Zaaf Cycling Team
Former Spanish cycling team
Team information | |
---|---|
UCI code | ZAF (2023) |
Registered | Spain |
Founded | 2022 ( 2022 ) |
Disbanded | 2023 |
Discipline(s) | Road |
Status | Club (2022) |
Key personnel | |
Team manager(s) | Manel Lacambra, Ladi Demko |
Team name history | |
2022–2023
|
Zaaf Cycling Team
|
Zaaf Cycling Team was a Spanish women's road cycling team that was founded in 2022. [1] Following allegations of unpaid wages, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) revoked its licence in April 2023. [2]
History
The team was named after Abdel-Kader Zaaf , an Algerian rider who competed in several editions in the Tour de France in the 1940s and 1950s. [3]
Racing as a club team in 2022, it became a UCI Women's Continental Team in 2023. [4] Zaaf Cycling Team signed riders that had previously signed with the French team B&B Hotels–KTM , which was in the process of creating a women's team when it suddenly folded in December 2022. [3] This included French national champion Audrey Cordon-Ragot and Canadian national champion Maggie Coles-Lyster . [5]
Allegations of unpaid wages
In March 2023, the UCI placed the team under investigation following allegations that riders and staff had not been paid. [4] [5] Media reports noted that some riders wished to protest at Gent–Wevelgem by not starting the race, and that riders were being assisted by The Cyclists' Alliance , the union of the professional women's peloton. [5]
In early April 2023, the UCI subsequently allowed riders to move teams, [6] following the resignation of Audrey Cordon-Ragot due to unpaid wages. [7] L'Équipe reported that the team had missed out on an invitation to Tour de France Femmes , [8] with race director Marion Rousse stating “we couldn’t condone having a team at the start that didn’t pay its girls”. [3] [8]
By the end of April, it was reported that over eight riders had quit, with the team having only the minimum number for a UCI Women's Continental Team. [3] [9] Other media reports included allegations that the team had been short staffed as well as lacking bikes and other equipment. [3] On 26 April, the team withdrew their entry from La Vuelta Femenina . [10]
On April 28, 2023, the licence that allows the team to operate was revoked by the UCI as only seven riders remained on their roster. [2]
References
- ↑ "CQ Ranking - Zaaf Cycling Team - 2022" .
- 1 2 Frattini, Kirsten (2023-04-28). "UCI revokes Zaaf Cycling Team's licence" . cyclingnews.com . Retrieved 2023-04-28 .
- 1 2 3 4 5 Lindsey, Joe (2023-04-25). "Escape Exclusive: Inside the collapse of Zaaf" . Escape . Retrieved 2023-04-25 .
- 1 2 Frattini, Kirsten (2023-03-23). "Zaaf under investigation after allegations team failed to pay rider, staff salaries" . cyclingnews.com . Retrieved 2023-04-14 .
- 1 2 3 Pitt, Vern; Davidson, Tom; Thewlis, Tom (2023-03-23). "Zaaf team has failed to pay riders for three months" . cyclingweekly.com . Retrieved 2023-04-28 .
- ↑ Weislo, Laura (2023-04-12). "UCI frees Zaaf riders to change teams" . cyclingnews.com . Retrieved 2023-04-14 .
- ↑ Frattini, Kirsten; Tyson, Jackie (2023-04-04). "Cordon-Ragot runs out of patience and leaves Zaaf Cycling" . cyclingnews.com . Retrieved 2023-04-14 .
- 1 2 "Les équipes Cofidis, Arkéa et Saint-Michel-Mavic-Auber 93 invitées au Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023" . L'Équipe (in French). 14 April 2023 . Retrieved 2023-04-28 .
- ↑ O'Shea, Sadhbh (2023-04-28). "UCI revokes Zaaf Continental license after eight riders quit team in one month" . VeloNews.com . Retrieved 2023-04-28 .
- ↑ Fotheringham, Alasdair (2023-04-26). "Zaaf pull out of La Vuelta Feminina, Unipublic confirms" . cyclingnews.com . Retrieved 2023-05-04 .
![]() |
This cycling team article is a stub . You can help Wikipedia by expanding it . |