Bugno re-elected as CPA president

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Gianni Bugno will remain as president of riders’ association the CPA for a second four-year term following his unanimous re-election at the body’s annual general meeting in Milan on Friday.

Bugno took over the reins of the CPA in 2010 following the resignation of previous incumbent Cedric Vasseur. Addressing the meeting on Friday, Bugno said that the CPA’s increased autonomy from the UCI had been one of the major achievements of his first term as president, although he acknowledged that the group’s campaign for greater relevance was far from complete.

“The path to getting attention and respect has been trying and I can’t say that it’s finished yet,” Bugno said. “But we have made great strides forward and now our opinion counts for more during the meetings where the changes to cycling are being decided upon.”

In particular, Bugno pointed to the CPA’s role as a stakeholder in talks with the UCI, race organisers and teams’ association AIGCP on reforms to the international cycling calendar, which are due to come into effect from 2017. The reforms are expected to include a reduction in race days for riders but tighter limits on the size of WorldTour rosters may also be introduced.

“A lot of our future work will be on this topic because we want to guarantee that the planned changes won’t mean job losses for riders,” Bugno said. “We expect a redevelopment of cycling in terms of image and economics – strategies to attract more sponsors and improve the working conditions of all riders.”

While Bugno acknowledged the need to bring professional cycling to new markets, he said that the CPA wishes to protect races in cycling’s traditional heartland. “We’re in favour of giving value to the races that have made the history of our sport, so they don’t have to compete with the new frontiers.”

Bugno also voiced the CPA’s support for the formation of a legal arbitration service at the UCI that can deal with riders’ issues in a more timely and less costly fashion, and said the group was also lobbying for an increase in prize money at races. “It’s the only way to give some reward to all riders and not just those who score UCI points,” he said.

Pascal Chanteur was re-elected as vice-president of the CPA while David Chassot will continue as secretary general.