STATEMENT: Patrick Moster
Updated: Jul 29, 2021
Following the appalling racist remarks made by Patrick Moster, the German Cycling Sporting Director towards Azzedine Lagab and Amanuel Gebreigzabhier at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Cycling Individual Time Trial event, the equality, diversity and equal opportunity charity, equitysport have made a short statement.
Racism and racist abuse is the antithesis of the equitable and diverse sporting world that we are striving for at equitysport.
We will not stand for the flagrant abuse of African cyclists at the world's biggest sporting event and stand shoulder to shoulder with colleagues across the equality in sport movement and the cycling community in calling for Patrick Moster's immediate resignation or dismissal.
The use of racist language by Patrick Moster, the German Cycling Sporting Director at Wednesday's Olympic Cycling Individual Time Trial is completely unacceptable. Following widespread outrage and concerted pressure from the equality-in-sport movement, the German Olympic Committee have expelled Mr Moster from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games claiming the incident runs contrary to the Olympic Values. Amid continued pressure, the Union Cycliste Internationale have deemed the outburst as discriminatory and in violation of the regulations that govern the sport of cycling and provisionally suspended Moster.
We, at equitysport, support calls made by Africa Rising Cycling and others for the immediate and unconditional resignation or dismissal of Patrick Moster from his now untenable position with the German Cycling Team.
** UPDATE - 29 JULY 2021 - 0900 (BST) **
Patrick Moster, the sports director of the German Cycling Union has been sent home from the Tokyo Olympics. The German team have ruled that Moster has violated the Olympic values, adding that "fair play, respect and tolerance are non-negotiable".
In violating the Olympic values, and by engaging in an episode of flagrant racism on a global platform, we remain steadfast in our calls for Moster to resign from his position with immediate effect.
** UPDATE - 29 JULY 2021 - 1400 (BST) **
Patrick Moster, the Sporting Director of the German Cycling Union has been provisionally suspended by the Union Cycliste Internationale. The statement from the UCI is provided in full below:
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces that its Disciplinary Commission has decided to provisionally suspend the German National Olympic Committee’s cycling team Sport Director Patrick Moster following his inappropriate words during the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 men’s individual time trial.
Following the incident on Wednesday 28 July, the UCI Disciplinary Commission urgently examined the matter and considered that Mr Moster’s remarks were discriminatory and contrary to basic rules of decency, in violation of article 12.4.017 (d) of the UCI Regulations.
This decision is without prejudice to the final decision of the UCI Disciplinary Commission or any action that may be taken by Mr Moster’s National Federation, the Bund Deutscher Radfahrer.
We, at equitysport, remain steadfast in our calls for the German Cycling Union (BDR) to dismiss Patrick Moster with immediate effect. His position as Sporting Director following a flagrant racist outburst at the world's biggest sporting event is untenable.
Updates to follow. Please follow equitysport on Twitter and amplify our calls for action.
equitysport is a UK-registered charity (1189559) that exists to advance and promote equality, diversity and equal opportunity in and through global sport. Through free-form development, education programmes and targeted advocacy the charity seeks an inclusive and equitable sporting ecosystem that lives up to the true values of sport.
Notes to Editors
For interviews or further comment, please contact the team via: hello@equitysport.org