The British continental team Saint Piran has had to admit that it used in some races during the 2022 season generic Chinese bikes that did not have any type of UCI homologation for use in competition, an aspect that the team avoided by applying false homologation stickers to those bikes.
The British team has explained that in order to do so without causing the suspicion of the judges, it falsified the identifying logo that all frames that have passed the approval process established by the UCI must display.
The matter dates back to 2022 when the Saint Piran team denounced the lack of safety of the bikes provided by its then sponsor Lapierre, a process that ended in the end of the sponsorship by the French firm and left the team without bikes mid-season.
Between then and the arrival of Trek to replace him in the sponsorship, the team had no better idea than to acquire a number of generic bikes directly from China, bikes without the relevant approval from the UCI and therefore cannot be used in competition.
After the case was uncovered, Saint Piran has had no choice but to admit that they used those frames and falsified the homologation stickers, stating that they will accept the possible sanctions that British Cycling and the UCI may establish. Sanctions that, financially, only for the “improper use of homologation stickers” are set at between 10,000 and 100,000 Swiss francs.
Multiple sources expressed fears that the frames were neither legal nor safe. A document produced by the cyclists highlighted several concerns about the safety of the frames, but it is understood that those concerns were dismissed, with the cyclists then accused of “whining.”
In any case, they claim that these frames complied with established safety standards in addition to any UCI limitations on design, geometry, etc. so they defend themselves by claiming that the use of these frames posed no danger or benefit in the competitions in which they took part with them.
Source: www.brujulabike.com