"April 1st is the day you can make a joke!" - Sven Nys slams UCI decision bump up road riders in Mountain Bike World Championships

A late rule change by the UCI that allows road race riders to bump up their starting positions in the Mountain Bike World Championships in Glasgow on Saturday has been slammed by five-time Belgian national champion in the discipline, Sven Nys.

Taking to Twitter, the 47-year-old criticised the decision. "April 1st is the day you can make a joke!" Nys writes. "UCI comes to the aid of Mathieu van der Poel at the Mountain Bike World Championships." Van der Poel won't be the only rider to benefit either, the likes of fellow road stars, Tom Pidcock and Peter Sagan will both also now start in row five instead of at the rear.

"Every rider has to fight all year round to eventually get a good starting place. Others get this place," Nys continues cynically. "That is very frustrating for the traditional biker. My son (Thibau Nys, ed.) Can also benefit from this in the cross if necessary, and then I say, abolish it immediately."