# UCI faces fresh legal challenge to policy on rival events

*By Simon | March 4, 2025*

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![2024 UCI Urban Cycling World Championships](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/AW7_9517.jpg)

## 󠀁[UCI faces fresh legal challenge to policy on rival events](https://globalkeirin.com/2025/03/uci-faces-fresh-legal-challenge-to-policy-on-rival-events/)󠁿

4 March 2025

A complaint has been filed with the European Commission accusing cycling’s world
governing body of anti-competitive practices against riders participating in
rival events.

David Johnstone of [Biketrial Federation UK](https://www.biketrialfederation.uk)
is reported to have submitted a complaint in mid-February 2025, accusing the UCI
of abusing its dominant position, breaching EU competition rules, and
threatening disproportionate sanctions.

According to a
[Reuters report](https://www.reuters.com/sports/cycling/cycling-uci-hit-with-eu-antitrust-complaint-over-sanctions-cycling-rival-events-2025-03-03/)
, the complaint alleges that the UCI sent letters to riders and national
federations to discourage bike trials riders from taking part in non-UCI events
in a number of European countries.

The letters were sent just before the European Championships of the Prague-based
BikeTrial International Union, which is not connected to the UCI. Mr Johnstone’s
son received a letter, and it’s reported that other recipients included an 8
year old child.

‘No child should be forced to choose between participating in the sport they
love and their future in elite competition,’ said Mr Johnstone, whose
organisation runs competitions under both the UCI and BikeTrial International
Union versions of the sport.

Mr Johnstone’s complaint will no doubt lean on the 2023 ruling by the Court of
Justice of the European Union, which found that the International Skating Union
could not ban speed-skaters who participated in unsanctioned events.

This situation will of course bring to mind the position of DerbyWheel, whose
plan to launch a new global keirin series was
[declared ‘forbidden’ by the UCI](https://globalkeirin.com/derbywheel-and-the-uci/)
in December 2023.

CEO James Pope
[stated in July 2024](https://globalkeirin.com/2024/07/derbywheel-ceo-we-dont-want-a-war-but-uci-wont-even-meet-with-us/)
that he was ‘not seeking the permission of the UCI, and (was) not going to be
operating (his) events under the UCI rules and regulations. … They can’t stop us
from organising an independent bike race, but what they can do is they can
penalise the riders, and we absolutely do not want that.’

There have been no further public statements on the matter; and Pope indicated
that the UCI was refusing to even meet with him for discussions.

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