The UCI has delivered a hefty penalty to Lars Forster (Thömus maxon) and Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM) for defying the laws reducing the UCI Whoop Mountain Bike World Collection elite cross-country Olympic (XCO) podiums down to 3. The fourth and fifth placed duo jumped onto the elite men’s podium at Brazil’s opening round on Sunday in a transfer to help a widespread rider marketing campaign to maintain the long-embedded five-rider podium alive.
Forward of the beginning of competitors greater than 120 riders, together with your complete males’s and girls’s prime 30, had put their names to a statement strongly objecting to the move to cut the three-decade-long tradition of five rider podiums – a singular characteristic of the self-discipline that the rider assertion stated helped present a higher alternative for smaller groups and breakthrough riders to share the highlight.
UCI and Warner Bros. Discovery, nonetheless, stood agency within the face of the rider attraction saying the modifications “have been developed via an intensive and clear course of, reflecting our dedication to aligning mountain biking with broader sporting requirements”. That meant solely the highest three have been referred to as as much as the rostrum after the boys’s elite XCO race in Araxá. Nevertheless, as soon as the officers had left the stage Forster and Schurter shortly joined the Specialised trio of Victor Koretzky, Christopher Blevins and Martin Vidaurre on the rostrum steps – with an enormous roar of appreciation echoing via the group as they did – to rejoice fourth and fifth.
“This motion was deliberate prematurely, all of the riders have been behind it and we did not hurt anybody,” stated Forster in a press release emailed to Cyclingnews together with his staff Thömus maxon additionally among the many 13 squads who signed as much as the rider assertion objecting to the change.
Nevertheless, each Forster and Schurter have been fined 800 CHF (€860) by the UCI underneath article 1.2.131.
“In accordance with the brand new regulation 4.10.007, solely the highest three within the XCO occasions will probably be allowed to face on the rostrum, and this rider stood on the rostrum with out the group’s permission,” said the official UCI communication on infringements that listed the fines for Schurter and Forster.
They have been removed from the one penalties handed down within the first spherical of racing for 2025 in Araxá, with all the things from 30 CHF fines for throwing gels or bottles exterior the designated drop zones to a 200 CHF penalty citing article 4.20.001 – pt 24, insults, threats and indecent behaviour, nonetheless it was a significantly heftier penalty for the athletes who have been decided to carry agency to the normal 5 rider podium.
“I can deal with the effective as a result of it was a really profitable marketing campaign that generated lots of consideration,” stated Forster. “Such a effective will not cease us from persevering with to struggle for our pursuits. As a result of we’ll divide the fines amongst all athletes, we are able to proceed till Warner Brothers takes our issues significantly and hears our voice.”
Warner Bros. Discovery has an eight-year deal – operating from 2023 – with the UCI to deal with the organisation, media manufacturing and broadcast, promotion and commercialisation of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup via a partnership with biking’s governing physique. The UCI and Warner Bros. Discovery introduced the restructuring that included the rostrum quantity shift in October final 12 months, with the UCI confirming the modifications and updating the laws, efficient from January 1, nonetheless the opening spherical of World Collection racing in Brazil was the primary alternative to place the brand new association into observe.
“We proceed to imagine that we are going to obtain our objective of preserving the five-men/ladies podium,” stated Forster within the assertion. “All athletes stand collectively and with our rider alliance we’ve got a powerful frequent voice that stands up for the custom of mountain biking and for the issues of the athletes and groups.”
The discount from 5 to 3 riders additionally applies for the elite downhill podium, with many riders from the self-discipline additionally banding collectively to final week put out a press release to object to the change, although the opening spherical of World Collection downhill competitors doesn’t come till mid-Could.
