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Would you believe it? One of the Continental teams was brave enough to deceive the UCI by riding on unapproved bike frames from China that had fake approval stickers on them. The misconduct of the British formation Saint Piran from the 2022 season is now being investigated and is expected to be punished with a hefty fine. Saint Piran is the last remaining British Conti team (with Trinity likely to close) and a large fine would not improve the complicated financial situation of the British teams at all.
“The UCI can confirm that an investigation is currently underway into the possible use of a non-homologated frameset by the UCI Continental Team Saint Piran at previous events on the UCI International Calendar,” a UCI spokesperson said. “As the investigation is ongoing, the UCI will have no further comment at this time.”
The UCI has strict rules regarding the approval process for framesets and the use of the compliance label. The regulations clarify that “the attachment of labels to the UCI frameset and UCI fork by private individuals is prohibited” and that labels “must be visible, indelible and inseparable from the frameset.”
The regulations also state that “any misuse of the label or use contrary to the provisions of this Protocol may be punished by a fine of between 10,000 and 100,000 CHF.”
Saint Piran boss Richard Pascoe said on Wednesday: “Following a detailed inspection, we can confirm that the unbranded frames did not comply with the UCI regulatory process.” In a statement, he added: “Saint Piran acted on the advice of the manufacturer and of an external expert and understood that they have complied with the UCI regulations at all times. It appears that this advice was wrong. We have now reported this to the UCI and will abide by their decision.”
According to Cycling Weekly, multiple sources reported that they feared the framesets were not legal and unsafe. Team personnel are said to have challenged Pascoe on the matter at the time. A rider-generated document highlighted various safety concerns about the frames, but it is understood the concerns were brushed aside by later accusing riders of “moaning”.
A spokesperson for British Cycling gave Cycling Weekly the following update on Thursday: “We are aware of the matter and will be investigating the matter as part of our compliance process.”
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