American women’s cycling team suspended after dressing mechanic as a rider to avoid race disqualification

A non-public U.S. girls’s biking crew has been disciplined for trying to move off a mechanic as an authorized racer in a July 2023 occasion in Belgium. 

Cynisca Biking was set to compete in Belgium’s Argenta Traditional on July 9, 2023, the crew mentioned in an announcement to CBS Information, however resulting from an sickness, they didn’t have the mandatory riders essential to race. Each the racing crew and the Union Cycliste Internationale, the physique that oversees the Belgium race and different occasions, mentioned that sports activities director Danny Van Haute then tried to move crew mechanic Moira Barrett off as a registered rider by having her gown in bike owner gear and having different crew members lie about her identification. 

Barrett was instructed to current herself on the beginning line and establish herself because the crew’s fifth rider, the UCI mentioned. It isn’t clear how the fraud was found, however Cynisca mentioned of their assertion that the crew was not allowed to start out the race, and a grievance was filed with the UCI’s disciplinary fee. 

Van Haute was “discovered to be the principle perpetrator,” the UCI mentioned, and has been suspended from biking actions till Dec. 2025. He was additionally fined, and Cynisca mentioned that they’ve “terminated all present and future relationships” with him.

Cynisca mentioned that Van Haute was employed on contract for a number of races. Different crew administration and workers members have been “unaware of the deception,” the crew mentioned. 

Barrett has been suspended from biking actions till Sept. 2024, and has additionally had her relationship with Cynisca terminated, the crew mentioned. In the meantime, the 4 racers who lied about Barrett’s identification have been sanctioned with a reprimand below UCI laws, and the crew was fined and suspended from collaborating within the subsequent race on the UCI Worldwide Calendar. The choices might be appealed, the UCI mentioned. 

“The crew didn’t and can by no means condone this form of conduct,” Cynisca Biking mentioned, including that the group understood the necessity for disciplinary motion and had cooperated with the investigation. “This was a one-time mistake by a rogue director.”

Kerry Breen

Kerry Breen is a reporter and information editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York College’s Arthur L. Carter College of Journalism, she beforehand labored at NBC Information’ TODAY Digital. She covers present occasions, breaking information and points together with substance use.