Cycling and politics separate? UCI president Lappartient tweets about "good friend" Sarkozy, who’s heading to prison for five years

In the Vuelta a España, Israel-Premier Tech came under enormous pressure. The team and the rest of the peloton faced large-scale protests every day about the team's presence, even resulting in canceled stages. The UCI emphasized the importance of “political neutrality, independence, and autonomy of the sport, in accordance with the fundamental principles of the Olympic Movement.”

But it is precisely this political neutrality that does not always seem to apply. UCI boss David Lappartient violated his own values with a strange tweet he sent out on Tuesday. In it, he offered words of encouragement to former French president Nicolas Sarkozy. The 70-year-old Parisian was France's leader between 2007 and 2012 and a keen cycling fan.

The tweet is remarkable because Sarkozy was convicted of criminal conspiracy in September. He received illegal donations from the then Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi and has been sentenced to five years in prison. Last Tuesday morning, he arrived at La Santé prison in Paris. There, he said goodbye to his wife and then took his place in the VIP wing of the prison.

Lappartient therefore expressed his support for his ‘good friend’ Sarkozy on X. “He is a tremendous servant of France, a country he loves so much. I can personally attest to his energy, enthusiasm, and courage. He loves people. See you soon on the bike!” It is striking that Lappartient used his official president account, and not his private account, to send the message to the world.

This is not the first time Lappartient has used his Twitter account in an unusual way. After the World Time Trial Championships, he made a mistake by congratulating Tadej Pogacar on his world title instead of Remco Evenepoel. The Frenchman is often criticized, including by Johan Bruyneel, who claimed that he “maintains close ties with dictators.”