Visma | Lease a Bike team manager lashes out at the UCI: "Very sad, a disgrace for the sport"

The first stage of the 2025 Volta ao Algarve turned into a complete mess on Wednesday. That was witnessed by the team leadership at Visma | Lease a Bike as well, where they were aiming for a stage win with Wout van Aert—or at least a good result. The Belgian, like a large part of the peloton, was on the wrong side of the road, something team manager Arthur van Dongen was absolutely not pleased about. Speaking to IDLProCycling.com, he harshly criticized the UCI.

"I’ve been a team manager for 33 years and have seen quite a bit—like when they went the wrong way in the final and such—but those were different times and races at a different level. In a race like this, I’ve never experienced anything like it before. This is, of course, a mistake by the organization, but certainly also by the UCI. They impose all sorts of regulations without considering the interests of the sport or the health of the riders."

"Now they’re really messing with the riders’ health," Van Dongen continued, raising his voice. "This should never have happened, because there should simply have been barriers. They leave it open on both sides of that roundabout, and only after that do the barriers start... amateurism at its finest."

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"I wish we could fine the UCI too"

"The organization is responsible for that, but certainly also the UCI. UCI commissioners ride along with the race, and apparently they worry more about distractions than a proper finish, it seems," says the Dutchman in disbelief. "Very sad. A real disgrace for cycling. Again: the UCI should take the blame for this, because they've cast the sport in a very negative light. If you try to sell a sport like that, it obviously works for no one.

'I’m ashamed, as a cyclist through and through. That this can still happen in 2025... This simply should never be allowed to happen. I don’t know exactly what happened with the riders, with the motorcycles and such. I can imagine they were following a TV motorcycle. But again, the fault lies with the organization, and especially the UCI: this is a bad situation.' What Van Dongen and Visma | Lease a Bike can immediately do, they don't know either. 'Where are we supposed to get compensation? I wish we could fine the UCI too,' he jokes."

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Left: Wout van Aert, right: "Winner" Filippo Ganna

Van Dongen: "Fortunately no one crashed"

After the ride, Van Dongen immediately spoke with his riders. "I heard from Wout that he was 400 meters from the finish line where he was supposed to be, but then he noticed something was off. So he wisely kept his legs still, because it’s a wonder that everything went well: if someone with a dog or something similar had come by, it could have ended in disaster. Luckily, no one fell, because that would have been a total catastrophe."

"Everyone talks about safety, but this is a textbook example of how things can go wrong. Courses must be inspected beforehand by independent people—on the day of the race itself. I organize races at a different level myself, and these kinds of things just don’t happen," concludes Van Dongen.

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  Riders had to climb over the barriers to reach the finish

"Cycling is making a very bad impression"

After having some time to cool down, the Dutch team manager was still furious. "Professional cycling is making a really bad impression with this. Rider safety should be the top priority, and in this case, it was seriously lacking. Fortunately, no serious accidents happened, but this could have ended very badly. This is simply unacceptable."

The incident in Portugal is not the first time something has gone wrong in this young cycling season. "Safety has already been an issue far too often this season—first in the Étoile de Bessèges, and now here again. I believe also in the Tour de la Provence… What more needs to happen before this is stopped? I would say: UCI, wake up and take action for once." Safety was also a major concern in the Trofeo Andratx Pollença, where riders stopped the race after multiple crashes in severe weather conditions.

Read also

"Laughable," concludes Wout van Aert amid the chaos: "This just should not happen!"

Portuguese Cycling Federation president steps in: Algarve stage 1 canceled after blunder, Ganna’s win gets overturned

Fourth last year in the Tour of Flanders, but now back as domestique: "Pogačar isn't afraid of Van der Poel or Van Aert"

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