AIGLE, Switzerland (BRAIN) — The International Cycling Union is warning that it will discipline its registered racers who participate in a June e-MTB enduro race organized by the International Motorcycling Federation.
On March 21, FIM announced the inaugural FIM EBike Enduro World Cup, to be held over two days in Privas, France.
On Friday, the cycling group, UCI, said it was "disappointed" by FIM's announcement, noting that the UCI already sanctions e-MTB national championship events and plans to hold an e-MTB World Championships this year in Mont Sainte-Anne, Québec. The UCI said FIM "had no regulatory basis" to sanction e-MTB racing.
"The UCI had already notified the FIM in September 2017 that it considered E-mountain bike events to come exclusively under its jurisdiction and that the respective roles of the two International Federations (UCI and FIM) were clear and would not be called into question," the UCI said.
The UCI said it considered the FIM races banned events. "Consequently, any UCI-licensed rider participating in one of these events would risk disciplinary measures," the organization said.
In a statement Friday, UCI's president David Lappartient said, “I am delighted by the boom currently enjoyed by e-mountain bike, a specialty that enables a new public to take up mountain biking — a demanding discipline — and which is also appreciated by high-level riders. The UCI means to develop this activity which, as with other forms of cycling, comes under its exclusive jurisdiction.”
The FIM event will include two categories: Enduro1 (E1), for e-bikes with a maximum rated continuous power of more than 250 watts and whose assistance can exceed 25 km/h without exceeding 45 km/h; and Enduro2 (E2), for e-bikes with a maximum continuous rated power of 250 watts and whose assistance does not exceed 25 km/h. To participate in the events, riders require an FIM EBike Enduro World Cup license, issued by national motorcycle federations.
