Marc Bracke, Director General and Sporting Director of the Doltcini – Van Eyck Sport – Proximus Team, is to appeal a three year ban imposed by the international cycling union (UCI) for sexual harassment involving several riders. In a strongly worded statement, the Team accused Marion Sicot of falsifying allegations against Bracke in oder to obtain a reduction to a four year ban issued for an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) involving erythropoietin (EPO).

‘We stay convinced that Marion Sicot’s accusations against Marc Bracke have no other intention than to obtain a reduced suspension for her use of doping, in which she has succeeded’, reads the statement (below), adding that a defamation claim has been filed with French courts. ‘We remark that Marion Sicot’s complaint against Marc Bracke was made only 8 months after she was informed to be caught for doping and after she had denied her use of doping for months with a series of the most unbelievable explanations’.

https://twitter.com/DoltciniVanEyck/status/1407581882750013444

The UCI was forced into issuing a second statement, due to the ‘defamatory nature’ of the above statement, which also accused the UCI of failing to grant Bracke a fair hearing and ignoring statements of support from 20 riders. ‘Mr Bracke’s due process rights had been fully complied with’, it reads. ‘He was in fact given the opportunity to submit his defence before both the UCI Ethics Commission and the UCI Disciplinary Commission.

‘The UCI has a responsibility to ensure a respectful environment for stakeholders and must condemn such damage to the reputation of the rider Marion Sicot. The UCI Disciplinary Commission made it very clear in its decision that the matter concerned the behaviour of Mr Bracke towards the complainants and any references to the reputation of the riders who denounced his conduct or the context in which such denunciations were made are of no relevance for the assessment of the fact’.