Jayco AlUla manager Brent Copeland replaces Richard Plugge as new AIGCP chairman

After the departure of Richard Plugge as chairman of the AIGCP, a new president has been elected by the association that represents the interests of the professional teams. Brent Copeland, team manager of Jayco AlUla, has been chosen as the new chairman of the interest group. Plugge himself announced his departure last week.

Plugge was chairman of the AIGCP for three years and said he wanted to focus even more on the Dutch formation, but will always keep an eye on the interests of the collective of cycling teams. His role in the much-discussed ONE Cycling project also played a role in that decision, Cyclingnews reports. As a result, there was a lot of resistance to Plugge's new term as AIGCP boss.

The Dutch team boss did not stand for re-election. Reportedly, thirteen candidates made themselves available, after which 52-year-old Copeland emerged as the 'winner'. The South African currently works at Jayco AlUla and has a past with Lampre-Merida, MTN-Qhubeka and Bahrain-Merida.

In addition to the chairman, a completely new management committee has also been elected for the AIGCP. Emily Brammeier is the new vice president, while also Emmanuel Hubert, Cédric Vasseur, Kjell Carlström, Juan Pablo Molinero and Iñigo Landa take part in the committee.