"There's a double standard": Troubled child Van Schip will not stop to innovate despite UCI's disapproval

Jan-Willem van Schip is known to have become a track world champion in Madison (2023) and Points Race (2019), but even more so for his never-ending battle with UCI technical board. Focused on aerodynamics, the Dutchman has brought about a plethora of innovations to the peloton with the aim to make riders go faster (and/or more comfortably), however UCI is rarely as excited about his improvements, often resulting in a DQ displayed next to his name. Such as was the case at the Tour of Holland this October where Van Schip took the spotlight on second stage.

"It feels like a personal reckoning. I've been riding with the exact same seatpost for two years now, and it's never been an issue. But every time I do something, it's under scrutiny. It's just really annoying," Van Schip started his story for WielerFlits.

The Dutchman has already been disqualified from races for various reasons many times, mostly for bending UCI's rulebook in order to move faster thanks to more "aerodynamical" position on his bike.

Most recently, his seatpost was the topic of the day: "My Toot Engineering handlebars are legal. A 3D print of them has been tested and is ISO compliant. The seatpost is a different story. That's because our bike brand, Tavelo, has a seatpost that's too far back. I reported it ten times, but nothing was done about it. So I thought: I'll just do it myself."

And so the 31-year-old fixed his seatpost in a DIY fashion. Unfortunately it is well-known that UCI doesn't fancy "home-made" cycling equipment. Graeme Obree, who had beaten the Hour record twice in the 1990s, could tell stories about that...

Van Schip can understand UCI's reasoning that all equipment used by riders must meet certain standards, however there is still a feeling of injustice. "Ultimately, it's simple: you have to ride on a seatpost that's approved, indeed. And mine isn't. I have a problem, I solved it myself, and yes, that's not allowed. That's a bummer, of course, but I never imagined beforehand that after two years they would suddenly make a problem out of that seatpost."

"What bothers me is that if I had a bike with a saddle that wasn't too far back, or if I wasn't 1.94 meters tall, or if my name wasn't Jan-Willem van Schip, or if I only rode at the back of the peloton, then there would be no problem."

"I recently spoke to someone who told me that all tall riders can't ride their bikes with a saddle height higher than 80 cm. But some riders do need it. The chance that many more people are riding around with equipment that doesn't quite meet UCI regulations is 100%," he continues.

"Once again: it didn't go well for me, and I should have pursued it [getting UCI's approval] more. But it didn't work out, despite trying maybe a hundred times. Is that disqualification a fair punishment, after riding with it for two years? What could I have done as an individual and as a Conti rider to get a seatpost approved?" he asks.

But it seems that it's only UCI who has problems with his innovations. Two weeks earlier, Van Schip rode to a podium in a Dutch 1.2 race, the Arno Wallaard Memorial, sporting the exact same setup. Without complaints.

"It's also strange that I finished third in the Arno Wallaard Memorial two weeks earlier on the same bike. In all those other races, there's nothing wrong either. But then you're in the spotlight in the Tour of Holland, and suddenly there are all sorts of problems. You just feel like there's a double standard."

Van Schip hasn't raced for over a year on road (focusing on track), but before that in 2024, he was also scratched out from the results of Heistse Pijl. Reason?

"It was about the rule that you're no longer allowed to rest your forearms on the handlebars. Back then, I was riding with the handlebars I still use. I haven't changed my position at all. But this year, there are more riders who have started doing the same as I did. Just look at Tadej Pogacar and Victor Campenaerts in the Tour de France. Suddenly, it's not a problem," he concludes.

Jan-Willem van Schip is expected to continue with Parkhotel Valkenburg next year and we can look forward to his future innovations.