“I can understand all parties a little, but I still watch and shake my head" - Jens Voigt on Cian Uijtdebroeks controversy

The controversy surrounding Cian Uijtdebroeks' potential move to Team Visma | Lease a Bike has captured the imagination of many cycling experts and analysts. For Jens Voigt, the sight of the sport airing its dirty laundry in public once again is a shame.

“This sport is never boring,” the 52-year-old, German ex-pro writes in his column for Eurosport. “What a story, I thought to myself when I read this. My second thought was: are they stupid? And my third and most important thought is: once again we are arguing publicly in cycling, the whole world can see what is going on behind the scenes.”

“I can understand all parties a little, but I still watch and shake my head,” Voigt continues. “Of course, you can understand if a rider wants to go to a team where he can get a better position, or maybe just earn more money. But a contract is a contract. Usually, both parties get up from the negotiating table with a smile”

The rumours of the alleged bullying of Uijtdebroeks during the Vuelta a Espana is concerning to most. As Voigt, says the whole debacle is something both parties could have handled much better. “No one wants a negative athlete on their team. The only way to solve something like this properly is for the athlete (or his management) to talk to the team boss and not to a third person. And then you put your cards on the table and say, This is the situation: How do we solve this without either of us looking stupid or causing a scandal?”

“If they are really angry, they insist on fulfilling the contract and give the rider few or no races, so that he loses a year of his career. They insist on fulfilling the contract and act as if everything is normal. Or they demand a fine from the new team," he concludes. “I am sure his transfer will be approved by Bora. Not an optimal solution, but the least annoying for both parties. It doesn't look good for any of the parties involved and it damages the reputation of professional cycling as a whole.”