Gianni Bugno defeats David Millar in CPA presidential election but questions linger after week of turmoil

the result hardly tells the story of an uncomfortable buildup which saw a swathe of high-profile riders including Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas come together to call for the voting system to be reformed

The CPA defends the welfare of the peloton (PA)

A week of protest and controversy did little to change the inevitable in Thursday’s vote: the Italian Gianni Bugno was re-elected as president of the professional cyclists’ union (CPA), defeating the Scot David Millar in a landslide victory of 379 votes to 96.

But the result hardly tells the story of an uncomfortable buildup which saw a swathe of high-profile riders including Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas come together to call for the voting system to be reformed. In the current format, which Bugno refused to review until after the election, riders’ votes are cast in blocks according to their national association, rather than individually, meaning Bugno received all 150 votes from French cyclists by securing the France federation’s backing.

It was also difficult for many riders to cast their vote as they needed to physically attend the world championships, currently in Innsbruck, Austria, in order to do so. Earlier this week Bugno dismissed the idea of delaying the election to find an alternative. “There are costs to hold the meeting,” he said. “We can’t just throw away money and throw it all away two days ahead of the election.”

Bugno has led the CPA, which was established in 1999, since 2011 and his premiership is beginning to resemble that of a one-party state. However the 1990 Giro d’Italia champion passionately defends his record and cites the 2016 extreme weather protocol among a number of successes which illustrate how he has championed riders’ interests.

Millar, who was a successful rider during the early 2000s before later admitting to having taken banned performance-enhancing drugs, has been active on social media this week disputing his own credibility for the role with stakeholders in and out of cycling, including Lance Armstrong, who described Millar as “the last person I’d think of” for the presidency.

“In all sincerity, respect to Gianni Bugno and I wish him every success in leading @cpacycling,” Millar tweeted on Thursday evening following the result. “I hope this past month accelerates a much needed change in how the riders and the union work together.”