The young Belgian cyclist shined this year with eighth place in the Vuelta’s overall standings. He already won the ten-day Tour de l’Avenir race last year. And so it is not surprising that there is a huge interest in him in the professional peloton.
For the last two years, Uijtdebroeks has defended the colors of Bory, but at the end of the year he was reportedly not completely satisfied. In addition, when the German team announced the arrival of the Slovenian star Primož Roglič, the space for the Belgian in the big races would shrink considerably.
The transfer to Jumbo-Visma, starting next season already under the name Visma-Lease and Bike, makes sense. “We’ve been following Cian since he was a junior. When the opportunity arose to sign him on December 1st, we didn’t hesitate for a moment. They are extremely eager to develop in all areas. We are glad that you chose us and our approach. We will focus on its growth in the coming years. He is perfect for our team,” praised sports director Merijn Zeeman.
The rider himself also commented on the transfer. “I am very pleased to ride for Visma-Lease and Bike. It is an honor for me to learn from cyclists like Jonas Vingegaard, Wout van Aert or Sepp Kuss,” praised the Belgian, who signed a contract until 2027.
Statement concerning today’s news from Jumbo – Visma regarding our rider Cian Uijtdebroeks
Cian is and will remain a member of BORA – hansgrohe, also in the coming 2024 season. He is contractually bound with us until 31 December 2024.
— BORA – hansgrohe (@BORAhansgrohe) December 9, 2023
But Uijtdebroeks’ move is not yet final. Bora emphatically denies it. “Cian is and will remain part of the team in the coming season as well. He is under contract with us until December 31, 2024,” the team said in a statement on social network X.
However, the agency A&J All Sports, which represents the Belgian, does not agree with this. “The contract between Uijtdebroeks and Bora-hansgrohe was terminated on December 1, 2023,” the agency claims. The whole dispute will then go to court. “The legal proceedings have already started, which the International Cycling Union (UCI) is also aware of. Cian is confident of a successful outcome to the ongoing proceedings, but will refrain from further comment for the time being,” read a statement shared by the rider on his Instagram.
2023-12-09 20:50:45
#dispute #cycling #talent #transferred #elite #team #Bora #protests
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