Gazprom-RusVelo says 'dialogue is underway' with UCI about racing ban, as team's rider bemoans that 'my dreams are shattered'

Russian riders have since been banned from competition in the Netherlands

GazProm-RusVelo
(Image credit: Getty)

An Italian rider on the banned Gazprom-RusVelo team has lamented the UCI's decision to prevent his team from racing, claiming that "my dreams are shattered."

Alessandro Fedeli, who joined the Russian-registered team in the winter, was meant to start Wednesday's Trofeo Laigueglia on the day of his 26th birthday until cycling's governing body announced that that all Russian and Belarusian teams would not be allowed to partake in UCI-sanctioned races due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

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Chris Marshall-Bell

A freelance sports journalist and podcaster, you'll mostly find Chris's byline attached to news scoops, profile interviews and long reads across a variety of different publications. He has been writing regularly for Cycling Weekly since 2013. In 2024 he released a seven-part podcast documentary, Ghost in the Machine, about motor doping in cycling.

Previously a ski, hiking and cycling guide in the Canadian Rockies and Spanish Pyrenees, he almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains. He lives in Valencia, Spain.