UCI Sanctions Soudal Quick-Step Team Boss for Disparaging Comments Towards Women

Patrick Lefevere, the controversial team boss of Soudal Quick-Step, has found himself in hot water once again, this time with the UCI’s Ethics Commission. The commission has sanctioned Lefevere for making “disparaging” comments towards women, which were deemed to be in breach of the UCI’s Code of Ethics.

Lefevere has been ordered to make a public statement acknowledging the inappropriateness of his remarks and apologizing for them. Failure to comply with this directive could result in a fine of 20,000 Swiss francs (£17,800). However, the fine has been suspended for three years on the condition that Lefevere issues the public apology and refrains from committing any further breaches of the Code of Ethics during this period.

The exact incidents for which Lefevere has been charged have not been specified by the UCI, but it is known that they involved comments made in public. This is not the first time Lefevere has courted controversy with his remarks. Last month, he made comments about Julian Alaphilippe’s personal life, prompting a response from Alaphilippe’s partner, Marion Rousse, who criticized Lefevere for attacking their private lives.

In the past, Lefevere has faced criticism for his comments about women’s cycling, suggesting that the sport is “being pushed artificially” and questioning the value of female professional cyclists. His history of controversial statements has drawn widespread condemnation from the cycling community, with many calling for him to show more respect and restraint in his public remarks.