Brexit 90-day rule rings alarm bells for riders
Teams and riders tell James Shrubsall paperwork and permits are hiking costs
There are concerns that Brexit could make things significantly harder – and more expensive – for British cyclists and their teams racing on the Continent. The final Brexit deal makes no provision for UK residents visiting Europe beyond the standard 90 days in 180 that already applies to non-eu residents who are visiting countries in the Schengen bloc.
That means that British Uci-registered teams, amateurs wanting to spend a racing season in France or Belgium, and even British-based Worldtour riders are all scrambling to come to new arrangements.
“It racks up pretty quickly,” said Ribbleweldtite general manager Tom Timothy. “If you’re doing, say, three races in Belgium, then you’re actually probably there for 10 days – you’ve got the travel days either side, and the day you arrive. And it potentially makes it prohibitive to start doing stuff like international training camps.”
The limit is also a concern for the Rayner Foundation, which offers financial support for young British riders who have scored places with clubs on the Continent.
“Ninety days in 180 isn’t a full season,” said the Foundation’s Joscelin Ryan. “We’re really looking into it now, because we waited and waited for the deal to be done, to see if there was anything in there [for athletes], and there isn’t really.”
She added: “There’s certain things – a short stay visa, student visa, non-working visa, maybe some of the riders can do something like that.
“Apparently France has a long-stay visa but there’s no details for it yet for British people, so we’re waiting for that.”
Connor Swift, who is Uk-based and rides on the French Arkéa-samsic Proteam, has said his team is looking into the situation for him, and seemed optimistic there would be a workaround.
“I think there’s some sort of work
“It potentially prohibits stuff like international training camps”
visa I’ll be able to get in place,” Swift said, “or they might make a provision for sportspeople where they know you’re spending a lot of time in Europe.
“Obviously there’s no rush, I’m not going to be using up my 90 days at the moment,” he added, alluding to the current situation with Covid-19, with restrictions in place between the UK and Europe.
Paperwork costs
The 90-day visiting limit isn’t the only issue that could prove problematic. Timothy says Ribble are also looking into the potential requirement for expensive ‘carnets’, which could be required to transport equipment.
“It’s effectively a passport for goods,” he said. “And you’re talking about prohibitive costs – especially if you’re a small organisation – of £300 a time with a deposit for the maximum value of the potential tariffs incurred too. So it’s a huge amount of paperwork every time you go in and out of the country, and a pretty big cost.”
Timothy said the team was not yet entirely sure whether, at Continental level, teams would be liable for these costs.
All of these concerns remain at least partially academic right now, with Covid-19 still so rampant, and it may well be that for this season at least, the 90-day limit may not represent the significant issue it would in a ‘normal’ year.
The French-based Rayner riders should already be out with their teams but travel restrictions mean they are still at home, while Swift has had to forgo a Spanish training camp he was due at last week.
“To be honest, right now Brexit is the smaller of the concerns compared to Covid,” said Timothy.
Ryan added: “Coronavirus means there might not be a season – all of this talk might be irrelevant. There might only be 90 days of racing – that’s all we got last year.”
Far from being the clean slate most of us hoped for after last year, it seems like cycling will be feeling its way through 2021 – both in terms of Covid and the new Brexit regulations. By 2022 there should – should – be a clearer way ahead on both counts. For more on how Brexit and Covid-19 are affecting the world of cycling see page 38