The UCI has sent a cease and desist letter threatening to enter legal action against Belgian Youtuber, podcast and social media personality Benji Naesen.
Naesen is a Belgian Youtuber who is also a co-host at the Lanterne Rouge Cycling podcast, and has in the past collaborated with several World Tour teams, as well as currently partnering with several brands within the sport. He is a popular figure on social media, who often shares his commentary on several topics, and is often critical of the UCI's actions.
He was sent a cease and desist letter from a UCI representative, who was kept anonymous, over 'unnecessarily offensive' commentary and, according to the statement: "Several occurences of statements that have to be considered injurious towards our organization and/or its elected officials". The letter also made it clear that the UCI is ready to take formation action or file a complain if there is the continuation of such commentary.
However, an example of such commentary was not provided by the UCI. This has been shared on social media this morning by Naesen who announced he has filed a complain against the sender with the UCI ethics commission. On social media, he has quickly gathered support over what most deem to be an active threat from the UCI over someone who is a vocal voice in the sport.
Over the past years the sport's governing body has been criticized by the general audience mostly due to safety issues and the fail in applying its own rules in races, whilst simultaneously putting in substantial amount of focus on points which affect the sport in a very minimal way - with sock height being a prime example.
After the 2024 World Championships, when Muriel Furrier passed away during the women's junior race, there was a swarm of negative commentary on the lack of a tracker on every rider, which could've potentially prevented the death of the Swiss rider. A year later, the UCI has found itself on hot water after its president David Lappartient himself has congratulated and been seen on very friendly terms with Rwanda's president Paul Kagame, who is almost unanimously agreed to run a dictatorial regime. In this instance, a Belgian journalist was prevented from travelling to the country to cover the event due to his past commentary on the UCI's decision to host the Worlds in the east-African nation.
On 2 April 2026, I received the attached letter from a senior member of the UCI, without any prior communication.
— Benji Naesen (@BenjiNaesen) April 11, 2026
This morning, I have filed a formal complaint against the sender, with the UCI Ethics Commission, regarding this letter being sent to me. pic.twitter.com/uZKTiu8JaS
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
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.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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