'There's no talking to the UCI' - Jan-Willem van Schip reflects on controversial end to cycling career

Jan-Willem van Schip has criticised the UCI's handling of equipment regulations after being disqualified three times in the final year of his cycling career.

The 32-year-old Dutchman, a two-time world champion on the track, announced his retirement in September. He will race for the final time at the Rotterdam Six Day, a track cycling event held at Rotterdam Ahoy from December 1 to 6.

Speaking on Dutch cycling podcast De Rode Lantaarn, Van Schip said he had repeatedly tried to establish which equipment setups and riding positions were permitted, but struggled to get clear answers from cycling's governing body.

"I came to the conclusion that there's no talking to the UCI," he said. "I really tried to find out what I was allowed to do and what I wasn't allowed to do. But there was simply no answer."

The disputes formed part of a difficult final season, although Van Schip stressed they were not the main reason behind his decision to retire.

Van Schip's disagreements with cycling officials resulted in three disqualifications in less than twelve months.

The first came at the Tour of Holland in October 2025, following a dispute over his seatpost setup. His team maintained that the component had been registered and approved.

In May 2026, Van Schip was disqualified from the Tour of Hellas after commissaires ruled that his riding position, with his forearms resting on the handlebars, breached UCI regulations.

A third disqualification followed in June at the Ronde de l'Oise, where officials cited non compliant clothing equipment. Reports suggested that bottles had been placed underneath his clothing.

Van Schip questioned the consistency of enforcement, pointing to riders adopting similar positions to those for which he had been sanctioned.

"You feel that there are two different standards being applied," he said.

He referred specifically to the Tour of Hellas, claiming that riders had used similar positions the following day without being sanctioned.

The consequences extended beyond his own results. Van Schip said the disqualifications also affected his teammates and the smaller teams for which he competed.

"It has such a huge impact. That's the saddest part of how it ended," he said.

Despite the frustration, he did not identify his disputes with the UCI as the decisive factor behind his retirement.

"Of course it played a part," he said. "But ultimately, that's not what I'm thinking about now. It's more about whether I still want to carry on experimenting. And that desire has gone."

Van Schip first began considering retirement during a summer ride from Munich to Athens, when he reached the summit of the Grossglockner in Austria.

"I was riding up the Grossglockner, and when I reached the top, I suddenly thought: I'd had enough. It was time to stop," he recalled.

"Then I thought: wait, what? Why?"

The thought stayed with him after returning home. He found himself questioning his future during training rides and discussed his doubts with his longtime coach Leo Adegeest.

At the same time, he was struggling to find the motivation that had previously driven his constant pursuit of new ideas and equipment innovations.

Eventually, he accepted that he no longer wanted to continue.

Van Schip has since returned to university in Wageningen, where he is studying meteorology and air quality.

He described the intellectual challenge as something he had increasingly missed during his final years as a professional cyclist. At university, he feels his curiosity and willingness to question established ideas are encouraged, a contrast with his experience in the peloton.

"The love for cycling gradually fades," he explained. "You still do it, and you're good at it, but you need something else, something more enriching."

His career brought two rainbow jerseys, three Olympic appearances and a memorable stage victory at the Tour of Belgium in 2019.

After years spent challenging cycling's conventions, Van Schip is now looking ahead to life beyond racing.

"The love is simply over," he said. "It's time for something new."