Following a preliminary investigation into statements made by Belgian rider Dries De Bondt, from UCI WorldTeam Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale, at the end of the twentieth stage of the Giro d'Italia (the Colle delle Finestre stage, held on May 31st), the Union Cycliste Internationale deemed that his comments clearly called into question the integrity of the competition.

According to his words, reported by various media, Dries De Bondt deliberately helped a rider from the EF Education-Easy Post team following a suggestion from one of the team's sports directors that this could help the rider secure a contract offer for the next season.

On this basis, the UCI has decided to refer the matter to its Ethics Commission for a decision on the facts and to consider possible sanctions against the rider and/or the Sports Director if their behavior is found to violate the UCI Ethical Code, particularly articles 8.1 and 2 of Appendix 2.

THE FACTS. So far the UCI statement, but what did De Bondt actually say? Speaking to Wielerflits microphones, the Belgian explained why during the Colle delle Finestre climb he collaborated with Richard Carapaz (and Isaac Del Toro, who is not involved in the matter, ed.) in chasing Simon Yates.

"I haven't yet received news from my current team for next season and, since my contract is expiring, I thought it would be a good idea to make myself stand out during the Giro d'Italia. So, I let several teams know I was available for negotiations. I also spoke with Ken Vanmarcke (former Belgian pro, now sports director at EF Education Easypost, whose name however does not appear in the UCI communication, ed.) telling him that if they were looking for riders for 2026, I was available. And before the start of stage 20, Vanmarcke asked me if I had any plans, because it would be difficult for them to get riders into the initial breakaway. He told me that if I found myself there and did something important for the outcome of the Giro d'Italia, then something serious might come up: those words led me to pull for Carapaz."