"I do not trust the UCI" - EF DS Matti Breschel lashes out following disastrous finish to stage 1 at Volta ao Algarve 2025
Cycling
After the disastrous end to the 1st stage of the 2025 Volta ao Algarve yesterday, allegations are flying from all corners, looking for someone to place the blame on. EF Education - EasyPost sports director Matti Breschel was on site at the race, and the Dane has lashed out fiercely at the UCI following the debacle.
Having spent a long career in the peloton as a rider for teams such as Saxo Bank, Astana and EF before moving into a sports director role, Ekstra Bladet asked Breschel if he'd ever seen anything quite like the scenes in Portugal on Wednesday. "No. Not even at a boys' bike race in Sorø. Hell... I thought I was seeing visions. I almost don't have words for what it was," he answers in pure disbelief. "We had been sitting and leading all day. So you can't help but be left with an empty feeling."
"I thought this isn't real. You have to think about how much goes into the preparation of a cycling team like this. The riders train for months and ride thousands of kilometres to be in the best shape, and thousands of euros are spent. And then something like this happens," continues the 40-year-old former World Championship road race runner-up. "It's almost tragic."
Although results of the stage were ultimately cancelled by race organisers, Breschel made sure to frantically order his team's riders to turn around and cross the finish line on their bikes in order to avoid potential expulsion from the Volta ao Algarve for not finishing the course. "I had to call riders back so they could follow the regulations and cross the finish line," he explains. "Was it necessary? I have to say that I do not trust the UCI. So yes! It is a really embarrassing situation for the organizers, but also for the UCI, which has a huge responsibility. "
Riders go the WRONG way and Ganna takes the win on the opening stage of the Volta Algarve! 😮 pic.twitter.com/zp474DBeyz
— Eurosport (@eurosport) February 19, 2025
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