A formal investigation into the blank framesets previously used by British Continental team Saint Piran has been opened by cycling’s governing body, the UCI, it was announced on Thursday.
As reported by Cycling Weekly earlier on Thursday, the squad admitted to using bikes that were non-compliant with UCI regulations during the 2022 season. It is alleged that fake UCI compliance stickers were glued to the Chinese bikes. Some riders raced bikes using the unbranded frames in major UK races, as well as UCI events across Europe.
A short statement provided to CW by the UCI confirmed that the matter is now being formally looked into.
“The UCI can confirm that an investigation is currently underway regarding the potential use of a non-homologated frameset by UCI Continental team Saint Piran in past events on the UCI International Calendar,” a UCI spokesperson said. “As the investigation is ongoing, the UCI will refrain from making any further comments at this time.”
The UCI has strict rules regarding its approval process for framesets and the use of the compliance label. Regulations make clear that “the fixing of the UCI frameset and UCI fork labels by private individuals is forbidden” and that labels must be “visible, indelible and inseparable from the frameset”.
The regulations also state that “any misuse of the label or use contrary to the provisions of this protocol may be penalised by a fine of between CHF 10,000 and 100,000.”
Saint Piran’s boss, Richard Pascoe, said on Wednesday: “After a detailed inspection, we can confirm the unbranded frames were not compliant with the UCI regulation process.”
In a statement, he added: “Saint Piran acted on the advice of the manufacturer and an external expert and understood they were in line with UCI regulations at all times. It appears that advice was incorrect. We have now reported this to the UCI and will abide by their ruling.”
Multiple sources said that they feared the framesets were not legal and unsafe. Team personnel are said to have challenged Pascoe on the matter at the time. A document produced by riders underlined various safety concerns with the frames, but it is understood that the concerns were brushed aside with riders later accused of “moaning”.
A spokesperson for British Cycling shared the following update with Cycling Weekly on Thursday: “We are aware of the matter and will investigate through our compliance process.”
