Former pro rider Cédric Vasseur announced today that he is to stand down from the presidency of the CPA (Association of Professional Cyclists), which represents the interests of riders in the sport.
The Frenchman was elected to the position in October 2007, taking over from Francesco Moser. He has worked in that capacity for over two years but said that he now wants “to concentrate myself on my professional projects.”
The 39 year old has been replaced by the Portuguese Paulo Couto. He’ll take over as CPA president until the next election, and will also replace Vasseur on the UCI ProTour council.
“I thank all those I worked with, plus and all the riders who have placed their trust in me during these two years of presidency, which were rich in lessons that were both human and in the functioning of cycling at all levels,” he said.
The CPA is one of several such groups in the sport, with teams being represented by the AIGCP (Association International des Groupes Cyclistes Professionels).
Vasseur was a professional from 1993 to 2007 and raced with the Gan, Crédit Agricole, US Postal, Cofidis and Quick Step teams. He won a stage and wore the yellow jersey for five days in the 1997 Tour de France, and also took a stage win in his final year as a pro.
His work with the CPA saw him represent the riders on many issues, including plans to ban radios during the Tour de France, the use of riders’ images and the push to ensure prize money is given for the UCI world calendar rankings. Vasseur also kept the pressure on for many months in order to ensure successful riders were paid what they were owed after the 2007 Tour.