"We will divide the fines among all athletes, we can continue until Warner Brothers": the bikers continue with their claim

This morning we learned about the sanctions that Warner has imposed on the Swiss Lars Forster and Nino Schurter for storming the podium at the last round of the Araxa World Cup as a protest against the unilateral elimination of the 5 podium. And now it is Lars Forster himself who talks about how it really happened and warns that this is not over.

Lars Forster explains how the podium assault was planned and makes clear the unity of all the riders on the grid

If you are not yet aware of this story, we will tell you that the new regulations approved by Warner Bros. and the UCI for the 2025 MTB World Cup have put an end to the historic 5 podium that has been celebrated for over 30 years. But all the riders on the grid have opposed this new rule and at the first World Cup event Nino Schurter and Lars Forster, fifth and fourth respectively, climbed onto the podium without authorization from the organizer.

This morning it was announced that they have each been fined 850 euros, but Forster himself has just explained that the action was taken with the support of the entire grid, that they will all pay the fines together, and that this will not end until Warner listens to their demands. Here is the full statement from former European XCO champion Lars Forster:

RECOMENDADO

850€ fine for Nino Schurter and Lars Forster for storming the podium in Araxá

Claim on the podium in Araxá: Schurter and Forster stormed the awards ceremony and the broadcast was "interrupted"

Goodbye to the iconic 5-person podium at the Mountain Bike World Cup that started 30 years ago

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"This action was planned in advance. All the riders were behind it and we didn't harm anyone. Warner Brothers, the rights holders of the World Cup, were the only ones who weren't happy with it.

I can cope with the fine. Because it was a very successful campaign that generated a lot of attention. Such a fine won't stop us from continuing to fight for our interests. Because we will divide the fines among all athletes, we can continue until Warner Brothers takes our concerns seriously and hears our voice.

We continue to believe that we will achieve our goal of preserving the five-men/women podium. All athletes stand together and with our rider alliance we have a strong common voice that stands up for the tradition of mountain biking and for the concerns of the athletes and teams."