"It was his own fault" - Adam Hansen blames Stefan Küng for not letting his DS to run a medical check after his heavy timetrial fall

Adam Hansen would like to see female cyclists join forces and start a collaboration for better working conditions. The director of the cycling union CPA says via X that few women are currently actually taking up the challenge.

Women's cycling has grown rapidly in recent years, but there was also regular criticism. Dangerous races with cars on the road, early start times in Monuments, no women's races for certain major races and so on. Former rider Chloe Hosking wrote on her blog about a new collective labor agreement for riders and received a direct response from Hansen.

Hansen responded extensively with a statement on Wednesday. As chairman of the CPA, he is responsible for the new CBA, but in his case things are slightly different. "I was only elected as the new chairman in March, when the CBA was already far-reaching. Despite the fact that the cycling teams would prefer to see the minimum wage decrease, the minimum salary of riders will increase by five percent in 2024 and by ten percent in 2025. Teams will also pay more for racing insurance. That was a tough job to achieve."

Regarding the situation with Stefan Küng and for which the CPA has also been criticized, Hansen is strict with the rider himself. "It was his own fault. There is a concussion protocol, but Küng was immediately back on the bike after his fall. He was gone faster than the driver of the car behind him could get to him. That was incorrect. Every team knows how the protocol works, but it becomes problematic if riders do not follow it and decide on the matter themselves."