Andorran cycling federation to require CHF 7,500 deposit from resident pro riders

Andorra la Vella — The Andorran Cycling Federation (FAC) will require professional cyclists resident in Andorra to lodge a one‑off deposit of 7,500 Swiss francs (about €8,000) in an Andorran bank as a condition for obtaining a national licence. The amount will be held in the rider’s name and may be used only to cover costs arising from anti‑doping investigations or disciplinary procedures; it will be returned in full when the licence is no longer required or the rider leaves the country or stops competing.

The measure was approved at the FAC’s Ordinary General Assembly after months of legal advice and coordination with the State Secretariat for Sport. The federation cited UCI rules that professionals must hold their licence in the country where they reside and said initial costs for opening case files or managing positive tests fall on the national federation. FAC president Carolina Poussier argued that a small number of such cases in a single season could jeopardise the federation’s finances and described the deposit as a recoverable safeguard to share responsibility for potential costs without imposing a recurring levy on riders.

The requirement will be phased in, the FAC said, and professional licence fees will not be raised in 2026 to limit immediate financial strain on athletes. The federation presented the deposit as less burdensome than the previous bank‑guarantee system, which had to be renewed each season. At the same assembly delegates ratified the FAC’s 2025 accounts, approved the 2026 budget and introduced a “Family Pack”: when three or more members of the same family apply for amateur or youth licences, a 50% discount will apply to the licence cost.

Separately, the FAC had approved in June a statutory amendment allowing an annual, one‑off compensation for the president, vice‑president and treasurer to offset hours devoted to federation duties. That change is not in force: the Ministry of Culture and Sports (State Secretariat for Sport) has reviewed the text and rejected the provision, saying current law prevents governing‑board members from receiving pay. State Secretary for Sport Alain Cabanes told the federation that boards cannot be remunerated under existing rules and asked the FAC to modify its statutes; he added the possibility could be studied in the future but is not currently permitted. The FAC has said it will comply and revise the statutes.

The federation’s governance and recent decisions have provoked criticism among some Andorran cyclists. Several riders and local outlets reported a build‑up of discontent over perceived lack of transparency, recurrent subsidies that appear to favour a single beneficiary, and a governance style described by critics as “continuist.” Sources close to the sport say the FAC has for three seasons channelled a notable subsidy to the rider Roger Turné, the vice‑president’s son, with reported support exceeding €10,000 a year to enable him to compete with a Spanish team. Critics say the assistance has not delivered a broader, sustained programme of support for other riders.

The proposed statutory change to permit occasional compensation for board members amplified tensions. Some athletes and former members have publicly resigned or distanced themselves from the federation in recent months, citing unresolved structural issues and inadequate support for the women’s section. The FAC’s new technical director, Víctor de la Parte, has begun offering places in the development programme for 2026, but some riders say the initiative comes too late to repair trust.

Poussier defended the deposit policy as intended to protect the federation’s institutional sustainability while avoiding undue penalties for professional cyclists. The ministry’s decision on board remuneration leaves the federation obliged to revert the statutory amendment and to work within the legal framework set by the State Secretariat for Sport.