“Say something!” – Maarten Ducrot criticizes UCI silence on Israel-Premier Tech and Vuelta a España protests

Former Dutch professional cyclist and television commentator Maarten Ducrot has strongly criticized the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) for its silence and lack of leadership regarding Israel-Premier Tech's presence at the Vuelta a España and the subsequent protests that have been sparked. Speaking in the podcast De Kopgroep, Ducrot highlighted what he views as hypocrisy and indecision in cycling’s governing body.

“In the past, we were very quick to ban Russia from the Olympic Games,” Ducrot recalled, pointing to previous precedents. “Then you get those weak arguments like ‘politics and sport should just be kept separate.’ But that’s simply not true – and apparently, it doesn’t apply to Russia either.”

In 2022, the UCI set a key precedent by banning the Russian team Gazprom–RusVelo in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The governing body withdrew the squad’s license and prohibited Russian or Belarusian sponsors and branding, forcing the team to cease operations almost overnight. Riders and staff, many of whom were not Russian, were left without contracts or pay, and later appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport were rejected.

For Ducrot, the UCI’s quiet stance stands in sharp contrast to the urgency of the situation. “The total absence of any sound from the UCI… Say something!” he urged, demanding the federation take a clear position.

Ducrot argued that governing bodies cannot hide behind neutrality when political conflicts intersect with sport. “Then you stand there and say: ‘We heard the protesters, we’re making this decision.’ It’s really not because we want our match to go ahead. We’re aware of what’s happening in the world, but guys wearing the wrong jersey, playing a sporting event, shouldn’t suffer because of this,” he said.

He added that strong leadership requires courage. “Or: ‘We think they should get out.’ Take a stand! You’ll never get everyone behind you, but then you shouldn’t have become a manager. But anyway, that’s what’s happening everywhere at the moment: a total lack of vision”, he concluded.