"Everyone in cycling saw what happened" - Johan Bruyneel baffled by UCI's decision to relegate Marie Schreiber at cyclocross European Championships
Cyclocross
The controversy surrounding the women’s European Cyclocross Championships continues to provoke reactions. One of the strongest voices has been Johan Bruyneel, who publicly questioned the performance of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) commissaires after their decision ultimately take the victory from Marie Schreiber.
The Belgian pundit believes the Luxembourg racer should never have been relegated - in words said on X. He sees an opportunity for the international governing body to show it is willing to admit its mistakes. Bruyneel was particularly critical of the judges’ ruling and called on the UCI to reverse a decision he considers unjust.
“What happened today at the women’s European Cyclocross Championships offers the UCI the perfect opportunity to show whether it can use common sense, do the right thing and overturn an absurd decision by its commissaires,” he wrote on social media.
Marie Schreiber and Lucinda Brand headed to the final straight isolated from the rest of the field, and had a head-to-head sprint to decide the European title. Schreiber won the sprint, but her movement to the left during the sprint was seen as too much, and she was ultimately relegated to second place.
The former sports director stressed that what happened was clear to everyone who followed the race, from fans to professionals. He pointed in particular to Lucinda Brand’s reaction. She was declared the winner after the jury’s decision.
Marie Schreiber appeared to take victory at the end of the elite women's race
Bruyneel also points to Lucinda Brand
As Bruyneel recalled, the Dutchwoman made it clear that, in her view, Schreiber had done nothing wrong. For the Belgian, that should give those in charge of the competition even more reason to reflect.
“Everyone in cycling saw what happened. Marie Schreiber should never have been relegated. Even Lucinda Brand, declared the winner after the jury’s decision, made it clear that, in her opinion, Schreiber had done nothing wrong,” he said.
Bruyneel does not believe commissaires are incapable of making mistakes. His criticism goes beyond this specific error and directly challenges the UCI to acknowledge that one of its own officials can make the wrong call, and to act accordingly.
“Commissaires can make mistakes. The real test is whether the UCI has the humility to admit them and the courage to correct them. An unjust decision should not stand simply because one of its own made it,” he added.
Read also
The Belgian ended his message with another rebuke to the international governing body, urging it to put sporting fairness ahead of protecting its own officials. He made no secret, however, of his doubts that it would change its position.
“Let’s see if, for once, they can put fairness ahead of protecting their officials. I’m not holding my breath,” Bruyneel concluded, adding a yawning emoji.
Juan LarraCycling Journalist
Juan Larra is a writer for Cyclinguptodate and editor-in-chief of Ciclismoaldia, where he has played a central role since its inception. Under his leadership, the website has become a trusted source for professional cycling coverage, offering in-depth analysis, news, and feature stories.
A sports journalist with over 20 years of experience, Juan earned his degree in Journalism from the University of Seville in 2007. He began his career covering a wide range of sports—including football, basketball, Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis, and cycling—for platforms such as the official La Liga app, Vodafone and Movistar websites, NBA Blogdebasket, and Cadena Cope, honing his skills in writing and editorial management.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Juan contributes to Cyclinguptodate and serves as editor-in-chief for the tennis-focused site Tenisaldia. Throughout his career, he has conducted exclusive interviews with cyclists and sports figures, provided detailed analysis of competitions ranging from local Spanish races to major international events, and acted as a special correspondent at prestigious races including Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España.
Juan’s combination of experience, expertise, and direct access to athletes has established him—and the platforms he leads—as authoritative voices in professional cycling.
claps 11visitors 2
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- how else is there to look at things? we are responding to words and pictures, we are not there. your long winded replies make zero sense to anyone. pretty much everyone but you says the same thing. MS was robbed. somehow you think you're so smart to dig beneath the surface and discover something no one else, including the opposing coach and cyclist, saw. lol. you are a tool.mij09-11-2026
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
Loading
3 Comments