Tour du Faso - one of Africa's most traditional stage races has been on the
UCI calendar (with exceptions in years the race didn't take place) since 1997. In this aspect, 2024 will be an exception as despite the race taking place, starting this Friday, the race won't be classified as UCI event despite being awarded their usual 2.2 badge at first.
Reason? The organisers invited, among their usual competitors also an exotic one. CSKA Moscow will be a familiar name to many sport fans either through football, basketball or ice-hockey. The Russian formation shouldn't be eligible to take part in UCI-organised events as per regulations from 2022 that prohibit any Russian or Belarusian teams from competing. Despite a warning from UCI, the race still went on with the Russian team in the peloton, which led to a reaction from UCI who immediately stripped the race of its UCI status with further consequences to come.
The statement on the matter by UCI:
"The organisers of the Tour du Faso, a class 2 event on the UCI International Calendar, invited the Russian team CSKA Moscow on their own initiative, without prior notification to the UCI."
"After being informed, the UCI immediately sent the organisers an official letter requesting them to prohibit the team's participation, in accordance with the UCI Ad Hoc Regulations on measures against Russia and Belarus. However, despite this directive, the team started the event this morning."
"As a result, the UCI has immediately withdrawn the event from the UCI International Calendar and is currently investigating the disciplinary consequences relating to the participation of this team. No further comments will be made on this matter at this time."
In wider context, the illegal participation of "army team" CSKA Moscow in the Tour du Faso comes weeks after Burkina Faso’s prime minister Apollinaire J. Kyélem de Tambèla met with Russia’s defence minister Andrei Belousov to discuss expanding military ties.
