ONE RULE FOR RUSSIA, ANOTHER FOR ISRAEL?

Is cycling applying double standards when it comes to war crimes and sporting exclusion, asks Chris Marshall-Bell

- Chris Marshall-Bell

Just days after Russian troops rolled into Ukraine in 2022, the UCI swiftly removed UCI licences from all Russian and Belarusian teams. These teams and their sponsors were banned from UCI events to avoid "damaging the image of the UCI and cycling in general". Russian and Belarusian riders were allowed to continue competing only if they joined non-Russian, non-Belarusian teams.

By 2023, they were permitted to ride at the World Championships under neutral status - provided they could demonstrate they did not support the war. Some riders lost their UCI licences after failing to meet those conditions.

But is the UCI's strong stance being applied evenly across the board? As drone footage on TV news surveys the ruins of Gaza, a thorny question is raised: why is Israel being treated differently? Israel's military action in Gaza, in response to the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack that killed about 1,200 people, has claimed the lives of at least 47,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Research published by the Lancet estimates a death toll 40% higher, at over 64,000, with 59% being women, children and over-65s. South Africa, Amnesty International and some UN experts have accused Israel of genocide, and yet - while Russian teams remain banned - Israel-Premier Tech continues to race unimpeded.

Cycling's world governing body the UCI has consistently taken the same line as the International Olympic Committee (IOC): that it is not within their remit to intervene in politics.