ACCPI says UCI has ignored all correspondence, wants Cookson to address the issue
Protesting against what it says is UCI silence over the death of Alessio Galletti in 2005, the Italian Professional Cyclists Association (ACCPI) has written to the new UCI president Brian Cookson asking that he intervene in the matter in an attempt to help out the late pro’s family.
Galletti was a former winner of stages of the Tour Down Under and Tour de l’Ain, as well as a past victor of the GP Fred Mengoni in Italy, a race which has also been won by Damiano Cunego and Danilo di Luca. He competed in teams such as Lampre, Saeco and Domina Vacanze during the course of a twelve year pro career.
On June 15th 2005 he was competing in the Subida al Naranco race but got into difficulties on the Alto de La Manzaneda climb, approximately 15 kilometres from the finish. He had a heart attack and did not survive.
A post-mortem showed that he had died of natural causes.
“On that day, Alessio left his wife Consuelo behind, as well as a nine-month-old baby, Marcus, and a son, Manuel, who was not born yet and who has never had the opportunity to meet his father,” stated the ACCPI in a letter to Cookson.
“A few weeks after this tragic event, the family – that had been deprived of the fundamental financial
support coming from Alessio’s cycling profession – turned to the insurance company which the team
had taken out a policy with, as per art. 23 of the joint agreement, in order to be paid the amount of €100,000
as established for compensation in case of death of the rider.
“Unfortunately, even though the Naturino Team had taken out an insurance policy for its riders (including Alessio Galletti) as expressly established in the convention agreed upon by the UCI and the insurance broker Taverna S.p.A, the insurance company answered the Galletti family that no compensation was due since the above-mentioned policy only covered accidents and not death from natural causes, as is required by the joint agreement.”
The ACCPI stated that the Italian association for riders wrote to the UCI over six years ago to explain this situation and to request clarification how the international federation had signed the convention without realising that the insurance policy was against accidents alone.
“In a fax dated 30th August 2007, the UCI, in the person of the Manager of the Road Cycling Department,
Mr Philippe Chevalier, answered that the matter had been submitted to the UCI’s Legal Department and
that an answer would be given as soon as possible. But this fax was not followed by an answer,” it said.
Frustrated by the lack of response, the rider’s widow appointed a Swiss lawyer in 2009 to contact the UCI. Although three letters were sent, the ACCPI said that the UCI still did not respond.
Despite that silence, it believes that the UCI’s actions show that the international federation realises an error was made. “A fact occurred that, in our opinion, can be considered as an implicit admission of responsibility
(at least a partial one) by the UCI: from that moment on, all the insurance policies of the Pro Tour and
Professional Teams were modified, so that the risk of death also from natural causes was insured, in
compliance with the joint agreement,” the latter states.
“Well, we believe that all of us, but more than anyone else, the International Federation, should feel
indebted to the Galletti family. We cannot pretend nothing happened and do not satisfy the legitimate request for justice of this family.”
“Therefore we ask you to take action, in the name of those principles of loyalty and brotherhood that are
the fundamental moral values on which the UCI’s activities are based, so that a concrete act of solidarity
can be performed for the Galletti family, by paying a rightful compensation and by returning his dignity
to a rider who lost his life while he was performing his job passionately and professionally.”
The letter is signed by ACCPI president Amedo Colombo, as well as vice president Cristian Salvato, CPA president Gianni Bugno and on behalf of all Italian riders.
UCI response: Following appeal for compensation for family of late rider Galletti, Cookson says he’s treating the situation ‘very seriously’