Cycling Canada will prohibit the participation of Russian and Belarusian national teams at all UCI-sanctioned events held within Canada, including the upcoming Track Nationals Cup set to take place from May 12-15 at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton.
The national sport governing body issued its statement directly following the International Cycling Union's (UCI) decision to suspend all Russian and Belarusian teams, including Gazprom-RusVelo, from competition with immediate effect following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, using Belarus as a staging area for the war.
"Cycling Canada joins the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in strongly condemning the aggression of the Russian and Belarusian governments and their non-respect of the Olympic truce," read a statement issued Thursday.
On Monday, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) executive board recommended that international sports federations and organisers “not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions.”
"We count ourselves among the UCI members who appealed to the UCI for strong measures and were pleased to see the organization’s statement yesterday confirming the sanctions that will be imposed with immediate effect. Cycling Canada would also like to extend its support to the Ukrainian Cycling Federation and all those impacted by the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine," read the statement from Cycling Canada.
"In line with the current UCI sanctions, Cycling Canada will prohibit participation from Russian and Belarusian national teams (as defined by the UCI) at all UCI international competitions on home soil, including the upcoming UCI Track Nations Cup, scheduled from May 12-15 in Milton, Ontario. Additional measures may be adopted as we continue to monitor the situation."
The UCI Track Nations Cup will host three rounds with the first held in Glasgow from April 21-24, while Milton will host round two from May 12-15, and the final round held in Cali from July 7-10.
