While the authorized dispute between Wout van Aert and his former workforce Vérandas Willems drew to a detailed on Monday, the case should have implications for Visma-Lease A Bike with former Vérandas supervisor Nick Nuyens hoping for disciplinary motion from the UCI and extra compensation from the WorldTour squad.
The dispute dates again to Van Aert terminating his contract with the now-defunct Belgian workforce in 2018 to then be a part of the Dutch WorldTour squad. In 2021 a Belgian labour court docket dominated that Van Aert needed to pay €662,000 in compensation because of his actions, a determine confirmed by the nation’s highest court docket earlier this week.
Nuyens had initially hoped for a €1.1 million payout from his former rider, who broke his contract amid stories that he was sad at rumours that the workforce would merge with Dutch squad Roompot.
Nuyens was awarded €662,041.31 and the quantity was confirmed this week. Now Nuyens is taking purpose at Visma-Lease a Bike for what he sees as their half within the affair.
Back in 2021, following the unique ruling in opposition to Van Aert, Nuyens referred to as on the UCI to take motion in opposition to Van Aert’s agent and his new workforce, citing the UCI’s personal laws which state that each one concerned events should pay compensation.
Speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws, Nuyens’ lawyer Rudi Desmet claimed that there’s a clear case for Visma to pay.
“It’s truly fairly clear,” Desmet stated. “A workforce that provides a rider a contract whereas he’s nonetheless sure by a contract with one other employer should pay that preliminary employer compensation.
“According to the UCI laws, that quantity is identical because the severance pay for which the labour court docket convicted Van Aert.”
Van Aert’s lawyer Walter Van Steenbrugge stated that the transfer was “typical Nuyens.”
“It’s purely to destabilise Wout and his workforce. I’ve been working with Wout for six years. He will not let this throw him off-balance,” he stated.
Cyclingnews contacted the Visma-Lease a Bike workforce however they didn’t wish to remark.
