The UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) announced Friday that its Ethics Commission found Durchini Van Eyck's Marc Bracke guilty of violating its code of ethics following allegations of harassment by two female riders. Marion Cicotte and Sarah Youmans separately filed formal complaints with the Ethics Commission after Bracke requested images of herself in "panties and bra" and "bikini."

"The International Cycling Union (UCI) is pleased to announce that Marc Bracke, general director of the UCI Continental women's team, the Dolcini Van Eyck Proximus Continental Team, has filed a report with the Ethics Commission regarding allegations of harassment reported by two female riders. I am pleased to announce that the Ethics Committee has issued its report on the harassment allegations reported by two female riders," said an official UCI statement.

"After reviewing the facts, the UCI Ethics Committee has concluded that there has been a violation of the UCI Code of Ethics.

On September 24, the UCI sent its official report to the Disciplinary Committee, which will now make a decision on the recommended sanctions against Bracke.

"Taking into account the sanctions recommended by the UCI Ethics Committee, the case was referred to the UCI Disciplinary Committee on September 24, 2020 and the Disciplinary Committee initiated disciplinary proceedings," the UCI stated. 'As the proceedings are ongoing, the UCI, the Disciplinary Committee and the Ethics Committee have no further comment to make at this stage.'

CyclingNews reached out to Bracke by phone and then email for comment on the Youmans and Cicotte allegations. However, they did not respond to detailed messages prior to publication of this article. Cycling News also requested a statement from the Dolcini Van Eyck team, but did not receive a response prior to publication of this article.

In March, the Ethics Commission opened an investigation into Dortuchini-Van Eyck and Bracke.

Youmans alleged that there was improper conduct by the team director during contract negotiations for 2019. She filed a formal complaint with the UCI Ethics Committee last October. During negotiations to join the Dolcini Van Eyck Sports Women's Team, Bracke demanded that she send him images of herself "in panties and bra" and he told her, "Don't be shy. This is the beginning of a relationship of trust."

She was told that she was "a good friend.

Youmans was offered an unpaid contract, but she told Le Monde in an interview, "I didn't want to put myself in a dangerous situation without friends or family in Europe. If he was prepared to behave like that on the Internet, I was afraid to join a training camp where the balance of power would be in his favor."

Youmans told Cyclingnews that the exchange of messages between her and Bracke took place on October 1, 2019, and that she filed a complaint with the UCI Ethics Commission that same month, citing the UCI Code of Ethics: Protection of physical and mental integrity-. Appendix 1, which covers sexual harassment and abuse.

Bracke denied Youmans' allegations and said his request for images of the rider's legs was for professional reasons.

"If it was for professional reasons, yes, but only legs. I am not interested in pictures of women in their underwear."

On March 18, Sico filed a formal complaint against Bracke with the UCI Ethics Commission, alleging six rule violations related to sexual harassment, discrimination, breach of contract rules, and fraud. In an interview with Cycling News, the former rider also admitted to filing a separate criminal complaint with local French authorities on May 12 alleging sexual harassment.

Sico's lawyer, Madalina Diaconu, who is handling the case before the UCI Ethics Committee, admitted to Cycling News in August that Sico's allegations center on Article 6 of the UCI Code of Ethics. 4: Protection of Physical and Mental Integrity, Appendix 1: Protection of Physical and Mental Integrity - Sexual Harassment and Abuse, and citing Article 2.3: Sexual Harassment, Article 2.5: Neglect, Article 2.6: Minors and Other Dependents.

According to Diaconu, the scope of the complaint includes allegations of sexual harassment and recidivism under aggravated circumstances, including more than 20 written statements by Bracke requesting nude photographs of Cicotto wearing a "small bikini" or "string bikini" from front and rear angles. The allegations include sexist remarks about whether she was married, had a boyfriend or girlfriend, or slept alone, as well as examples of embarrassing advances to spend the night at his house when he was at a nearby competition.

Sico also alleged three violations of UCI Rules 12.4.004: discrimination, 2.17.030 and 12.4.008: breach of contract rules and fraud. According to Sico's lawyer, Bracke coerced Sico into signing a "confidential" contract that covered all expenses related to training and competition activities, in violation of UCI rules.

In August, however, the UCI told Cycling News that "the Ethics Committee will decide which allegations and reports are relevant to the proceedings.

In its official statement, the UCI did not specifically indicate which parts of its Code of Ethics had been violated, only that there had been a violation with respect to the harassment complaint.

After Friday's UCI statement, Diaconu told Cycling News that he was satisfied with the decision, but regretted the limited communication between the UCI and the complaining athlete during the proceedings.

Cycling News understands that the person who filed the complaint with the UCI Ethics Committee was not a party to the case.

"We receive this news with satisfaction and hope that the disciplinary proceedings will be concluded and that justice will ultimately be done. The harassment and abuse of athletes, especially women, must stop," Diaconu said. [But we regret that the UCI has not been cooperative and communicative with the victims. So far, the victims have been completely left out of these internal procedures and have only been informed of the outcome of these proceedings through press releases.

Sico spent two seasons at Dolcini Van Eyck in 2018 and 2019. She tested positive for EPO in a test conducted by Agence Française de Lutte contre le Dopage (AFLD) at the French time trial championships on June 27, 2019. She has requested that the anti-doping authorities reduce her suspension, claiming that her decision to purchase and use EPO occurred after experiencing months of psychological abuse by Bracke.

The anti-doping rule violation is under the jurisdiction of the AFLD and she is currently awaiting the AFLD's decision on her request for a reduced suspension.

Cycling News reached out to Bracke by phone and subsequent email for comment regarding the allegations against Youmans and Cicotte. However, they did not respond to detailed messages prior to publication of this article.

In March, in response to Sicot's allegations, the Dortosini-Van Eyck team issued a statement acknowledging that Bracke had regularly requested photographs of Sicot in a bikini, but claimed: "This has been common practice for some time and is known to many in the cycling community." He claimed. At the time, the team also accused Cicotte of pretending to be depressed and "using the actual #MeToo-mood" to shorten his doping suspension.