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 Sequence occasion held in Leogang, Austria in 2023.
The Spanish bike 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 mentioned she advised the particular person to cease however that they lined her mouth and grabbed her arms.
“I needed to scream, push him away and run,” she mentioned.
Masip has not named the one who she alleges assaulted her, however she described them as a fellow rider within the mountain bike group.
“Hey, I am Ares Masip an MTB rider and in 2023 I suffered sexual abuse in Leogang World Cup paddock by a rider,” Masip mentioned 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. For the reason that very begin, I refused and rejected him. He stored rubbing his penis over my physique, tried to kiss me and stored insisting.
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“I used to be simply asking him to cease. I needed to scream, push him away and run. He lined 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 identical allegations to the Catalan Biking Federation or the Ministry of Sports activities of Andorra.
Masip advised PinkBike that she filed a report with the Spanish police in October of 2024.
Masip mentioned that her public assertion was probably the most sophisticated video that she had ever needed to file however that she needed to interrupt the silence. She additionally mentioned that she initially tried to neglect concerning the incident however realised the seriousness of it and determined to file a criticism.
“At first I attempted to neglect it and fake that nothing occurred. However months glided by, we coincided at races and I felt extra disgust and rejection. Slowly, I turned aware of how dangerous the scenario was and I made a decision to file a criticism. In the case of regulation, I do not know what is going to occur. It isn’t been a straightforward course of,” Masip mentioned.
“I needed to make it public, as a result of, sadly, these circumstances are means too frequent. I lastly broke the silence as a result of I imagine that it is potential to construct a society extra equal and secure. Sufficient of a lot impunity.”
Cyclingnews reached out to the UCI to verify that Masip has filed a proper criticism with the organisation concerning 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 an announcement to Cyclingnews.
“The UCI is at present investigating the matter with a view to referring it to the UCI Ethics Fee. Because of the nature of the allegations, the UCI shall not make any additional feedback.”
Masip is the model ambassador for Forestal Bikes and the corporate mentioned it will assist her in dealing with this incident and the case going ahead.
“We had been shocked, extraordinarily saddened and on the similar time livid to study concerning the case of sexual abuse suffered by Ares. It comes as a shock too to understand 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, have to be a secure place for all,” the corporate wrote in an announcement on Instagram.
“Ares Masip is a really valued member of the Forestal Workforce 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 gentle right this moment, trusting that the total weight of the regulation 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.”
