Germany’s national track cycling team will not compete at next month’s Elite Track European Championships in Belarus in response to what the West has called a state-sponsored hijacking involving an opposition journalist.
Raman Pratasevich was arrested after being pulled off a flight that was diverted to Minsk on Sunday – an incident that drew swift condemnation from EU leaders.
The German Cycling Association said Tuesday it had contacted the European Cycling Union (UEC) “and made it clear that the German national track cycling team’s participation in the European Championships is not possible after the events of the weekend, and (that it) pushed for an alternative solution.”
The UEC said it was “carefully monitoring the situation” and will decide on a course of action regarding the championships, scheduled June 23-27 in Minsk, at its management board meeting on Thursday.