UCI disqualifies member of Astana Qazaqstan DT due to his attitude toward war in Ukraine

The International Cycling Union (UCI) has disqualified Savelii Laptev, a Russian national and member of the Kazakhstan cycling team Astana Qazaqstan Development Team, from competitions in Europe. He’s been accused of supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine, the TASS news agency reported.

UCI requires cyclists from Russia and Belarus to compete under a neutral flag. The organization has warned that even one word of support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine would be enough to disqualify any athlete from these countries.

According to Grigoriy Laptev, father of the 18-year-old cyclist, his son has been disqualified because he allegedly liked posts on social media concerning «the current political situation.» Laptev Sr. said that this is «just a misunderstanding» and his son’s account on social media was «probably hacked.» He also noted that Laptev Jr. had already sent a letter to UCI where he tried to clarify his point.

So far, there was no official reaction from Astana Qazaqstan Development Team.

In February 2022, the International Olympic Committee recommended not allowing Russian and Belorussian athletes to participate in international competitions due to the war in Ukraine. On May 16, some media reported that participants from Russia and Belarus would not be allowed to take part in The European Games this summer.

«Russian and Belarussian sportsmen won’t be allowed to participate in The European Games this year in any capacity,» the European Olympic Committee stated.

The European Games are expected to be held in Poland from June 21 to July 2, 2023. The boxing tournament here is going to be a qualifying stage for next year’s Summer Olympics in Paris.