As reported by Reuters, the complaint was filed with the European Commission on 21 February. The complaint, made by Scottish father David Johnson on behalf of his 18-year-old son, argues that the UCI’s actions violate EU competition rules. It claims the UCI excludes competitors and imposes disproportionate sanctions, including on young athletes as young as eight years old.
Johnson is being advised by law firm White & Case on a pro-bono basis. He expressed:
“No child should be forced to choose between participating in the sport they love and their future in elite competition…
UCI should end these unfair and unjustifiable restrictions which undermine its values of widening access to cycling and inclusion.”
This complaint follows similar concerns raised in 2022 when the UCI sent letters to cyclists and federations in nine European countries, warning them not to participate in non-UCI events. These letters were issued just before the European championships of the BikeTrial International Union (BIU), which independently manages bike trial events. UCI rules state that riders participating in rival events may face fines of up to 100,000 Swiss francs and be banned from UCI events.
In response, UCI stated:
“UCI Regulations concerning the authorisation of events benefit organisers and riders of all levels by guaranteeing standards for the organisation of events (e.g. technical, safety, anti-doping and other integrity-related rules) within an organised calendar in a transparent manner…
The UCI is confident that the associated rules applicable to license-holders fully comply with competition law.”
As noted earlier, this complaint follows a previous antitrust case filed by Velon, an organisation comprised of eleven WorldTour teams and several continental teams, which also raised concerns about UCI’s practices.
Several teams supported Velon, including Bora-Hansgrohe, CCC Team, Deceuninck - Quick-Step, EF Education First, Lotto Soudal, Mitchelton-Scott, Team Ineos, Team Jumbo-Visma, Team Sunweb, Trek-Segafredo and UAE Team Emirates.
Velon voiced: “The UCI has used its regulatory power and political influence to unreasonably and unlawfully block the commercial activities of Velon and the teams.”
Several other governing bodies from different sports have faced a similar situation to UCI. In 2023, the EU Court of Justice ruled that the International Skating Union (ISU) could not penalise athletes for participating in non-ISU events.
The court ruled that the ISU’s rules lacked transparency and proportionality, stating:
“They give the ISU a clear advantage over its competitors and have unfavourable effects for athletes as well as consumers and broadcast audiences.”
Similarly, the International Swimming Federation once sought to restrict the progress of its competitor, the International Swimming League, before backing down following antitrust complaints.
The International Basketball Federation became involved in conflict with Euroleague over the sport's calendar, which the international federation described as a “commercially motivated attack on national teams.”
