chaos”, adding that the UCI should cut short their trial scheme. He continued: “We saw in the Olympics where riders cannot call the car for basic assistance (in case of a mechanical).
“Hopefully, no one was too badly hurt today.”
It comes just a week after riders competing in the Paris Olympics road races - an event where race radios have never been used - had mixed reactions to racing without constant team car communication.
While there were instances of riders struggling to flag down their support vehicle after a mechanical, many riders praised the type of racing it serves up. Women’s road race silver medallist Marianne Vos admitted: “you have to think on your own, so that makes it interesting.”
Hi Richard,You are caught in the act of fake news! Today's crashes at the @tourdepologne have nothing to do with the absence of radios and you know it. The riders were taken care of according to standards.Our priority at the @UCI_cycling is safety. You want to keep the radios… https://t.co/C9CDWS8IzUAugust 14, 2024
In response to Plugge’s comments, UCI chief Lappartient was adamant that the Dutchman was trying to push his own agenda.
“You are caught in the act of fake news! Today's crashes at the Tour de Pologne have nothing to do with the absence of radios and you know it,” he retorted.
Lappartient went on to state that the riders in question “were taken care of according to standards” and that cycling’s governing body’s key priority is safety.
The Frenchman then accused Plugge of wanting to keep team radios for tactical uses and not for safety precautions, insisting the team boss “take responsibility for it!”
He rounded out his response by calling for Plugge to “continue working together!” in a bid to keep the peace and find an amicable solution to the issue.
Hours after Lappartient’s response, EF Education-EasyPost general manager Jonathan Vaughters weighed into the debate, adding “I’m with Richard.”
