Will Deception From the American Women’s Cycling Team Derail Team USA’s Road to the Paris Olympics?

Published 02/26/2024, 2:55 PM EST

Excitement is building across the sporting world for the upcoming Paris Olympics. This anticipation has seeped into the world of cycling, and fans eagerly await the competitions scheduled to run from July 27 to August 11, 2024. The cycling events will feature a total of 22 events across five disciplines.

As American cyclists are gearing up for the Olympics, a recent incident has marred the famous American women’s cycling team Cynisca Cycling, which is under scrutiny by the International Cycling Union (UCI) for its recent deception scandal. As we delve into the details of the case, we must ponder whether this misstep could potentially derail their dreams of competing in Paris in 2024.

The scandal of deception by the American women’s cycling team

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According to ESPN, Cynisca Cycling was gearing up for a big race called the Argenta Classic in Belgium last year. However, one of their riders got sick and couldn’t race. The rules state that a team has to have at least five riders to compete. So, instead of accepting that they didn’t have enough riders, the International Cycling Union (UCI) stated, “Several members of the team had participated in a fraud.” They disguised one of their mechanics, Moira Barrett, as a rider.

Moira put on cycling gear and pretended to be the missing fifth rider. However, the plan didn’t work out as expected. The team got caught, and the International Cycling Union (UCI), which oversees cycling, looked into the matter. Subsequent findings revealed that the team’s sports director, Danny Van Haute, was the mastermind behind the deception. The consequences led to serious actions that not only affected Danny Van Haute but the entire team.

Will their actions affect their journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics?

According to the judgment of UCI’s disciplinary panel, Danny Van Haute, who was considered the main person responsible, was fined and not allowed to participate in any cycling activities until the end of 2025. Meanwhile, Moira Barrett, who was actively involved in the deception, was banned from cycling activities until September 2024.

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Furthermore, riders Anna Hicks, Cara O’Neil, Katherine Sarkisov, and Claire Windsor, who complied with Danny’s instructions, faced reprimands until the next international race on the UCI calendar. While the UCI has issued its verdict, it is subject to a possible appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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Depending on the outcome of any potential appeal, further consequences or adjustments to the sanctions could occur, which might impact the team’s participation in future competitions, including Olympic qualification events. Participation in the Olympics also requires compliance with strict rules and regulations.

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According to USA Cycling, maintaining a positive reputation within the sporting community and organizations like the USAC, USOPC, UCI, U.S. Center for SafeSport, and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) at the time of nomination is also a criterion for selection. Given the serious nature of the infractions committed by Cynisca Cycling, their eligibility for Olympic participation appears uncertain in light of the sanctions imposed by the UCI. Do you think their actions could cost them their Paris dreams? Comment below!

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Written by:

Christaline Meyers is a senior Olympics writer at EssentiallySports who specializes in gymnastics and alpine skiing. Christaline is one of the acclaimed authorities in the coverage of 6x All-Around champion, Simone Biles. She has written extensively, covering every detail of Biles’s life stories as well as providing her perspective on Simone Biles’ Yurchenko Double Pike controversy.

Edited by:

Sampurna Pal

Will Deception From the American Women’s Cycling Team Derail Team USA’s Road to the Paris Olympics?

The scandal of deception by the American women’s cycling team

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Will their actions affect their journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics?