Enduro mountain bike racer, Ares Masip, has spoken out about an alleged sexual assault incident that she skilled whereas at a UCI Mountain Bike World Series occasion held in Leogang, Austria in 2023.
The Spanish bicycle owner, who resides in Andorra, has filed a criticism with the worldwide biking union, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).
Masip made a public assertion in a video posted to her Instagram account on Wednesday that described the sexual assault incident intimately. She stated she instructed the particular person to cease however that they coated her mouth and grabbed her arms.
“I needed to scream, push him away and run,” she stated.
Masip has not named the one who she alleges assaulted her, however she described them as a fellow rider within the mountain bike neighborhood.
“Hey, I’m Ares Masip an MTB rider and in 2023 I suffered sexual abuse in Leogang World Cup paddock by a rider,” Masip stated as she opened her video assertion.
“The race was very lengthy, so I had been sleeping in my van for hours. He got here at daybreak and was attempting to pressure me to have sexual relations with him. Since the very begin, I refused and rejected him. He saved rubbing his penis over my physique, tried to kiss me and saved insisting.
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“I used to be simply asking him to cease. I needed to scream, push him away and run. He coated my mouth, grabbed my arms and repeated that he would rape me whereas he tried to undress me.”
The UCI has confirmed to Cyclingnews that Masip has reported allegations of sexual abuse, and in accordance with Esport 3, she has additionally reported the same allegations to the Catalan Cycling Federation or the Ministry of Sports of Andorra.
Masip instructed PinkBike that she filed a report with the Spanish police in October of 2024.
Masip stated that her public assertion was probably the most difficult video that she had ever needed to document however that she needed to interrupt the silence. She additionally stated that she initially tried to neglect in regards to the incident however realised the seriousness of it and determined to file a criticism.
“At first I attempted to neglect it and faux that nothing occurred. But months glided by, we coincided at races and I felt extra disgust and rejection. Slowly, I grew to become acutely aware of how unhealthy the state of affairs was and I made a decision to file a criticism. When it involves legislation, I do not know what’s going to occur. It’s not been a simple course of,” Masip stated.
“I needed to make it public, as a result of, sadly, these circumstances are approach too frequent. I lastly broke the silence as a result of I consider that it is attainable to construct a society extra equal and protected. Enough of a lot impunity.”
Cyclingnews reached out to the UCI to verify that Masip has filed a proper criticism with the organisation relating to this incident and what the subsequent steps are on this particular case.
“The Spanish MTB Enduro rider Ares Masip has certainly reported allegations of sexual abuse within the context of a biking occasion involving one other rider,” The UCI wrote in a press release to Cyclingnews.
“The UCI is at present investigating the matter with a view to referring it to the UCI Ethics Commission. Due to the character of the allegations, the UCI shall not make any additional feedback.”
Masip is the model ambassador for Forestal Bikes and the corporate stated it could support her in coping with this incident and the case going ahead.
“We had been shocked, extraordinarily saddened and on the identical time livid to be taught in regards to the case of sexual abuse suffered by Ares. It comes as a shock too to grasp that one thing like this might occur throughout a Mountain Bike occasion. Mountain Biking is a sport that ought to transmit values of enjoyable, happiness and respect, and naturally, should be a protected place for all,” the corporate wrote in a press release on Instagram.
“Ares Masip is a really valued member of the Forestal Team and counts with all our assist for dealing with this case. We reap the benefits of our platform to publicly condemn the horrible occasions which have come to mild immediately, trusting that the complete weight of the legislation will fall on those that ought to fall and thus serve for instance in order that circumstances like this by no means occur once more.”