The UCI has suspended members of Siniska Cycling after the team disguised their mechanics as riders in a bid to qualify for last year's Argenta Classic.
The American team's Siniska was without one of its five riders due to illness for the road race in Belgium.
Mechanic Moira Barrett disguised herself as the fifth rider to avoid her team being disqualified from the July event.
The UCI announced that “several members of the team participated in the misconduct.''
“The players told the committee chairman that there was a fifth player, but he was sick.”
Cycling's world governing body has detailed how the bizarre episode unfolded.
“We have been informed by the commissar that if all five riders do not sign the start sheet and start, the team will not be able to participate. [sports director] “Mr Van Hout instructed team mechanic Moira Barrett to appear at the start wearing rider's clothing and a face mask and to sign the start sheet as the team's fifth rider,” the UCI said. Ta.
Siniska Cycling's sporting director Danny van Hout was found by the UCI's disciplinary committee to be the “principal culprit” and was sentenced to a fine and suspension from competitive cycling until December 31, 2025. Ta.
When questioned by the commissioner, Van Hout told Anna Hicks, Carla O'Neill, Katherine Sarkisov and Claire Windsor, who were present at the event, that “there was a fifth rider who was not physically present at the venue. It turned out that he had asked her to lie about her whereabouts. ”.
Barrett was deemed to have “played an active role in cheating” and was suspended from competitive cycling until September 1, 2024.
Van Haute and Barrett are not listed as employees on Cynisca's official website.
Riders Hicks, O'Neal, Sarkisov and Windsor were found to have followed Van Ort's instructions and were disciplined.
The team also received a competition sanction of “suspension from the next event on the UCI international calendar in which they are confirmed to compete and a fine.”
The UCI's verdict may be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.