Richard Plugge to step down as AIGCP president

Richard Plugge.

Richard Plugge has announced that he will not run for re-election as the president of the AIGCP, the representative body for professional cycling teams. The Visma-Lease A Bike manager was elected to a three-year term in July 2021 after previously serving as vice-president.

“After serving as president of the AIGCP for three years (and vice-president for several years before that), I felt it was time to hand over the gavel. I therefor did not stand for re-election,” Plugge said in a statement he published on Twitter on Friday afternoon.

“I think it is healthy that our gavel changes regularly. By doing so, we as professional teams share together the responsibility and much work involved in a role in the AIGCP.”

In December, Cofidis manager Cedric Vasseur called for Plugge to resign after Visma-Lease A Bike had prised Cian Uijtdebroeks away from his contract with Bora-Hansgrohe.

“When you are elected and you’re representing all the teams and you’re behaving like that, how can other teams trust you? It’s not possible,” Vasseur told GCN. “With that mentality, you can’t be the AIGCP president.”

During his time as AIGCP president, Plugge has also been among the main drivers of the One Cycling project, a proposed restructure of professional cycling with backing from SRJ Sports Investments, which is owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Last month, Het Laatste Nieuws reported that the One Cycling project had only attracted the involvement of eight WorldTour teams, with Tour de France owner ASO opting out of becoming a shareholder.

“In the coming period, I will focus further on the development of our own organisation, Team Visma-Lease A Bike,” Plugge said on Friday. “But I will always look after the interests of all pro teams and cycling, where as far as I am concerned, health and safety for the riders is paramount and a healthy business model for the teams and our sport is of great importance.”

For your information; I have decided not to stand for re-election as president of the @AigcpOfficial pic.twitter.com/jKXg4d8GwrMarch 15, 2024