African race revoked it's UCI status after allowing Russian "army club" to take start in the race
Cycling
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"As a result, the UCI has immediately withdrawn the event from the UCI International Calendar and is currently investigating the disciplinary consequences relating to the participation of this team.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.
Read also
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
claps 4visitors 4
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
Loading
Wow.. due to the inclusion of a Russian team, CSKA Moscow, the Tour du Faso has been demoted from its UCI 2.2 status and removed from the UCI calendar.
Write a comment