Johan Bruyneel calls David Lappartient out and describes Tour de Pologne race radio ban as 'simply criminal'
Cycling
The Tour de Pologne is having a big restriction on the amount of race radios used during stages, a test implemented by the UCI which is having very mixed reactions in the peloton. David Lappartient, UCI president, has firmly defended this test and Johan Bruyneel has launched harsh cricitism of the entire situation.
Yesterday after stage 3, Team Visma | Lease a Bike manager Richard Plugge used social media to claim that this "turns the race into a complete farce like we saw in the Olympics where riders cannot call the car for basic assistance". David Lappartient quickly responded in his own account, defending the test that the UCI is implementing in the race:
"Hi Richard, You are caught in the act of fake news! Today's crashes at the Tour de Pologne have nothing to do with the absence of radios and you know it," was the main part of his response.
The no-race radio situation only happens in the Olympics and races such as the World or European Championships, and some fans argue that it leads to more exciting racing. Under the pressure of having more attractive racing, the UCI is taking a step back and seeing the feedback that comes from having a World Tour race run under these conditions.
"Hi Mr. Lappartient, you show once again that you’re sitting on a golden throne and accept no criticism nor want to bare any responsibility," Johan Bruyneel wrote in a post shared on social media. "Not allowing radio-communication between team DS and all riders of their team is simply criminal in today’s modern and hectic cycling and is the proof that you and are your organization are really extremely alienated from what is at stake in professional cycling."
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The former team DS, currently podcast host and pundit, believes Visma's manager was right in the criticism launched at the UCI. "Richard Plugge is right on this one, and the vast majority of DS and pro-cyclists will agree with him. Racing with radio-communication IS safer than no or limited radio-communication. Period," he continues.
"And a part of the safety aspect, what is wrong with a DS giving instructions to their riders? They are PROFESSIONAL athletes, and a dinosaur-minded organization as your organization should not try to tell how professionals should do their jobs. You once again prove that you couldn’t care less about the interests of the main players of the sport you preside, and that your focus is on your own sports-political career."
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Hi Mr. Lappartient, you show once again that you’re sitting on a golden throne and accept no criticism nor want to bare any responsibility. Not allowing radio-communication between team DS and all riders of their team is simply criminal in today’s modern and hectic cycling and is
Hi Richard, You are caught in the act of fake news! Today's crashes at the @tourdepologne have nothing to do with the absence of radios and you know it. The riders were taken care of according to standards. Our priority at the @UCI_cycling is safety. You want to keep the radios
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