"There was no talking to them" - Van Schip's retirement concludes a decade-long beef with UCI's technical staff
Cycling
Jan-Willem van Schip has been one of the most recognizable continental-level riders of this decade. Not as much because of his results - at least in recent years - but rather his constant beefs with UCI's technical jury. But two months ago, Van Schip's patience ran out and after three DQs in span of less than 9 months, the Dutch rider announced his retirement at the age of 32.
Van Schip has been for a good decade pioneer in cycling advancements in the areas of nutrition and aerodynamics. Especially in the latter, UCI not always found his bike setups compliant which led to several controversial disqualifications, also from the 2025 Tour of Holland (2.1), 2026 Tour of Hellas (2.1), 2026 Ronde de l'Oise (2.2) or 2024 Heistse Pijl (1.1).
In many instances, the UCI's argumentation towards Van Schip felt rather obscure as at times it had even given contradictory indications regarding the Dutchman's equipment specifications. Ultimately however, Van Schip gave up at the end of this year.
Thus, Van Schip retires as a two-time track world champion who had a taste of professional-level road cycling in 2018-2019 seasons with Dutch formation Roompot, but ultimately failed to fully translate his potential into results beyond three professional wins; a stage at Belgium Tour 2019, Slag om Norg 2018 and Ronde van Drenthe 2017.
"I came to the conclusion that there's no talking to the UCI," he said on De Rode Lantaarn podcast. "I really tried to find out what I was allowed to do and what I wasn't allowed to do. But there was simply no answer."
Albeit aware that he's been sometimes balancing on the edge, what ticks Van Schip the most is that UCI appeared to have been using a double-standard on Van Schip as compared to others. He recounts when Wilco Kelderman used the exact same hands position with forearms on handlebars he had been disqualified for earlier at Tour of Hellas on his way to Dutch road title. Yet without any persecutions.
"You feel that there are two different standards being applied," Van Schip admitted. He also noted that several riders have been using the same position which has been found illegal in Van Schip's case in the very next stage. Without any further disqualifications being awarded.
"I don't want to set my team back anymore"
Those disqualifications, as unsightly in the result sheet as they are, were even more annoying in the context of Van Schip's teammates. The Dutchman admitted that weakening his team especially in stage races has not been a pleasant feeling, and that it has contributed to his decision.
"It has such a huge impact. That's the saddest part of how it ended," he said.
Despite all the disputes, Van Schip doesn't identify UCI's harsh treatment as a main factor which contributed to his decision to stop. "Of course it played a part but ultimately, that's not what I'm thinking about now."
"It's more about whether I still want to carry on experimenting. And that desire has gone. I was riding up the Grossglockner, and when I reached the top, I suddenly thought: I'd had enough. It was time to stop," he recalled.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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